David Reik, Photo Blog

 On 2021-7-13, I visited Roaring Brook Reserve in East Haddam, CT.  I made an interactive map of the preserve with location numbers that I will refer to.  Here's a link to the interactive map:  https://arcg.is/1T10u00  .  Here's a static screenshot of the interactive map. 1.  I parked in a gravel parking lot that might be able to hold six cars.  There was a kiosk next to the parking lot that displayed material that can be found at this link:  https://www.easthaddam.org/media/Trail%20Maps%202020/Roaring%20Brook%20Reserve.pdf  .  One document displayed on the kiosk but not found on the link above was this request for volunteer maintainers. 2.  From the parking lot, I followed a red-blazed trail that led through a power cut. 3.  Where the red trail split, there was a large white oak which apparently was in an open field when it was young. 4.  The red trail met Roaring Brook. 5.  On Roaring Brook, there was a concret...

 I visited Devil's Hopyard State Park on 2021-6-24, 2021-6-27, 2021-7-1 and 2021-7-4.  I made an interactive map with location numbers that I'll refer to.  Here's a link to the interactive map:  https://arcg.is/mrPbG  . A static screenshot of the interactive map. 1.  Chapman Falls on 2021-6-24. Chapman Falls on 2021-7-1. 2.  An unblazed trails leads to this curved cliff.  Both pictures are from 2021-7-4. 2. 3.  On 2021-7-4, I saw a witch-hazel shrub with distorted seed pods.  I believe the seed pods were caused to distort by spiny witch-hazel gall aphids, Hamamelistes spinosus. 4.  On 2021-6-24, at the end of a spur trail, I photographed water flowing over a flat rock. 5.  I took this picture of the Eight Mile River on 2021-6-24. 6.  On 2021-6-24, I climbed up to a small cave called "Devil's Oven." 6.  Cliffs in the vicinity of Devil's Oven. 7.  On 2021-7-1, it would have been fairly easy to cross the Eight Mile ...