Regular readers of this blog will recognize this rail trail “deep cut” in Westmoreland, New Hampshire and might be getting a little tired of hearing about it, but I never get tired of visiting this place because there is nothing else like it in this area. Blasted out of solid rock when the railroad was built in the early 1800s, these cliff faces are now home to many unusual plants, including liverworts, mosses, lichens, and ferns. It’s a perfect place to be on a hot day because the temperature is always about 10 degrees cooler but because of the height of the cliff walls it can be quite dark, especially in the late afternoon and on cloudy days, so it took 3 trips to get the photos that follow.
In the book Lost Horizon author James Hilton describes the fictional valley of Shangri-La as a hidden, earthly paradise and that’s what I’m reminded of every time I come here. In sunnier spots plants of every description, many that I’ve never seen anywhere else, grow on nearly every vertical and horizontal surface of these cliff faces and have grown virtually untouched for close to 150 years.
The reason the plants are able to grow here untouched is because of the wide drainage ditches that line both sides of the old rail bed. Only a serious plant nut would go out and buy rubber boots so they could wade through these ditches to get a closer look at the plants that grow on the ledges, and that description fits me. As I look at this photo and see all of the stones that have fallen from the rocks face I think that a hard hat might also be a good investment.
Liverworts grow here by the thousands, so thick in some places that you can hardly see the stone beneath them. So far I’ve identified three species but I think there are probably more.
My favorite liverwort found here is the great scented liverwort (Conocephalum conicum.) Its scent is strongly aromatic and very clean; almost like an air freshener, and once you’ve smelled it you never forget it. I keep hoping I’ll see this liverwort in the fruiting stage but even though I’ve checked each month since last winter I haven’t seen any of its umbrella shaped fruiting bodies yet. It’s such a beautiful and interesting plant that I find myself staring at even its photo.
Mosses of all kinds grow here but on this trip this one drew my attention more than any other because of its bright, lime green fuzziness. It lives under a constant drip of water as you can see by the surrounding stone. After much searching through books and online, the closest I can come is threadbare moss (Anomodon tristis,) but it is said to grow on tree trunks, not wet stone. It’s quite small; all that is shown in the photo couldn’t have been more than 8 inches long and 4 or 5 wide.
This is a closer look at the moss in the previous photo. It stays very wet in this spot. If you have seen it before or happen to know what it is I’d like to hear from you.
One of the most unusual things that grow here is a green algae called Trentepohlia aurea. Even though it is called green algae it is bright yellow-orange because of a carotenoid pigment in the alga cells called hematochrome or beta- carotene, which is the same pigment that gives carrots their orange color, and which hides the green chlorophyll. This is the only place that I’ve ever found this algae growing.
This is an extreme close-up of the green algae in the previous photo. It is surprisingly hairy and is described as a “filamentous green chlorophyte algae.”
I’ve seen trees growing out of these stone cliff faces so I wasn’t too surprised to find white wood asters (Eurybia divaricatus or Aster divaricatus) doing the same. It really is amazing how such a huge variety of plants can grow where there is so little soil.
I didn’t know that thimbleweed (Anemone virginiana) grew here until I saw these seed heads. Because they look like thimbles they give the plant its common name. They are also very difficult to get a sharp photo of, for reasons I don’t fully understand.
A place so filled with nooks and crannies is sure to have spiders and I’ve seen many here. This one built its web across the mouth of a small cave. I think it’s an orb weaver.
I also didn’t know that white turtleheads (Chelone glabra) grew here but they do, and in surprising numbers. The sight of so many of them that I could easily walk up to made me kind of sorry to have crawled into that swamp in Keene to get photos of them for a previous post.
I was very surprised to see this tall meadow rue in full bloom. It usually blooms around July 4th in this area and I’ve never seen it re-bloom until now. More proof that magic happens in this place.
And speaking of magic; I was walking slowly down the trail as I always do, eyeing the cliff walls for things of interest, when I had the feeling that I should look down. When I did I saw that I was about 5 feet away from the barred owl pictured above. I’ve never seen an owl up close and was so flabbergasted that I forgot that I even had a camera for a while. There we were for however long it was, looking into each other’s eyes, and it might sound strange but I had the feeling that somehow I knew this bird. In fact I knew that it would let me take as many photos as I wanted, so once I found myself I fumbled with trying to put my camera on the monopod that I always carry. The owl sat perfectly still and watched me the entire time. I could sense that it was not going to fly away while we stared at each other, so after taking 5 or 6 shots I turned to leave. When I looked back seconds later it was gone, without even a whisper of wings. Looking into those dark brown eyes is something that I won’t soon forget.
There is unfortunately another part of this story that I’d like to forget. I went back the next day to retake some of these photos because it had been cloudy that afternoon and they hadn’t come out very well, and as I walked along I saw a dead barred owl in one of the drainage ditches. It is thought that barred owls mate for life, so the one in the photo might have been sitting by its dead mate or it might have been the one in the ditch. It’s something that I’ll never know for sure but I do know that I had a lump in my throat as I walked down that trail.
There are sacred moments in life when we experience in rational and very direct ways that separation, the boundary between ourselves and other people and between ourselves and nature, is illusion. ~Charlene Spretnak
Thanks for stopping in.
New Hampshire Garden Solutions 
Astounding. I’d love to be there every other week for a year to see the changes. I probably never will be there at all, so I love what you’ve done to share it here.
Finding the dead owl must have been a little chilling after the earlier encounter with a live one.
Thanks! I go there a lot but don’t always post what I see. It’s an amazing place. Yes, finding that dead owl was tough. I’m still hoping it wasn’t the one I saw the day before.
Wonderful shots. There is a deep cut section like this on thr RT between Fitzwilliam (from Rockwood Pond) down toward Troy. It finishes before the power line cut through. I’ve walked and bicycled through there many many times, but will take myself back there this week with the dogs to look at the plants. I’ve noticed plants there before, but want to see what’s there now.
I was out there last year because I heard there was a good view of Mount Monadnock from the rail trail. I stopped at the view and didn’t go any farther though, so I’ll have to try it again and go all the way to the ledges. If there are drainage ditches there you’re likely to see some liverworts, but you’ll probably need boots to get close to them.
There are drainage ditches. I’ll see what’s there. Yes, there is a wonderful view from the railroad tracks down toward Fitzwilliam.
Thanks for being that serious plant nut that wades in the ditches and finds interesting things to share. Curious tale of the owl. Last saturday we were sitting with friends around a fire and I could hear a group of owls chattering nearby, as they sometimes do. I alerted the humans. We all went quiet. The owls simulataneously became quiet as well and only started chattering again after the human conversation recommenced. I rarely see owls but hear them most nights. I never hear them fly, even when I know they are moving very near to me.
Your experience is similar to mine Jim. Whenever I walk through the woods all the birds and animals are chattering away but as soon as I stop, so do they. I never hear owls though. I wish that one had had something to say.
It really is an enchanted place and well worth revisiting again and again. The owl looked so sad in your photo I wonder if it was its mate that died. Very sad if this is true but very sad either way for such a beautiful bird to die.
I agree. I hate to think of that owl dying.
Interesting post, so sad about the owl. We use to have Barred owls, “who cooks for you” in our woods but now have the Great horned owl.
I’ve been sniffing liverworts but they only smell like mud? Do they smell sweet only at certain times?
🙂
Thanks Chris. I’ve read that if you have great horned owls you won’t see barred owls because they are enemies.
I think that the great scented liverwort I’ve shown in this post is the only one with a scent. It smells like air freshener when you squeeze it between your fingers-you have to bruise it to release the scent, just like you would an herb leaf. It has smelled great every time I’ve tried it, winter or summer.
The photos are amazing…You do live in a very special part of the world.
Thank you Charlie. I have to agree!
thank you for sharing your little slice of heaven with us. your photos and stories nearly bring me to tears, at times. they definitely bring me joy. much joy. sometimes i might even drool a bit… 😉 ha ha
God bless the owls. ❤
You’re welcome Shana. I hope you find more laughs than tears here!
Another sweet post, Allen. Like you, I never tire of your trips down the old rail trails, in fact, these have been some of my favorite posts. It is sad to read about the owl, too…with the lump in your throat…….and you wrapped it up nicely with the quote at the end…. Well done.
Thanks Scott. I’m glad to hear that you like the place as much as I do, because I can’t seem to stay away from it!
The owl encounter was sad but I’m telling myself that it was one of two that died and the other will live on to be seen another day and hopefully find another mate. I’d sure like to see it again.
Please don’t feel like we ever get tired of reading about and seeing photos of the rail trail.
I would give half my kingdom to have an area like this nearby. (However, if I did have a place like this nearby, it would be part of my kingdom … so never mind.)
😉
I hate to see an animal that is known to mate for life all by itself. I have geese in my area, and I often see them fly overhead in pairs; and I sometimes see one flying alone and I wonder … is it a widow(er)?
😦
Thank you. I’m glad you aren’t sick of this place because I go there quite often. Each time I do it seems like I see something I’ve never seen and that’s what keeps me going back. I think you’d probably love the place.
I wonder the same thing when I see a solitary animal. It doesn’t seem normal unless it’s a bear or a mountain lion.
I love walks in places like this in the dog days of summer cool and damp sadly I do not think I will have to worry about heat till next year 🙂 Time for me to clean my houseplants as it will dip into the 30’s 😦
We could still have some hot days but they’re going to be few and far between now. Yes, I’d be getting my houseplants inside. It was in the 40s here this morning.
I got busy painting and cooking and just now 9:00 pm brought them in 🙂
I had to cover my huge spider plant now I wonder what kind of critters came in with them 🙂
It’s a good thing you got them in. It’s pretty cool here this morning. I’m sure you’ll find a few hitchhikers on them.
Yes sadly I fear you maybe right 🙂 Spider plant was so huge I had to cover it up last night till I could find a spot for it today safely inside 🙂
The great scented liverwort sounds wonderful – I would love to be able to smell it. I wonder if it grows anywhere in this country? The encounter with the owl was so moving. I am sure Jerry is right in that many creatures ‘recognise’ people that will do them no harm.
According to the British Bryological Society you do have great scented liverworts there. They like to grow on shaded stone with a constant supply of moisture but they can’t stand being submerged, so you’ll see them on rocks near rivers and streams, or where water runs down cliff faces. That little rift valley that you spoke of in a recent post sounded like a perfect place to find them.
I think it’ll be awhile before I forget that owl. It was a very unusual experience. I hope that all of the creatures that I meet out there know that I mean them no harm. Even the bears!
I am so glad that there is no chance of meeting bears or wolves here! Some crazy people want to re-introduce wolves into Britain – I hope they don’t get their way! I will have to get my boots on and have a slither about in Lud’s Church when we go again next year and see what I can find. Thank-you for the information.
You’re welcome. I’m not sure why they would want to reintroduce a dangerous animal like a wolf, especially since most of their natural prey probably isn’t even there anymore.
It’ll be interesting to see what you find in that rift!
It certainly is a magical place. The drainage ditches have provided an unseen security barrier. Your encounter with the owl is one you are not likely to forget. I had a similar encounter many years ago with a barn owl in Scotland, I thought it might be injured but it flew off happily. Amelia
I’m glad that your owl wasn’t injured. This one looked fine but it’s hard to know for sure if anything was wrong.
I can sure see why you keep returning to that place. I would too!
That was a magnificent encounter with the owl. The sequel is very sad.
It’s a beautiful place, and a lot cooler on a hot summer day. Almost the same as you’d expect to find on a mountain top. It is too bad about the owl, at least from our perspective.
oh wow, I love the barred owl picture, you are lucky to have seen this one! My favorite moss is also the liverwort but I do like all of the moss! Great shots Allen! Is this the same area you posted back in the winter with ice on the walls of the rock?
Thanks Michael. That was a lucky encounter, and totally unexpected. Yes, this is the same place where ice columns grow as big as tree trunks. It’s really beautiful in the winter!
Beautiful hike! I found a barred owl nest one year way back when. I set up a tent-blind and watched them until they left the nest … then I found 2 of the owlets, dead, from a predator. It was near the same time on finding them, just not close together.
Thanks! That must have been a great experience, but also another sad one. I hope someone out there has a barred owl story that turns out better than ours do!
A splendid creature who allowed you to capture his/her essence in your photo! Great post.
Thank you Martha. Something like that doesn’t happen very often, so you’d have to be a fence post not to feel something.
There are some plants which just won’t let you get a sharp photo I agree. I think it must be the combination of similar colours and irregular shapes which baffles the camera.
That could be it. I won’t tell you how many shots of those darn thimbleweed seed heads I took, but not a single one was dead sharp. That kind of thing helps keep us humble, I guess.
Another inspiring adventure with an ending that haunts in a magical way – or vice versa. What a remarkable encounter with the owl. I’m sorry about the outcome for either this bird or its mate, and for both. Nature is such a delight and is also such a reminder about the other side of life.
Thank you Cynthia. The owl was a part of nature and still is, but in a very different way. As U. G. Krishnamurti said: “In nature there is no death or destruction. What occurs is the reshuffling of atoms.” Still, even though I know and believe that, it’s hard not to feel something for these creatures.
I hear you.
Reblogged this on Dawn of Divine Rays and commented:
Another lovely and interesting trip we’ve experienced through you, Allen. Thank you so much for sharing your trips with us. Namaste
You’re welcome Agnes, and thank you for the re-blog. Have a nice weekend!
You’re very welcome Allen. Wishing you and yours, a beautiful weekend. Namaste
Such a sad ending to a great post.
As many times as you have visited this place, it may be that the owls have been watching you and had come to recognize you, which is why you felt that you knew the owl. The same thing happens to me frequently, birds, especially owls and raptors are very intelligent, and learn people after seeing them many times. They also seem to have an innate sense that allows them to be able to be able to tell the difference between some one in tune with nature, and those people who mean them harm.
Sorry, I’m not an expert on owls, so I can’t tell the age of the one in the photo.
Thanks Jerry. I love the idea of birds and animals being able to “tune in” to our feelings to know that we mean them no harm. I certainly felt like this owl was really trying to tell me something, and it wasn’t just “go away.”
A wonderful story about the owl. Very rare to get one so close and still. So sad about the ending though.
Thank you Ben. Yes, that was a rare encounter. The only other animal I’ve been so close to in nature was a rabbit. He also had big brown eyes and we also sat and stared at each other for a while, but I didn’t get the same vibes from him that I got from the owl.
I strongly believe that animals can love, and because of that they can also grieve.
I agree. I’ve lived with dogs and cats far too long to believe anything else.
Thanks for the Liverworts. Readers, if you are interested in finding mosses and liverworts, a great guide (the only handy one I know of) is Munch’s “Outstanding Mosses and LIverworts of PA & Nearby States”. These plants are closely relating to our earliest land plants, so when you find one, you are looking 100’s of millions of years into the earth’s past.
You’re welcome David. Yes, that’s one of the moss books that I use and it’s a very good one.
One is left to ponder what caused the owls demise. Perhaps just old age. On a more cheerful note, wonderful shot of the tall meadow rue!
Thank you. Yes, it’s another one for the mysteries of nature folder. It could have been old age. I don’t know enough about owls to be able to tell a young one from an old one. Maybe Jerry will know.
It is amazing so many different types of plants grow in such a small area. Like you, I would have gone out and bought boots too! What a neat and wonderful encounter with the owl. Your photo of him/her is spectacular. I understand how you must have felt when you saw the one in the ditch – a sense of loss and sadness.
Thanks Laura. This is a special place, there is no doubt about that. It’s too bad about the owl but nature has its way, whether we understand it or not. It was sad seeing such a beautiful bird end that way though, even if it wasn’t the same one I had seen previously.
Maybe it’s because they have forward facing eyes like us but I can “relate” to owls more than most birds and always get excited to see them. I sympathise; I find your story sad too. Sometimes reminding yourself that death is a natural part of life just isn’t enough to prevent being affected by such things.
Thanks Jim. I guess I don’t think of owls as being as vulnerable as the smaller birds, so seeing one like that was quite a shock even though I’ve seen quite a few dead animals. I know its the way of nature, but knowing that didn’t make it any easier.
I don’t think you’re far wrong with your feeling these cuttings are a Shangri La – after all, it’s a remote and beautiful place where life approaches perfection … seeing places like this I often imagine America as it was before ‘we’ arrived: A Shangri La indeed. 🙂
I often wonder what it was like when it was just the Natives here. It must have been a real paradise. Thank you for commenting.
What a magical place, so very worth while putting your rubber boots on. The tale of the owl is a sad one but a splendid picture.
Thank you Susan. This is a very hard place to stay away from. Every time I come here it seems like I see something I’ve never seen before.
I am a relative newbie to this blog who lives in the Mid Atlantic; keep up the good work! I am not tired of your railroad cut! (:
Thank you, and welcome. It’s nice of you to say so.