Last week I decided to visit Indian Pond in Chesterfield. I’d heard about it but had never been so off I went. The trail I was to follow to the pond took me very near a place I know well, so I took a short detour to the ruins of Madame Sherri’s summer home, which is called the “castle.” Madame Sherri was a French costume designer who worked in New York City in the roaring twenties (1920s) and designed costumes for the Ziegfeld Follies and others. The chalet style castle was built of local stone found on the property, and I think what draws people to the site is what’s left of the arched outdoor stairway shown above. Two of the largest arches have come apart, so I fear this well-known local landmark won’t be standing much longer unless it is repaired.
This view shows the side entrance. Large windows were set in between stone pillars. I’m guessing that Madame Sherri had a lot of visitors from New York in the fall, because the colors were amazing. The place still gets plenty of visitors and a second parking lot had to be built to accommodate the overflow. They come in droves from all over the world, but especially in autumn.
This old photo shows the castle as it was before it was destroyed by fire on October 18, 1962; nearly 54 years ago to the day, which I didn’t know when I went there. Madame Sherri died penniless and a ward of the town of Brattleboro, Vermont in 1965 at the age of 84.
Back when I was a teenager I used to come here often and in those days you could sit here all day and not see a soul. One year an outdoor rock concert was held with the ruins of the castle as the stage and the popularity of the place has grown ever since until today, you’d have a hard time finding that you had the place to yourself. The last time I was here I had to avoid interrupting a professional photo shoot, costumed model and all. That day it was more like a circus than a nature walk.
The Ann Stokes that the sign refers to is the lady who bought the land and graciously donated it to the public. Indian Pond, it is said, was where Madame and her guests would swim in seclusion. I’m not sure why I never visited the pond years ago.
The first thing you come to is a beaver pond. I didn’t see any signs of recent activity so the beavers might have abandoned it. All the grass in the distance tells me it has silted up. Soon shrubs will start growing there and then the forest will eventually reclaim it.
New England asters bloomed along the edge of the pond.
I’ve searched for a nurse log for many years and finally found one here by the beaver pond. A nurse log is a log which has decayed enough to provide a fertile bed for tree seedlings, either of its own or another species. They aren’t common; this is the first one I’ve seen. I believe those are birch seedlings growing near the old root ball of the log.
Considering how dry it has been I was surprised to see a few mushrooms dotted here and there. I haven’t been able to identify these orange ones with small caps that seemed out of proportion to their long stems. I wondered if they were stunted due to the dryness.
I think these examples were Jack O’ Lantern mushrooms (Omphalotus illudens,) which grow in clusters on wood. Some experts say that through a process called bioluminescence the gills of Jack O’ Lanterns glow green in the dark, but others say that they don’t. I don’t have time to shut myself in a closet with them to find out, so I don’t suppose I’ll ever know for sure. They are definitely poisonous but smell very good and that can tempt people into eating them. They shouldn’t be confused with chanterelles, which don’t grow in clusters and don’t grow on wood. Those pictured grew on a log.
The hike to Indian Pond is described as “an easy 45 minute round trip hike to a secluded, beautiful mountain lake.” Define easy, I muttered as I climbed up and up at a steep enough grade to have me stopping to catch my breath. But a twelve year old could have run up to the pond and back with ease, I’m sure. In fact I met quite a few people of that age on the trail and could sense them obviously itching to do just that. Did I have that much energy at twelve, I wondered?
There are a couple of bridges to help you negotiate a stream which on this day had dried up completely. I’ve seen an alarming number of streams and ponds dry up this year and there is still no rain in sight.
There were lots of witch hazels (Hamamelis virginiana) blooming. They’re our latest blooming native understory shrub, so when you see these flowers you know winter is near.
I think a lot of people who come to New England in the fall believe that seeing the colorful foliage is the extent of it, but there’s much more to it than that. The crisp air, the rustle of the leaves as you walk through them, the soft whisper of acorns hitting the leaves as they fall and the earthy fragrance that surrounds you are all part of what we call autumn, and walking through a forest like this one is the only way to be completely immersed in the experience.
There are a few well-placed signs pointing you to where you want to go. I took a right turn at this one. From here it’s just a short walk to the pond.
The stunning foliage colors at the pond made the uphill hike worthwhile, and I sat an enjoyed them while I had the whole place to myself.
The pond really isn’t that big; I certainly wouldn’t call it a lake, but it is secluded. If I’d had more time I would have tried to find a trail around it.
Someone had a campfire, or maybe there have been many years of campfires here. A fire probably wouldn’t be a great idea right now considering how dry it is.
After a last look at the foliage I headed back down the hill, thinking of the photo of a yellow lady’s slipper that I had seen which was taken somewhere in these woods. I’ve never seen a yellow lady’s slipper so knowing they grow here will get me be back in the spring.
On my way back to the parking area I had to stop and admire the reflected colors in the beaver pond. The colors this year are truly amazing; better than I think anyone expected.
Explore often. Only then will you know how small you are and how big the world is.~ Pradeepa Pandiyan
Thanks for coming by.
How beautiful! This might lure me over from my side of the state to yours to check this place out!
Thank you but I think you might be too late. Most of the maples have dropped and most of what’s left are beeches and oaks, which haven’t changed completely. You might get lucky though!
I’ve visited there several times, it never ceases to amaze and inspire me. Love the quote!
Thank you Laura. It used to be such a quiet place and you never saw anyone there. Things have sure changed in Chesterfield!
I’m very jealous of your Autumn colour. Ours has hardly started yet. The ruins of that house are quite something. How terrible that she died penniless. There is certainly more to Autumn than coloured leaves, as you say. We walked through the woods this week and had to dodge chestnuts in their spiny shells falling all around us.
Thank you. She must have never saved for retirement, or maybe she planned on returning to Paris one day, I don’t know. I think if she had just sold the house all her problems would have been solved.
The colors are amazing this year but the leaves are dropping fast now. I’d trade you some of our color for some of your chestnuts. Ours almost all died off in the chestnut blight we had years ago.
Oops..slipped and hit send. You are right about the New England autumn experience being more than the colors. The scent of fermenting leaves, damp earth and general crispness of the air are all part of it. That pond is beautiful, and looks like a peaceful place to visit. The photos are all lovely!
Thank you Lavinia. I think we’ve all done that. I’ve often wished we could edit our own comments.
The pond was beautiful and is really out there in the middle of nowhere. Just forest for many miles around it, so there was plenty of foliage to see.
Looks like you were there on an absolutely perfect day – your photos are gorgeous.
Thank you Judy. It was a beautiful day!
Lovely fall colors and the weather looked perfect for hiking. Autumn in our neck of the woods is beyond beautiful!
Thank you Eliza. It was a perfect fall day and the colors were amazing. We’re very lucky to be able to live in a place that people from all over the world come to see!
I think that often. We live in paradise! 🙂
That’s for sure!
Just beautiful! Hmmm, another spot I’ll need to jot down to visit. The colors have been amazing! I think our lack of rain has helped keep them on the trees a bit longer perhaps? Whatever the reason, it is just a beautiful October! There seems to be a bumper crop of acorns this year. “Soft landing” are not quite how they sound here. Sometimes I think my granddaughter and I should be wearing helmets!
Thank you Jocelyn. The castle ruins are just a short walk from the parking area and take little effort to get to, so it’s quick and easy to see something that you’d have a hard time seeing anywhere else.
I’m not sure if the drought has caused the colors to be more intense or not but I do know that trees are losing branches and in some cases whole trees are falling over. I’ve seen a few that have fallen with leaves still on them. They say that the dryness weakens them, which I didn’t know.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many acorns. Some of them do fall pretty fast!
I recently got out to Indian Pond for the first time in about ten years. I was afraid with the full parking lot at the trailhead that I’d be fighting crowds, but that wasn’t the case at all! Such a treat. It was a little too early for colorful foliage, but otherwise the day was perfect.Thanks for your wonderful photos.
Thank you Ellen. I felt the same when I saw all the cars. I did see a large group of children in a Harris Center group and met a few people on the trail but I wouldn’t say that it was crowded. In fact I had the whole pond to myself for a while.
It was a beautiful day and it was good to see people out enjoying it. I’m glad you were able to get out there too!
It would be a shame if the ruins of Madame Sherri’s Castle were lost though the forest would be a quieter place without all the visitors! Both the beaver pond and Indian Pond are lovely places and the blue of the sky and water and the colours of the leaves are glorious! It is sad to see the bridges without any water running under them.
Thank you Clare. I agree, the place has become a local landmark and I’d hate to see it let go. There’s certainly nothing else like it here.
Fewer people would be easier on the forest, but there was hardly a sign that anyone had been here other than a few initials carved into tree bark.
It was a gloriously colorful day which would have sounded better with a stream gurgling through it. A few birds tried to make up for it though and it was nice to hear them.
That does sound like a good day!
We had a typical autumn day today with very blustery northerly winds and heavy rain showers. The leaves are being ripped from the trees before they get a chance to change colour!
That’s too bad. I hope the winds stop so you can see the trees change.
We have an almost constant wind in October it’s but on the mild side. 10-15 mph maybe.
What an excellent walk. Romantic ruins and a beautiful pond, who could ask for anything more?
Thank you. I was certainly happy!
I love the ruins of Madame Sherri’s “castle”. This was not her intention, I’m sure, but it looks like the perfect garden folly.
I’ve seen photos that show copper planting boxes all the way up that stairway and it’s said that she had hanging petunias in them, but I don’t think there was anything close to what could be called a garden. The house was used for entertaining friends more than anything else, and nobody ever actually lived in it.
Sounds like you had a good day out even if you aren’t 12 these days. But then who of is? 🙂
Nobody I know!
Thank you Ben. It was a great day to be in the woods!
🙂
Both the beaver pond and Indian Pond were really beautiful, but I’m a sucker for ponds and always have been. You’re getting a fine display of fall colors as well, I’m very surprised by that since it’s been so dry there.
I’ve always taken nurse logs for granted, since there are so many of them in Michigan. Maybe it’s because Michigan is a wetter state, so that the seedlings sprout easier.
If you find a way to regain the energy that you had at twelve, please clue the rest of us in, I could use a little of that energy.
Thanks Jerry! I like ponds too.
I think everyone is surprised by the colors this dry year. I had someone write in and say that the colors were better when it was dry, but I’ve never heard that.
I think I spend too much time looking at the ground to see nurse logs, birds, or much of anything else. I’ve really got to look around more!
I was wishing I could tap into the energy the kids had that day. If I ever find a way I’ll let you know!
That hike was certainly worthwhile! The stairway is interesting: I hope it will be preserved. The beaver pond is pretty and the pond is beautiful! A great area in which to just nose around.
Thanks Montucky! I hope they do something with the stairway too. The cracks in it were pretty bad and I think I’d worry about someone climbing it. It’s become a local landmark and I’d hate to see it go.
It was a great place to explore. Indian Pond is out in the middle of nowhere but still relatively easy to get to for most folks.
Beautiful photos. The trees colours, the lake, the blue sky all in a perfect harmony.
Thank you!
Great blog, as always! I’ll have to get over to check that place out. Hope you can join us for one of our Monday walks here in Nelson—we’ll show you lots of nurse logs. They’re actually very common, and I’m sure that once we’ve shown you a few, you’ll see them everywhere. (That’s how it is with me—learn something new—a new word, or a new plant, and suddenly it’s everywhere).
Thanks Al! I think you’d like it there, there’s a lot to see.
As I just said to Quinn, I think I probably don’t see nurse logs because my eyes are always on the ground looking for fungi and slime molds and such. I’m going to have to look around once in a while, especially when I’m up in Nelson!
I agree, once you seen something before long you’re seeing it everywhere. Except for orchids. It doesn’t seem to work that way for them.
When I was a youngster, the prospect of a straight section of path was pretty much a mandate to run! Must have gotten it out of my system, because I feel a lot differently about it now 😉
I’m surprised you haven’t seen more nurse logs. I often see a row of little seedlings growing along a downed and decaying bole – circle of life, right there! Often hemlock.
Thank you Quinn. I was pretty active when I was that age too and I still am but I don’t do any running these days either.
I probably haven’t seen nurse logs because I keep my eyes on the ground too much, looking for lichens and other small things. I’m glad to know that so many are out there!
Beautiful, Allen! The foliage is exquisite this year, and I have taken so many pictures! The witch hazel at my house is especially beautiful this year.
Thanks Paula! Yes, it sure is beautiful and I’ve taken a lot of photos of it too. I’ve probably got two more posts full.
Witch hazels are having a good year. I’m seeing them blooming everywhere. Nice to have them in your yard!
I’ve yet to visit the stairway and need to do it soon before it either collapses or is vandalized. During a mushroom hunt, the curator gave me a clump of the jack-o-lantern mushrooms. I took them into a dark room for quite a long while and saw NOTHING! However I did find foxfire in a rotted log years ago, as well as seeing a bio-luminescent lobster shell after my wife ate it. That was a delightful accident and she is fine.
Thank you John. I’m glad your wife is okay after eating a glowing lobster shell!
There are photos of Jack O’lantern mushrooms online that show them glowing green but I don’t know if they’re real or not. I would think after all the time I used to spend in the woods at night that I would have seen something, but I never did.
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Thank you John.
What an interesting place, and beautiful ruins and fall colours.
And it seems we all had more energy at 12 years old. (Or many of us, anyway…)
Thank you Cynthia. I think you’re right. I do remember doing a lot of running around at that age.
A fascinating walk, even if steeper than you would have liked. I loved the reflections.
Thank you Susan, I’m glad you enjoyed it.
A beautiful start to my day…Thanks. Sue
You’re welcome Sue!