- Jim
TNR at Ascutney!
Ascutney is getting greener every day, so let's go there and play.

Will this mud season ever end?
Colors of the day are brown and gray
But gray tinges red
A motley gang of greens contend,
Olive, Kelly, jade, mint, teal
Blue spruce, chartreuse
The hues let loose!
Slowly, they ascend,
To hemlock defer,
To pine, to fir
Then ripen to an emerald blend
Great, grassy fingers hold a story
Of ventures past and former glory
Sport and fun
Joy and sorrow
Hope and challenge for tomorrow
The canopy betrays some shards of gray
Vast slabs and hoary precipices
Calling us to clamber
On proud cliffs and in shy crevices.
Beneath the blanket, boulders beckon
Toppled from their craggy perches
By forces we can barely reckon
They now rest among the birches
And from the stone, meltwater drips
Soaks through mosses, seeps and trickles
Rolls through rills
Over rocks, it rumbles
Tumbles into pools, and leaves in ripples
Feeding forest ferns, sedge, foliage and lichen
Inviting walking, running, hiking
Tracking fauna, birding, biking
Bushwhack, trail work, dog walk, liking
Just sitting on a rock to savor every minute
Feel the moment
Linger in it
Summer slides, and soon
Too soon
With fading moon
Sun breaks above a white fog mantle
Crisp, blue and clear
And as I feared
Imperfection in the scenery!
Bright and bold, a fleck of gold
Cries out against the greenery
Quick! a picnic, climb, or scramble!
Grab for all the green that you can handle!
Tuesday night at 5:45, we will meet at the ski area parking lot (main trailhead). At six we'll ride a carefully curated route that avoids most of the mud that has returned after these past days of rain and celebrates the greening of our mountain. Spring forward!!
Then on Saturday we will reconvene at the kiosk to build some more trail:
