Daily Archives: May 18, 2014

My back feeling better and better almost each day, I decided to risk a steeper descent to the head of Whitehead Stream. It’s White Head, then? This interesting tree was found nearby. Not sure of the species.

This is the actual head of the stream.

Nearby logs, one of which which appears to create the visage of an approaching dragon or huge snake in the below photo.

Old overturned pot found at the source, which appears very similar (a double?) to the one just down the stream found in a number of earlier Crossing photos, most recently in this one.

Head of Whitehead Stream again. Getting very green in the woods now.

Small campsite near Maine Trail just downstream. The head or source of the stream lies perhaps a football field west of where it meets this trail.

Beautiful day here in Blue Mountain fer sure!

Another day, another Whitehead Crossing area hike. This day I simply had to head up to Howl’s Ridge to investigate that super mysterious seeming 4th Way path again. Who made it? Who if anyone maintains or even walks it these days? Why was it made (since it only seeems to lead to the Woods of Howl, with nothing within)? Also, the night before I found out that the path is actually not in Frank Park (or Herman Park) but lies on private property, and the same property that the smaller of the 2 houses at the end is situated upon. The tax value of the house and property seemed way too low for all the acreage (over 16). What was I dealing with here?

But for the below photo, we’re still on the way up to the Woods of Howl. A quite large, gray snake is at the base of that dead tree. I don’t see many snakes that large in these parts — mostly I encounter garter snakes and the like. However, this one had to be 6 feet in length. It was obviously trying to stay warm in its patch of sun on this rather cold, spring day in the mountains. I think it may be a young blacksnake but I wasn’t quite sure. It wasn’t poisonous; I knew that. The dead tree automatically becomes Snake Tree until if and when I think of a better name.

Faint but pretty tracable trail leading up to the ridge and past the big snake.

There’s some poison ivy on the ridge, but it can be fairly easily avoided.

What I did this day is attempt to figure out where that path across the ridge leads to. It seems to dead end in the rhododendron I stand away from of while taking the below picture, a large-ish rock acting as aterminus sentinel of sorts. Mocking or Mock Rock?

The path didn’t seem to continue past the rhododendron. I’ll have more to say about this mysterious end soon enough. I believe it could be a haunted path.

It was on this day that I visited a side ridge of Howl’s Ridge that seems to have become a personal center in the woods, and also appears to have a separate energy from Whitehead Crossing. Smaller and separate — more personal. Look at the beautiful ladyslipper that greeted me when I reached the flat part of this side ridge. And more were just around the corner!

This is the center of the area: a type of parallelogram of small trees near a large pine tree on the edge of surrounding rhododendron. I do not have a name for the tree yet, but it is another center.

Rock in the area: tempted to call it Tooth or Toothy Rock for obvious reasons. Maybe Snaggletooth Rock.

There are 3 large piles of rocks on the slope nearby. I believe Hucka D. is warning me off about using these rocks for some type of art happening.

Low or Long Rock again, not far up the hill from Ladyslipper Ridge (prelim. name).

Small rock carn greets me at the beginning of the Maine Trail, heading toward Whitehead X-ing once more.

But today, as was the case with the last visit I believe, I didn’t even make it to Crossing proper but got sidetracked on Howl’s Ridge. Below is a quite interesting, long and low rock on the western edge of the forest, a rock I seem to run into during almost every recent visit to this ridge. Magnet Rock might be a good name due to this attraction property. Low Rock is another possibility, or Long Rock. Whatever, it’s by far the largest rock found near the Woods of Howl.

Here’s the thick of that piney woods. Sir Roger Pine Ridge would probably feel right at home here.

Here one of those amazing Crossing area finds: I emerged from the Woods of Howl on the north side of the ridge, following a faint but obvious path through upper part of these woods. Then the path continued downhill, *cut through a thicket of rhododendron*. It was obvious that someone put a lot of work into this path. But where did it lead? I had rough ideas when I headed downhill through it (still cautious of my wonky back, since I was suppose to avoid downhill walking when I was more in the early healing stages). On and on it went, chopped through rhodododedron, and still a path in pretty good shape although I can’t imagine who would use it.

Angular set of rocks encountered on the path, which I’m calling the 4th Way, since it has become the 4th pathway into The Crossing.

The path became steeper toward its terminus. Soon I was on flat ground, and spied a large house through the trees. I knew where I was. The path continued between this house and another, smaller house, which I’ve earmarked for further investigation. A nesting spot for woodsy aliens?

Large rock just beyond end of path, where it meets a dirt road. Almost hieroglyphic in nature.

The house at the end of the path in question. Beautiful setting, no?