Monadnock Weekly Report 06.14.13

06.14.13

I’ve seen him when the rising sun
shone like a watch-fire on the height;
I’ve seen him when the day was done,
Bathed in the evening’s crimson light;
I’ve seen him in the midnight hour,
When all the world beneath were sleeping.
Like some lone sentry in his tower,
His patient watch in silence keeping.”

– Reverend William Bourn Oliver Peabody, Monadnock, 1824.

 

The sun momentarily breaking through the clouds over the site of the Half Way House Hotel, while the summit remains darkened. 06.12.13. Photo by Patrick Hummel.
The sun momentarily breaking through the clouds over the site of the Half Way House Hotel, while the summit remains darkened. 06.12.13. Photo by Patrick Hummel.

The Monadnock Region was the recipient of more cool, cloudy, and rainy days over the past week, reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest or a John Cusack movie (Did you ever notice he is sitting or walking through the rain in nearly every one of his films?).

Wednesday's low ceiling just over Moandnock's summit. 06.12.13. Photo by Patrick Hummel.
Wednesday’s low ceiling hovering right above Moandnock’s summit. 06.12.13. Photo by Patrick Hummel.

 

With the amount of rain that has fallen recently, I am sure you don’t need me to tell you Monadnock’s trails are very wet and will take some consecutive clear days to dry out. A pop up shower could still pass over this afternoon and hikers arriving at Monadnock this weekend should expect wet and muddy trails, particularly below tree line. Some rock surfaces may remain quite slick and exposed roots will also add to the slipping hazards. Cautious steps will be necessary, especially on descent.

A view from the western shoulder to Monadnock's summit on 06.12.13. Photo by Patrick Hummel.
A view from the western shoulder to Monadnock’s summit on 06.12.13. Photo by Patrick Hummel.

 

Saturday looks like a pleasant day in the forecast for Monadnock. Mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the low 70’s should make for a nice day on the mountain, but trails will remain wet and muddy, so be prepared for the conditions and stay in the middle of the trails. Hiking along the edges to avoid wet areas can trample vegetation, widen trails, and cause irreversible erosion damage. So, help Monadnock out and don’t be afraid to get those hiking boots dirty!

Light breaks through the clouds in the Monadnock Region, as seen from Monadnock's summit, providing welcomed rays of sun over the city of Keene. 06.12.13. Photo by Patrick Hummel.
Light breaks through the clouds in the Monadnock Region, as seen from Monadnock’s summit looking west, providing welcomed rays of sun. 06.12.13. Photo by Patrick Hummel.

 

Hikers planning for a Sunday visit should arrive in the morning, as more rain could come in during Sunday afternoon. Cooler temperatures and increasing clouds and wind are expected. We could see some clearing on Monday, then more rain for midweek. Keep an eye on those ever changing forecasts.

The Luna Moths were out at Monadnock this past week. This one was found at Monadnock State Park's Gilson Pond Campground on 06.13.13. Photo by Patrick Hummel.
The Luna Moths were out at Monadnock this past week. This one was found at Monadnock State Park’s Gilson Pond Campground on 06.13.13. Photo by Patrick Hummel.

 

This Week In Monadnock History

1820- The early summer of 1820 in the Monadnock Region was a notable one as an exciting, widespread massive hunt crossing many towns for an enemy terrorizing local farmers dragged on for weeks, captivating the local villages, and included local citizens working day and night to track down and bring to justice the menace as if it were Lawrence Talbot himself.

It was a Gray Wolf and he was the last wolf left in the Monadnock Region.

Local folklore, which may not be true, states that the gray wolves hid in the upper sections of Monadnock during the day and rove the valley hunting farm animals at night. This photo is peering to the south and Perkins Pond from Monadnock's summit. 06.12.13. Photo by Patrick Hummel.
Local folklore, which may not be true, states that the gray wolves hid in the upper sections of Monadnock during the day and rove the valley hunting farm animals at night. This photo is peering to the south and Perkins Pond from Monadnock’s summit. 06.12.13. Photo by Patrick Hummel.

 

Only 50 years before,  thousands of wolves roamed northern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. Wolves posed a threat to livestock and the livelihood of area farmers. In 1820, a group of about a dozen hunters and their hounds gathered in Fitzwilliam to track and kill the last wolf. They trailed the wolf into Jaffrey and back again into Fitzwilliam. They then tracked the wolf into Winchendon before following it to Rindge.

On the third day of the hunt, while the hunters slept at a Fitzwilliam farm, the wolf struck and killed three of the sheep in the barn, almost seemingly for sport, as very little of the sheep carcasses were eaten. They fired on the wolf as it fled, but were unable to hit it. The tracking lasted 9 days in all.

Finally, the group was able to bear down on the wolf and pushed it from Fitzwilliam towards Monadnock. Word was out that they were finally closing in on the wolf and local men from Fitzwilliam to Jaffrey turned out to help. In the shadow of Monadnock, in Scott Meadow, the wolf was finally hit by a bullet fired from a Fitzwilliam man, Shubel Plimpton. The wolf was injured but continued to flee. It took two more shots fired by Lewis Robbins to finally kill the wolf. The wolf’s body was hoisted on poles and carried back to Fitzwilliam where it was paraded around the town common, much to the delight of the townsfolk.

The last Wolf in the Monadnock Region was tracked, hunted, and killed in the shadow of the mountain, viewed below in this photograph. 06.12.13. Photo by Patrick Hummel.
The last Wolf in the Monadnock Region was tracked, hunted, and killed in the shadow of the mountain, viewed below in this photograph. 06.12.13. Photo by Patrick Hummel.

 

The image described above can certainly strike one as a bit uncivilized and barbaric. It certainly does not sit well with me. However, there are many parts of our country’s and world’s history that we may not be proud of, but that does not mean it should be hidden away or ignored. When I think more about the times, about the livelihood and survival of the local residents and how they were dependent upon their farms and the land, a consistent threat like a wolf could not be expected to be treated any other way. Some might be appalled by similar behavior now and we have a much better understanding of the negative and irreparable effects of completely eliminating portions of the ecosystem.

But, wolves, in particular, play a major role in this mountain’s history and in some of its legends. Some even believe the mountain’s unnaturally bald summit was exposed due to purposefully set fires to drive wolves out of their dens. I am not a subscriber to that story and have seen too much evidence to buy into it, but the story of fires being set to drive out wolves on Monadnock is still well known and even passed down to new local generations.

06.12.13. Photo by Patrick Hummel.
Sun light over Keene seen from Monadnock. 06.12.13. Photo by Patrick Hummel.

 

Perhaps in an upcoming blog we can examine the legends of the fires on Monadnock and why I am not so certain they’re true.

But, for the mean time, I will sympathize with the local townsfolk in dealing with their threat nearly 200 years ago. But, I am glad to be able to make different choices in my life now. A path of compassion, understanding, empathy, and awareness is the trail in life for me.

 

This furry friend is no threat here! A red squirrel stands watch over Monadnock's Noble Trail. 06.12.13. Photo by Patrick Hummel.
This furry friend is no threat here! A red squirrel stands watch over Monadnock’s Noble Trail. 06.12.13. Photo by Patrick Hummel.
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Patrick Hummel, Mount Washington State Park

As the Park Manager of Mount Washington State Park, I oversee and manage the operations of the 60 acres of the summit of Mount Washington; the highest peak in the northeast US at 6,288'. Our Park is staffed 24/7, 365 days a year and is sometimes referred to as the "Home of the World's Worst Weather". Previously, I served as the NH State Parks Volunteer Program Manager and before that, the Park Manager at Monadnock State Park, home to the most climbed mountain in the Western Hemisphere. IG= @topofthenortheast

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