Moose Mountain Reservation 5/25/11

"Tigers and Leopards and Wildflowers Oh, Yah!" (pictures)
(Moose Mountains Facebook Group)

Difficulty: Easy

Directions: From downtown Farmington, NH take Rt. 153 North into Middleton about 5 miles. Continue onto King's Highway for .9 miles. Turn right at the police station onto Ridge Road. At 1.6 miles turn left onto New Portsmouth Road. Bear left onto New Portsmouth Road Exd. The trail head and kiosk will be seen ahead. You can park at the kiosk or continue 400 feet on an unmaintained road to an upper parking area just past the river.

Report: I returned to Moose Mountains Reservation Wednesday to do some work in the access road culverts and to attach a cable to the gate. It was such a beautiful day! I drove my truck up to the point where a stream crosses the road and parked. I did a quick walk up to the Burrows Farm area to make sure no one was up here in a 4x4 or ATV. Such a wonderful spot. Mountains all around, new leaves on trees a bright green, apple trees flowering and blue sky with white wispy clouds. Ahhhh, so lovely!

I then noticed a bug flying ground level across the dirt. It was an Eastern 6 Spotted Tiger Beetle! I love these florescent green beetles! I returned to the main trail heading back and spotted a couple Northern Leopard Frogs. They are so darn quick and blend right in with the ground cover. I did manage to coax one back out of the leaves for a photo op! Wild Flowers caught my attention again as I traveled along. Yellow Downy Violets and Pink Moccasin flowers where the choice today. Surprisingly after having so many ticks on us the day before I did not have a single one today! Must be they come out later in the day. Or because I was staying away from tall grass, mud and trees!

After getting my hiking, photo fix I then got back to my truck and stopped at each culvert to clean the leaves out and get water flowing again. Black flies began to attack as I affixed a cable over the gate and put up "No Wheeled Vehicle" signage. I kind-of felt bad about blocking this 4x4/ATV paradise, not my thing but every one is different and if that's what they like they should be able to have a place to "play"! But it's not allowed, and even if it was, the property is being abused. I can only hope this doesn't end up being a never ending battle! I don't give up easily and this is a beautiful property needing some TLC, so I am in it for the long haul!