When it’s hot and humid here in New Hampshire you have a few choices when it comes to cooling off outside. You could go to one of our many lakes, you could climb a mountain to catch a cool breeze, or you could go underground like I did last Sunday. The deep cut Cheshire rail trail in Westmoreland is almost always about 10 degrees cooler than it is everywhere else and there’s always a gentle breeze blowing. I’m convinced that the narrow slot canyon shape of the place creates its own breeze, because it never stops here.
Unfortunately last Sunday, even though there was a breeze, it didn’t feel much cooler as I walked through the man-made canyon. Considering how warm it was I was surprised to see two rock climbers. But I was also happy to see them because photos with people in them always give a sense of scale to the place. He looks quite small but you can see one of the climbers off to the left. He was looking up at his partner who was climbing up the wall of the canyon.
You wouldn’t catch me climbing these walls, but a lot of people do.
The hardware that rock climbers use looks safe enough. One hanger like this one that I read about said it could support 5600 pounds. It had better, because if they should fall this will probably save them.
The railroad workers cut through the solid rock by drilling deep holes into the stone using steam powered drills and then poring black powder into them. Packing these holes with black powder and lighting a fuse was a very dangerous business and many were killed doing it, but dynamite wasn’t invented until 1866 so it was either black powder or brute force. I’ve broken stone with a sledge hammer quite a few times but I wouldn’t ever want to face something like this. Breaking up the stone wasn’t the only daunting task; after the wall face was blasted away someone had to clean up tons of broken stone. Much of it was dumped in the woods and abutting landowners picked from the piles and built stone walls along the property lines. You can still see them today and they are oddities with their flat faces and sharp angles. You know immediately that stones like them aren’t natural.
This photo I took last May shows what I mean. There isn’t a rounded edge to be found anywhere in this wall and our natural fieldstone always has rounded edges. This stone is obviously cut and seems very foreign compared to what we’re used to seeing.
Not all of the blasted stone was dumped; the railroad built stone retaining walls along parts of the cut to hold back the hillside. They must have had stone cutters working right at the site, cutting and fitting the blasted stone into stone walls that have stood solid since the mid-1800s. You can always tell that a wall is a retaining wall by the way it leans slightly backwards into the hillside that it’s holding back. It takes skill, care and experience to get it right and the railroad stone masons had plenty of all three.
Even as dry it has been the drainage channels on either side of the trail still had water in them. Groundwater constantly seeps from the ledges and runs through these channels away from the rail bed. They are filled with water year round and help keep the humidity stable and slightly higher than it would be otherwise. They’ve also kept the rail bed dry for well over a century and a half.
There are many plants growing in the few sunny spots found here and some of the most beautiful on this day were the purple flowering raspberries (Rubus odoratus) in full bloom. This shade tolerant plant is in the rose family and the 2 inch wide flowers might look like a rose at first glance, but one look at its large, light gathering, maple like leaves will show that it isn’t. The plant has no thorns but it does have a raspberry like fruit. The flower petals always look a bit wrinkled.
The fruit of the purple flowering raspberry looks like a large raspberry and is edible but is on the tart, dry side. Native Americans had over 100 uses for this plant, both as food and medicine.
Coltsfoot flowers (Tussilago farfara) might look like dandelion flowers but it’s clear that they don’t have a taproot like a dandelion. Here they grow on solid rock.
Arrowleaf tearthumb (Polygonum sagittatum) is in the smartweed family, which gets its common name from the way your tongue will smart if you eat its peppery parts. Though the flower buds in this family of plants seem like they never open they do, sort of. They look like they only open about halfway though and I find the buds as pretty as the blossoms. This plant is a kind of rambler / sprawler that winds its way over nearby plants so it can get as much sunshine as possible. I was surprised to see it growing here in deep shade along the edges of the drainage channels.
Tearthumb got that name because it will indeed tear your thumb or any other body part that comes into contact with it. Many a gardener has regretted trying to pull it up without gloves on, because when the small but sharp barbs (prickles, botanically) along its stems slip through your hand they act like a saw and make you sorry that you ever touched it. The plant uses these prickles for support when it climbs over other plants, and they work well. Sometimes the stems and prickles are red but in this example they were green. Tearthumb is considered a wetland indicator because it likes to grow in very moist to wet soil. I almost always find it near water, often blooming quite late in summer.
Of course I couldn’t come here and not visit with my friends the liverworts. They grow here by the thousands, and this is the only place I know of where they do.
My favorite liverwort is the great scented liverwort (Conocephalum conicum) and I wore knee high rubber boots so I could walk in the drainage channels to get close to them. Great scented liverwort is also called snakeskin liverwort for obvious reasons. The reason it looks so reptilian is because of the way its pores and air chambers are outlined on its surfaces. It is the only liverwort with this feature, so it is very easy to identify. They love growing over the drainage channels here with ground water dripping on them from above. They are very fussy about water quality and will only grow where the water is clean and pure. With most of the state in severe drought I’ve been wondering how the liverworts were doing. Some I saw had dried out completely by the looks but thankfully many were still thriving. When you crush a leaf of this liverwort you smell a clean spicy aroma that I always think would make an excellent air freshener. They’re very beautiful things and I wish I could see them every day.
Another liverwort that grows here is called overleaf pellia (Pellia epiphylla.) At a glance it looks like great scented liverwort but a close look shows that its leaf surfaces are very different. This liverwort always reminds me of bacon and I’ve learned to spot it from a distance by its shape and wavy edges. It’s much narrower in width than great scented liverwort, and in colder weather it often turns purple on its edges and shrivels a bit. Don’t tell it I said so but I don’t think it’s anywhere near as beautiful as the great scented liverwort.
One of the strangest things growing here are these green algae, (Trentepohlia aurea) which are actually bright orange. A carotenoid pigment in the alga cells called hematochrome or beta-carotene, which is the same pigment that gives carrots their orange color, hides the green chlorophyll in the algae but it’s still called green algae. It grows like small tufts of hair all over some rocks. I’m not sure what that algae / stone attraction is, but it only grows on certain ones and this is the only place I’ve ever seen it.
The algae are very small and hard to photograph. They are described as “filamentous green chlorophyte algae.” The pigment that masks the green chlorophyll can also be yellow or red. In India in 2001 airborne spores from these algae were in high enough concentrations in to cause a “red rain” that actually stained clothes pink. Yellow, green, and black rains were also reported.
I took a walk out of the far end of the canyon to see if the old lineman’s shack was still standing. It was, but I’m not sure how with so many sections of wall and roof gone. I suppose that, like everything else the railroad built, it was built to last. There was an old bakelite (a type of early plastic) television antenna rotor controller on the floor of the shack for well over a year, but it disappeared as quickly and silently as it appeared. I’m guessing that this smallish shed must have been used for tool storage; after all, somebody must have had to shovel the snow out of this canyon in the winter. Just thinking about that makes my back twinge.
With all this talk of railroads and trains I thought I’d better show you the train that ran through here from 1935 until it was retired in 1957. It was a stainless steel 3 car diesel streamliner with “Cheshire” (for the Cheshire Railroad) proudly displayed on its nose. A 600 horsepower Winton engine was in the first car. The second car was a combination baggage / mail / buffet dining car, and the third car had coach seating for 188 passengers with rounded glass on its end that allowed 270 degrees of countryside observation. A sister train called The Flying Yankee ran on another part of the railway. How I would have loved to have had a ride or two on them.
If the path be beautiful, let us not ask where it leads. ~Anatole France
Thanks for stopping in.
There really is always something new to see, even on a very familiar walk. I wonder where that television antenna controller went? It was good to see the trains that once ran along the trail too.
I think a bakelite collector probably took it. There are people who collect everything bakelite, and they made just about anything from it.
I like those old trains. I don’t know what ever happened to this one. Scrap yard I suppose.
This is by far my favorite of your hikes. Amazingly, no matter how many times you visit there are always new aspects to be explored and you bring a new perspective to area. I was saddened to hear the TV control has disappeared. It was a bit of a talisman to these posts. I honestly don’t know anyone else who can conjure such love for liverworts but you impart such appreciation for this little plant!
Thank you Martha. Yes, I think I see something new each time I go here, and that’s why I keep going back. I was surprised the rotor controller stayed as long as it did. It’s not a busy place but I see hikers, bikers and snowmobilers there.
Liverworts are very hard to find so I’m always excited to see them. It doesn’t happen often!
Thank you for the tour, Allen! The rock cut-throughs are beautiful in their own way. They probably do create a passage for continual breezes. Yes, I can imagine the labor that went into them before explosives made it easier.
The scented liverwort is an interesting fellow, and I remember the purple flowering raspberry.
Hot and dry here in my part of Oregon today. 90+ degree weather is in the forecast, but fortunately we do not get New England’s humidity.
You’re welcome, and thank you Lavinia. I wish I could find more places like this but this is the only one I’ve found so far. I do like seeing those liverworts and you can never have too much purple flowering raspberry.
We were 90+ too, but far from dry. It was about as humid as it ever gets here today and the next 3 days are supposed to be the same. It’s almost like swimming through wet air.
I must share the photo of the old train with my husband as he is a great train enthusiast. I always enjoy your visits to this rail trail and look forward to all you find there. I am glad the liverworts haven’t all dried out yet. The purple flowering raspberry flower is beautiful and as you say, a little crumpled.
Thank you Clare. It’s a good thing I don’t live near you. Your husband and I would most likely be having some long conversations!
The liverworts are holding their own but we really need some rain.
They sell purple flowering raspberry at nurseries now. You couldn’t ask for an easier plant to grow and it loves shade. Unfortunately Japanese beetles love it as well.
So far…we don’t have Japanese beetles here. I expect it’s only a matter of time til they arrive.
I hope not. They do a lot of damage.
My hunch is that it isn’t only the shape of the canyon that creates a breeze, it’s also due to warm dry air hitting the cool damp rocks. The warm dry air will cool and pick up moisture, causing it to weigh more than it did, which causes it to sink to the floor of the canyon. The sinking action of the air towards the top of the canyon will draw more warm dry air to take it’s place, but there’s only so much room in the canyon for the sinking air, so it gets pushed out the ends of the canyon, or at least out of the lower end if there’s enough slope to the floor of it.
We have the same thing in reverse along the Great Lakes. Cool air from over the water gets warmer and lighter as it moves onshore, causing the air to rise, which pulls more cool air off from the lakes. It can create a gentle breeze even on a calm day, and can even overcome a light wind in the opposite direction.
Anyway, so many great finds again, although I probably wouldn’t think so if I tangled with the tearthumb. 🙂
I wouldn’t have wanted to be one of the workers who blasted that canyon out of solid rock, or one of the workers that had to move it all either. Still, the workers in those days took pride in their work, no matter how back-breaking it was, or how humble it was. We could use a little of that these days.
Thanks Jerry! I thought the damp rocks probably had a lot to do with the breeze too. It’s interesting to go down in there on a hot still day and suddenly find a cool breeze but as I found out last time it can get pretty warm in there, even with the breeze.
Tearthumb is fine unless you happen to get tangled up in it. Then you understand why it’s called that!
No, I wouldn’t have wanted to be a railroad worker either but they did some incredible work. I agree that it’s different now as far as people taking pride in their work. You just don’t see it happening much anymore, and that’s too bad.
The cutting is an impressive testament to the people who cut it. I am glad to get the scale of the place from the human figure.
Yes, I hope they were well paid!
I feel fairly sure that that they weren’t but I might be wrong.
Interesting post, per usual, with such great photos. I always learn something new… just yesterday, I was wondering what was the ID of a plant I was seeing by the river and voila, here the answer is today: Arrowleaf tearthumb (Polygonum sagittatum). Thank you! Years ago, this plant caught me well by the leg and I’ve been cautious of it ever since. BTW, can I ask what camera you use? Your macro photos show such great detail.
Thank you Eliza. If you have any other plants like that this blog is searchable, so you might find them. Tearthumb can really hurt when you get a bare ankle caught up in it. It’s a sneaky little things that’s hard to spot when it isn’t blooming.
The camera I’m using now is a new Olympus Stylus TG-180. It’s essentially a point and shoot but it has a “super macro” function that does fairly well. I use a Canon Powershot SX-40 for everything else.
Good to know, thanks!
You’re welcome!
What a tunnel! I like the contrast of black stones and greenery, so many interesting plants. Amazing to think about those trains riding through…
Thank you. Yes, I often wonder what it would have been like to ride a train where you wanted to go instead of driving. I think I would have loved it.
It is inviting in all of its seasons, Allen…a place that I would frequent often if I lived nearby. Thank you for revisiting it for us.
You’re welcome and thank you Scott. I don’t know of another place like it.
Interesting post, Allen! I’m sharing it with people in my hiking group. We sometimes hike on rail trails and come across old quarries and and mills. They will enjoy this post!
Thank you for doing that Paula. I hope they like it. It sounds like your group goes to some really interesting places!
You would like the Mason Rail Trail. We hiked it a few weeks ago. The Mason Quarry is gorgeous. I have some great photos from that hike. Would love to share them with you!
Do you have a blog or some other means of posting them online? I know you’ve shown me photos before but I can’t remember how. Of course you could always email them.
I don’t have a blog. I have a myfairpoint email address for you. Is that correct?
No, I had to drop that when Fairpoint went on strike. Google was supposed to send you and everyone else my contact information but it got all mixed up and now I don’t know who has it and who doesn’t.
You can get my current gmail address on the contact me page but you’ll have to send the photos in a separate email because for some reason WordPress doesn’t let you send them through the contact page.
Reblogged this on Poltrack Pix and commented:
Looks like a fascinating place, I need to check this out myself.
Thank you John. It’s right after the Keene transfer station on the way to Westmoreland.
I look forward to all your posts. They are both beautiful and interesting and this one is really great. I will never be able to consider liverworts as “nothing of interest” again. I’ve spent a lot of time enjoying rambling in fields and forests, but do not have your eye. It’s marvelous to look at things I have seen and things I haven’t through the lens of an informed photographer.
Thank you Cat. There really isn’t anything special about my eyes, and in fact my vision isn’t that great. The secret is learning to walk very slowly while usually keeping an eye to the ground. It took a while to train myself to slow down but once I did I started seeing all kinds of things. I’m sure you’ll do it too with a little practice.
Meanwhile I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog!
Liverworts are something I miss seeing in Ohio! I’m sure there are some somewhere in the state but we typically don’t seem to have the wetness and rock required.
I’ve heard that they like to grow on cliff faces that rise up out of rivers, ponds and lakes so you’re liable to see some when you’re fishing or canoeing.
Tearthumb is pain to try and get rid of! I have it growing by both of my ponds Usually I use the weed whacker around the edges but I still have to remember to put on gloves before I pick up the debris!
Yes, it has ways of letting you know it’s there!
You always makes your walks so interesting with such a varied set of pictures. I loved your description of the retired train. I, too, would have loved to ride on it.
Thank you Susan. I was born a little too late to be a train rider, but I’ve always liked them. Though we still have trains they don’t pass through anywhere near as many towns as they once did and I rarely see one. You’re very lucky to have as many as you do!