Sixth annual Walden Pond Hike - December 15, 2021

 HIKE REPORT

Wednesday, 15 December 2021, Sixth annual Walden Pond Hike

Hike Co-leaders:  Judith McMichael & Janet Miller

~5 miles, 10:00 am start from Lincoln, MA

Hikers (20):  Judith, Janet, Barbara Jacobs, Bill Widnall, Curt Dudley-Marling, Greg Stathis, Joanne Samuels, Julie Dodd, Kathy Halmi, Marie Keutmann, Marlene Heroux, Richard Fortier, Richard Vignoni, Robin Frain, Rochelle Holman, Susan Broome, Susan Sabin, Ted Nyder, Zach Woods, and first-timer Chris Dudley-Marling.

The sixth annual Walden Pond Hike was well-attended, with twenty hikers.  We had a comfortably cool day with some sun and little wind.  The beaver pond at Heywood’s Meadow didn’t disappoint.  We observed lots of recent beaver activity and two impressive lodges.  When we came out of the woods for our first glimpse of Walden Pond, it was a glimmer-glass, reflecting the tree-lined bank for 360°.  It was beautiful.   We visited Thoreau’s cabin site, and then proceeded to an area where Thoreau farmed beans and where his cabin was moved after he no longer lived in it.  The cellar hole is still visible.     

 

After a brief stop at the Walden Pond Visitor Center, where many of us got a souvenir tree “cookie:, three people decided to take a short cut to their cars.  The rest of us made our way to the top of Pine Hill and admired the distant view of Mt. Wachusett, which was visible through a gap in the trees.  We made it safely back to the parking lot and Janet delighted everyone with her homemade mince pies and Robin gave out German chocolates.  Fueled by those delicious treats, fifteen of us made our way to Verrill Farm for a loverly, long lunch in the greenhouse.

Report by Janet Miller & Judith McMichael.