Squam Lakes Natural Science Center

Posted on August 6, 2011August 6, 2011 by Dusty Roads

Meanwhile back on shore I watched a couple more loons right near the docks as they fished and enjoyed lunch. I was wishing I had more time to watch and try to photograph them but the clock was ticking and I wanted to check out the actual Science Center before I finished my trek south.

The Center is only a couple of blocks from the lakefront so it was just a few minutes and I was back in their parking lot. I was able to head right in as I had a little sticker they had given me earlier. I was afraid it would be crowded as there were quite a few cars and several buses in the parking lot but it wasn’t too bad at all!

As you enter the grounds there’s an exhibit hall, gift shop and restrooms and then the trail splits one side to the right and the nature trail and the other to the left to the animal exhibits.

I enjoyed the exhibits in the hall. The were set up to show local animals in their natural surroundings yet there was something very whimsical about the displays.

From there I took the right fork to the walking trails.

The trail led through a meadow, over a floating bridge that crossed a marsh and up to a little pond.

Along the way were signs and exhibits to explain what you were seeing and the importance of each type of habitat.

While I was wandering along the pond it started to sprinkle so I turned my steps back to the center. I really wanted to see the animals before the sky opened up.

The Squam Lakes Natural Science Center is not a zoo although is does enjoy national accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The mission of the center is “to advance understanding of ecology by exploring New Hampshire’s natural world. ” If that mission leads to the rescue and rehabilitation of the native wildlife, then that’s what they do.

The nature center has captive animals that are native to New Hampshire and are considered “animal ambassadors”.

There are strict guidelines in place to govern what animals are taken into the center. For example, the Science center has to first determine if they have a need. They also have to consider the cost of the care of the animal in question. Most of the animals at the center are rescues. For any number of reasons they cannot be released back into the wild as they would not survive. Any animal accepted must be an animal that does well in captivity. These are just a few of the considerations that go into any decision to take in an animal. If there is more than one animal in an enclosure care is taken to neuter the male so there won’t be any “little” critters coming along. The Science Center is not equipped to run a breeding program.

Back where I began I turned down the left trail and ran into one of the volunteers. She had a little screech-owl on her arm.

She was doing a casual presentation to anyone who wanted to stop. It appeared to be pretty much unscripted with her fielding questions and just chatting with the visitors.

As I headed off I came to a bridge over a little brook. On the far side was another stage where a more formal presentation about various raptors was taking place. The little hawk the presenter was showing off was doing a great job of holding everyone’s attention.

The next exhibit along the trail was a moose exhibit. The inhabitant was a beautiful bull moose facsimile…a statue but a very handsome statue. The exhibit was to show the type of habitat a moose would live in.

But now I was approaching the real animal exhibits. There were lynx and bobcat, foxes, bears, otters, mountain lions, deer and raptors.

The bird exhibit held the hawks and there was a bald eagle!

Actually two of them, an adult with the white head and an adolescent with the splotchy brown and white coloring.

In the enclosure next to the eagles a small hawk has having lunch. The kids watching were both “grossed out” and fascinated as the little bird tore a mouse apart right in front of them. Nothing like a ringside seat to nature in action!

My time was running short so I made a quick swing through the gift shop and then out to the car to resume my homeward journey.

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It would have been nice to stay longer and explore a little more in-depth but my little zoo was waiting at home. I knew my two cats would be ready for my return no matter how much the pet sitter spoiled them!

On Golden Pond

Posted on August 5, 2011August 5, 2011 by Dusty Roads

I’m sure most of you have seen the movie On Golden Pond with Henry Fonda, Kathryn Hepburn, Jane Fonda , Dabney Colman and Doug McKeon. It was Henry Fonda’s last movie and he won an academy award for his performance. Kathryn Hepburn also won an Oscar

I remember the movie as a sentimental tear jerker but it had been years since I’d watched it. I didn’t know that my last stop on my New Hampshire Vacation was going to drop me right onto the Golden Pond of the movie.

Check out time was 11 am at the Valley Inn and I was packed and out by 10:00. Even with a 3-4 hour drive I still had time for a detour if something caught my fancy. In the guide-book to New Hampshire was a coupon for The Nature Science Center at Squam Lake. It sounded like something I’d enjoy and it was on the way southbound.

I found the center without any problem. At the ticket booth they had a list of boat tours of the lake. At the attendant’s suggestion I took the boat tour before I went into the center.

The boat was a pontoon boat and there were just 3 of us on the tour. A bus tour had arrived and was taking up 2 other pontoon boats for a “private” charter. My 2 co-passengers and myself were thrilled with that turn of events.

One of the women said she wanted to see and hear a loon. She said she had come to the lake because of the movie On Golden Pond. She and her friend had just watched the movie again so the characters and events were fresh in their minds. Our guide was just as well versed on the movie along with a wealth of information about where certain scenes were shot and what difficulties the film crew experienced shooting some of the scenes.

He did caution us that we might not see the loons since it was early (11:00am) and usually the loons were most active at dusk.

As we cast off he pointed out the dock with the fuel tanks and said that was where Norman nearly ran into the dock in the movie. He said it had been more realistic than planned as Henry Fonda had really lost control of the boat. For that reason the scene was only shot once.

The pontoon boat was docked on Little Squam Lake so we passed under a bridge and into a short river to enter Big Squam Lake.

It was a gray overcast day and it was quite cool motoring around on the lake. The guide gave each of us a pair of binoculars. With only the 3 of us passengers we were able to change seats to see better when he pointed out an island or a multi million dollar home.

Much of the lake shore is protected so there won’t be any more development such are there is on Lake George where I grew up.

The tour reminded me of the lake tours that I’ve been on in Lake George and I settled in to enjoy the views. We weren’t too far out when the guide pointed out a loon. Of the 3 passengers, I was the only one who had seen one before. The other two ladies were really excited. That was the last time the guide was the first one to spot anything.

Looking for birds and wildlife is just my cup of tea so with the ice broken I put my mind to the task of pointing out loons, cormorant and 2 juvenile Bald eagles. I was in my element and having a blast.

With me spotting the wildlife the guide concentrated on the history of the lake and the spots from the movie. One of the ladies didn’t just want to see a loon, she wanted to hear one too. The guide was really good with that too and was able to offer a passable imitation.

As we came around an island with a private camp on it, a number of campers were putting canoes and kayaks in the water. I spotted a loon not too far from the campers. The guide was surprised to see a loon that close to people. As we passed the loon let out its laughing call. It wasn’t the mournful “wail” but it was still a loon call so my co-passenger was happy.

We entered an area where the guide said a loon had just hatched a brood a couple of weeks ago. He said if we were lucky we might see the babies and sure enough, there was an adult with a couple of baby loons.

Our guide slowed the boat to reduce the wake while the little family headed toward the shore.

The 2 other ladies were thrilled with the loons but for me the high point was the eagles. I still haven’t gotten a great picture but these were a little better. Unfortunately the light was behind them so they are more in silhouette but I keep trying.

It’s a beautiful lake and now I have to watch On Golden Pond again to see if I recognize any of the places we saw.

I wouldn’t mind spending another day in the area to see if I could get some loon pictures too but that will have to keep for another time.

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It was back to the Science Center to see what that was all about.

Covered bridges, UFO’s and more

Posted on August 4, 2011August 4, 2011 by Dusty Roads

Driving around the White Mountains I came across covered bridges time and again. It seems like they were everywhere.

For some reason I usually think of Vermont when it comes to covered bridges and maple syrup but I was finding plenty of both here in New Hampshire.

Some observations or musings about covered bridges come to mind.

They provide shelter from New England weather which can certainly be harsh in the winter and hot in the summer.
Historically bridges were covered to protect the floorboards from exposure to the weather as the floorboards were the most expensive part of the bridge.
Sometime covered bridges are affectionately called “Kissing bridges”. That’s easy enough to understand. 🙂
At one time more than 10,000 covered bridges existed in the US. Today only about 750 remain and are carefully protected and maintained . Over 50 of these exist in New Hampshire.
Some say that wagon teams are calmer being driven over a covered bridge than over an open bridge where the team can see the rushing waters below. What they can’t see can’t hurt them or so they think, like putting on blinders.

There are driving tours to visit the various bridges and these are very popular during the fall foliage season when covered bridges are especially picturesque.

Speaking of picturesque, The Mount Washington Hotel is gorgeous in brilliant white and red against the blue and green of the mountains behind it.

Located in Bretton Woods at the base of Mount Washington, the Mount Washington Hotel was built during the era of the Grand Hotels and is one of the few remaining today. It opened in 1902 as one of the most luxurious, modern hotels of its time.

It is still operating today under the stewardship of the Omni Hotel Management. It has been featured on SYFI Channels Ghost Hunters when the TAPS team investigated it for paranormal activity.

In 1986 The Mount Washington Hotel, as one of the only Grand Hotels remaining in the White Mountains, was granted landmark status.

An speaking of the paranormal, it’s just a short leap to discussing aliens and UFO’s. The White Mountains has some of that too . Maybe not an Area 51 but just as important to the UFO community is the alleged abduction of Betty and Barney Hill in 1961. Their story started the abduction phase in UFO investigations.

The Hill’s story has been told in books and movies but is certainly too long to post here in any detail. But This is the story in a nut shell.

The Hills were traveling home to Portsmouth on RT 3 around 10:30 pm. Near Indian Head a UFO forced them to stop their car. They then reported a period of missing time.They reported the incident to the authorities and this has been widely investigated.

Today there is a State historical Marker near Indian Head to identify the spot where the Hills were said to have been abducted. I will admit to getting chills when I saw the marker. I don’t know if they were abducted or not or if there’s anything such thing as aliens, but I do believe that something happened there that night that’s never been explained.

Back when I vacationed in South Dakota we found ourselves on a dirt road that I jokingly refer to as “the longest dirt road in the world”. As I chatted with the Moose Tour folks one of them told me I should use the short cut from Waterville Valley to Lincoln. He told me to take Triple E Rd and it would bring me out right near the Valley Inn where I was staying.

It wasn’t Triple E Rd it was Tripoli Rd and the sign said it was closed from November to May. Since this was July I wouldn’t have a problem, at least I hoped I wouldn’t. The first part of the road on either end, Lincoln or Waterville, was paved.

It wasn’t in very good shape with many pot holes and crumbling shoulders but it wasn’t long before that was past and I was on a dirt road through thick trees and forest. The dirt road was actually easier to drive on than the pavement.

It was well graded and maintained and packed enough that there wasn’t a great deal of dust. There were a few cars and some campsites along the way. I don’t think it saved me any time but it was shorter in distance and it soon became my favorite route between the two towns.

I saw a large rabbit and a big bird. I think the bird was an owl of some kind by the way it flew through the woods. I kept hoping that I’d see more wildlife but even though I didn’t, it was still a pretty drive.

My vacation is winding down. It won’t be long before I’ll be back to the “real world” but I still have a few more things to share with you including the pictures I intend to submit to the various photo contests. I have to check the web site, but if there’s a link for you to vote, I’ll post that too.

Mount Washington and other tidbits

Posted on August 3, 2011August 3, 2011 by Dusty Roads

As I traveled around the White Mountains of New Hampshire I picked up a few tidbits about the Live Free or Die State.

New Hampshire received Statehood in 1778. It was the 9th State to join the Union.
The Capital of New Hampshire is CONCORD.
The state’s nickname is “the Granite State”
The State’s motto, as mentioned above, is “Live Free or Die”
The State Emblem is the Old Man of the Mountain. *
State Song: Old New Hampshire and New Hampshire, My New Hampshire
Flower: Purple Lilac
Wildflower: Pink Lady’s Slipper
Tree: White Birch
Gem: Smokey Quartz
Rock: Granite
Mineral: Beryl
Bird: Purple Finch
Animal: White Tail Deer
Insect: Lady Bug
Amphibian: Red Spotted Newt
Butterfly: Karner Blue
Saltwater Fish: Striped Bass
Freshwater Fish: Brook Trout
Area: 9,304 square miles
Greatest Width: 90 miles
Greatest Length: 180 miles
Coastline: 17.75 miles
Lakes and Ponds: 1,300
Miles of streams: 40,000
Mountain Peaks over 3,000 ft.: 82
Highest Peak: Mount Washington @ 6,288 ft.

*The old Man of the Mountain : Faces in stone are not uncommon around the world. New Hampshire also has the Indian Head. The Old Man first gained it’s notoriety when Daniel Webster wrote: “Men hang out their signs indicative of their respective trades; shoe makers hang out a gigantic shoe; jewelers a monster watch, and the dentist hangs out a gold tooth; but up in the Mountains of New Hampshire, God Almighty has hung out a sign to show that there He makes men.”

In 1945 The Old Man’s profile became the state emblem. It can be found on license plates, road signs and the State Quarter.

Since the 1920’s the granite outcropping that formed the face was showing signs of weathering. It would have failed long before its actual demise on May 3, 2003 if not for continual intervention by man over the years. Efforts to save the “Old Man” ranged from chains, to concrete, to steel rods and more but nothing could stop the slow erosion caused by weathering the seasons of freezing and thawing of Northern New England. Eventually that weathering, with gravity’s help, caused the famous icon to collapse. Today there is a marker and museum near the site.

Old Man of the Mountain vs Indian Head: When I was riding around on the Moose tour, the Guide pointed out the Indian Head formation.

According to the guide, the profile of the Indian is created as much by shadows as by actual stone. Because of this the Indian Head formation can appear quite different at different times of day and in different light. The Old Man was a true Stone Formation.

Mount Washington Wind speed record: As you know from the previous post about the cog railway, there is a sign at the summit of Mount Washington stating that the highest wind ever recorded by man was recorded on Mount Washington.

That record stood from 1934 to 1996 when a wind speed of 253 mph was recorded on Barrow Island, Australia during a cyclone. It took the World Meteorological Organization until 2010 to recognize the new record. An even greater wind of 316 mph was recorded in Moore, OK in 1999 during a F5 tornado but that was not recorded at ground level so was disqualified.

That’s more information than I have about my own state! It’s probably more than any of us wanted to know.

New Hampshire also seems to have tons of covered bridges. I haven’t found an actual count of them but they all seem to have a number assigned. So I saw one bridge that was #64 or #65 so I am guessing there are at least that many.

Cannon Mountain

Posted on August 2, 2011August 2, 2011 by Dusty Roads

Tickets for the Flume Gorge and the Tramway at Cannon Mountain can be purchased together on what is known as a Discovery Pass. Luckily you don’t have to do both on the same day. I spent 3 hours of my afternoon at the Flume Gorge so I would have only had an hour at Cannon Mountain. Not knowing what to expect there I made the decision to wait til the next day. The weather was supposed to clear up so the visibility from the top should be good.

Even with a substantial dose of ibuprofen my legs were letting me know that I had used muscles that I normally neglect. I was looking forward to a gentle ride up the mountain. I imagined a casual walk around the top like there was on Mount Washington. That was far from the reality!

I arrived at the mountain at about 10:00 am. A sign said the temperature at the top of the mountain at 9am was 60 degrees. I had on a tank top so I went back to the car to get a jacket…just in case. I remembered how chilly but refreshing it was at the top of Mount Washington.

It was really great to watch the cable cars head up and down the mountain. It was almost more fun to watch that than to ride them. The car going up passes the car coming down at the midway point in the trip. Seemed like there were a lot more passengers going up than coming down. At each tower the car gave a little dip and sway. The guide on the tram said if we liked that we should come back on a windy day!

There’s a little bump as the car settles into it’s dock at the top and we’re there. There are 2 decks with tables and a cafeteria style restaurant. They were putting out fresh-baked cookies that smelled wonderful. I stopped to buy a bottle of water and commented on how good the cookies smelled. The cafeteria gal said that’s why they bake them…so it will temp us to stop and buy something. I bought the water but my legs were a reminder that I didn’t need the cookies so I managed to resist.

I followed the trail signs and next thing I knew I was following a hiking trail upward. Oh no! More hiking and climbing! My legs will never be the same. I am definitely going to have to get on an excercise program when I get home!

The views are spectacular! The trail takes you right along the top of the mountain right up to the edge in some places. Finally it curves through some woods and opens up at the base of an observation tower. It looks like a fire tower but the only people climbing it were us tourists. From the top we could see Maine and Canada (or so we were told). I can imagine it’s true as it looked like we could see forever. I’m glad I waited for a clear day although even today it was a little hazy.

There was a cool breeze but it was quite warm in the sun. I stayed on top of the tower for quite a while as I wanted to see if I could get some shots of the cable car from up there.

The trams run every 15 minutes but I didn’t see it. I finally realized that it wasn’t that the cable care wasn’t on schedule, the angle was wrong. I had to look very closely to spot it as it came up the hill and then dipped into the building to dock.