Scenes From Outer Cape Cod

Carol and I spent several enjoyable days on Outer Cape Cod visiting with my sister and brother and their spouses. On the first full day I went on a birding walk at Massachusetts Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary with my brother, Drew and his wife, Kate. Per usual, we went out on the Goose Pond Trail, which has a good variety of habitats.

Goose Pond, before the tide came in. Here we had great looks at several Whimbrels.

We took the boardwalk out to the edge of Wellfleet Harbor, where we saw (and heard!) this gathering of Laughing Gulls.

Looking across the harbor to Great Island and Great Beach Hill - one of the best hikes on the Cape.

The tide soon came in and the boardwalk was quickly submerged.

Fiddler crab at work.

 

I made a quick loop around the wooded knob of Try Island

Marsh view from the Try Island Trail.

The island supports an unusual stand of oak and hickory.

Where we are headed down the road.

 

 

Tide surging into Goose Pond. Our birding tally for the morning was 20 species.

Cape Cod Rail Trail, an extremely popular biking and walking route.

On a spectacular sunny day the four of us headed up to Provincetown for some exploration outside and within the town. Our first stop was the Province Lands Visitor Center on the Cape Cod National Seashore, where there is a great view over the dunes of the Province Lands.

A closer look. The day was so clear that with binoculars we could spot several buildings on the Boston skyline.

A birding stop at Race Point Beach.

The we headed into the center of P'town. The place was hopping, so much that we had to resort to a backup parking location. A walk down Commercial Street is always fun.

 

Many small specialty shops line MacMillan Pier.

Under Carol's guidance, we did several informative geocaching "Adventure Labs," one of which led us to this chapter of Provincetown's history.

Lotsa boats.

 

A colorful storefront.

Cannery Wharf Park, which represents another chapter of P'town's history.

On our way out of town, Carol and I stopped at the Beech Forest Trail in the CCNS.

 

The smooth, sandy path was a welcome change from the rocks 'n roots in the White Mountains. Partway up the east side of the trail, we had to turn back due to a huge wasp nest hanging over the footway. (Forgot to get a photo of it.)

We returned to the trailhead and I took a quick jaunt up the west side of the trail, passing this view of well-named Blackwater Pond.

An inviting corridor through pitch pines.

 

The beech forest for which the trail is named.

Log steps ascend to the crest of a low ridge - elevation gain on the Cape!

On the way back I followed a side path out to the edge of the scrubby dunes - an area I would like to explore on a future visit to the Cape.

 

Gorge Brook Slides: 9/4/25

I wanted to get up on a slide for some views, but with a 2:00 pm start there was not time for a long approach. The slides in the Gorge Brook valley on Mt. Moosilauke fit the bill. The parking at Ravine Lodge Road was not that full, and even with Dartmouth freshman trips underway, the Lodge was quiet. There was a fine display of asters and goldenrod along the service road below the Lodge, which is used by hikers to access the trails.

A field of goldenrod.

The new Ravine Lodge, which was completed in 2017, is closed through September 20 for the Dartmouth freshman orientation trips,

Familiar signs.

Not an issue this summer, but one big storm could change that.

The rocky lower section of Gorge Brook Trail. Gives the lower section of Mount Osceola Trail off Tripoli Road a run for its money.

Rustic footbridge over Gorge Brook.

The 2012 relocation above the Snapper Trail junction is always a pleasure to walk.

 

Beautiful open woods along this section.

Gorge Brook.

The point where the trail turns away from the brook, and the launching point for a bushwhack to the slides.

There are several confusing brook channels in this part of the valley.

Good whacking woods.

In 1966 DOC opened the Gorge Brook Slide Trail up the most open of six slide tracks on the west side of this ravine. This one fell in the November 1927 storm. The trail was "intended to be used in only one direction - uphill." It was abandoned in 1980, though parts - but not all - of the trail can still be found and followed. Adding to the navigational challenge is the close proximity of several adjacent old slides on this wall of the ravine. The open part of the slide is very steep with a pitch of 34 degrees, and there are some sketchy spots throughout with slippery footing. Its extreme steepness and sometimes obscure route make it suitable for experienced off-trail hikers only. In the lower part  I took a little different route up a secondary track of the slide, gaining the first views across the valley.

A little dry ledge scrambling on the main track of the slide.

Steep enough.

 

The most open area of the slide is a swath of loose rock and gravel at ~3625-3725 ft.

One of several small white pines inhabiting the slide.

Down-look.

Looking up at the East Peak of Moosilauke.

Another angle.

Nice view across the valley to Moosilauke's Blue Ridge with Sandwich Dome and the Ossipee Range on the horizon.

Looking up. This was my turn-around point.

 

Coming down over the ledges.

From this point it was easier descending through the woods between the slide I ascended and the next slide to the north.

Farther down I cut across to the edge of the next slide, which presents some impressively steep ledges. 

A view into the upper Gorge Brook valley, with the sunlit East Peak rising above.

I found a way to drop down onto a swath of gravel and loose rock parallel to the steep ledges.

I had been to the upper part of this slide a couple of years ago, but this was my first visit to its lower section. I believe it fell either in 1938 or 1942.

 

 

 

 

A closer look at the steep ledges.

Heading down to the bottom.

I spotted one scraggly white pine tucked in amidst some scrubby firs.

A rugged parallel track that presumably comes down from the steep ledges.

Back down to the floor of the valley.

Ravine Lodge at dusk.