Did a little exploring today:thumbup:

[Royal]

What a beautiful day today, a little cool, in the lower 60's but great for getting yard work done.

I finished what I had wanted to do and then had the afternoon to fill up. When I get bored I usually go exploring, which is what I decided to do today. I just hop on my scooter or if I am going into the woods, my 4wd GMC. I have 215k miles on it and it is perfect for crawling the two tracks. The only problem is that the rear end is getting bad on it and I fear breaking down while exploring.

I always have my cell with me but how the heck do you call anyone to come get you if you don't know where you are.

I usually take my GPS with me on these outings and save my track. When I get home I plug it into the puter, downlond the tracks off my GPS and I can see exactly where the two tracks go. It is a lot of fun and there is no telling what you will find.

I knew of a two track that ran paralell to the South Branch of the Ausable and I had been back there many times but there was one trail that ran off to the left, north, and I had no clue where it went. I decided to check it out.

I turned off the main two two track, which is named River Lake Road. Can you believe it? They named the bloody thing I took it for a couple miles and came to a dead end. That was fine, I was exploring. I had to use my 4wd a couple times as it is pretty rough country, not what Wayne or Mike would call rough but in places the two track was washed out and all dry sand. I had to use the Four wheel for those areas.

I back tracked a ways and tried another dim two track I had noticed on the way back. Man that sucker was a lot worse and had not been traveled for a while and not much. There was one rutted hill that I had to get out and walk down the thing to look it over before I would take the chance of driving down it. It was badly rutted and went aound a bend so I didn't want any supprises.

I got past that area and drove on. I had no idea where the river was, just off to the north somewere but as much as this little trail was wandering there was no telling how far.

I went up the trail and it ran along a ridge. I just took it slowly and then looking off and down to my right, there was a pond. It was a hundred feet below me and in the woods. I got out and saw it was a beaver dam. A well maintained beaver dam. Now you guys in the mountains might find this boring but it never fails to thrill me to see something like this.

I got out of the truck and took a few pictures and I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I did taking them. I hope to take the grand kids to see it this summer.

Be sure to use the scroll bar to see all of the panorama..


[attachment 125420 Beaver-Pond-1.jpg]


[attachment 125421 Beaver-Pond-2.jpg]


[attachment 125418 Beaver-Pond-Panoramaweb.jpg]

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

I assume that there would be fish in the beaver pond, correct? How long will a beaver dam last if man does not destroy it? Kelley (Texas)

 

[Royal]

I have no idea how long it had been there and if there are any big fish, sorta doubt it. The dams will be kept in good shape until the beaver is killed or moves on. They will move on if the pond eventually silts in.

Look at this sucker http://www.geostrategis.com/p_beavers-longestdam.htm

 

[Wayne in BC]

If it is on a small stream or creek it could have trout in it, being in your area.
A Scooter or Bike is best for exploring for sure. Very nice pics as always!

 

[George-CT]

Your right, the beaver dams are a joy to see no mater how many times you see one. I think other than man, the beaver is about the only animal that can change its environment to suit itself. We pull them apart around here in the areas where they dam up culverts under the roads and they start running over the roads or they the block up the brook enough and peoples homes get flooded out. The state of Connecticut will send in wardens to trap them out or if need be kill them. I really enjoy watching them build this stuff. The lower brook on my place I have always wished that some would come and build a dam there. It would make a great pond, but I guess the beaver know more about than we do as they built them further down our brook on another guys land. He hates them. If he wold leave them be the young ones might move up this way, but he don't. I will try and get some shots of them here next time out.

Those are great shots. Nice and clear. I like back country anywhere, even desert. Just nice to get away to where you don't see much sign of man and you can let your imagine go a little wild. Out west when we first stopped in the Badlands in SD, the quiet really caught my attention. Loved it. I like all the pine and fir trees in your shots.....Thats about all thats green here right now except for the maples starting to leaf up.

Thanks for post.

Geo-CT