The World After People

[RSteiner]

Just took a look at the Harvard Forest website link. I live within distant eyesight of another tract of forest that Harvard University owns for research. It is smack in the middle of what is known as the Pisgah State Park, which is the largest state owned park in New Hampshire. The Harvard Tract as it is known around here, has never been logged or settled on, and is considered one of the few remaining in New England. As for the fourteen thousand acres of a complete forest ecosystem around it, at one time or another until the late nineteen sixties, had been farms, small communities, hunting camps etc. throughout. When the land was taken for the park, all of the buildings etc. were removed to create a wilderness park. Except for the old cellar holes, water power dams for the old samilling camps, stone walls etc. One has to look very closely now that it has been forty years. I grew up here, as did my Father, Grandfather, etc. so I know where everything was, but someone not familiar with the terrain, would mostly see mature upland forest. Hard to believe that in my life time there has been such a change.

treenail

What side of the park can you see?  Pisgah State Park is less than 2 miles up the dirt road I live on and there is just about nothing but woods between my home and the park.  I am on the Winchester side of the park.  We have enjoyed swimming, fishing, and walking through the park for many years, I have been around long enough to remember it before it was a park.

Randy

[SwampDonkey]

I've walked in all kinds of ground that was untouched, not cleared, or farmed. There were roads nearby the land, or I wouldn't have been there because it's deep into the forest. We still have fragments of untouched ground. Old spirally twisty rock maples and birch (white and yellow), big white pines, red spruce and hemlock scattered into it. It's getting scarcer and scarcer though as foreign companies come and go and think nothing but clear cutting is forest management. 

[Ianab]

A few years back we did a boat trip up the Whanganui river. One of the stops was the Bridge to Nowhere. Basically you park the boat and walk though a bush track for about 40 mins before you come to a big concrete arch road bridge. Just in the middle of nowhere 
It's 2 more days walking to the nearest road.

The full story is that in the 1930s the area was opened up for farming, land cleared, houses and roads build. But due to the land being marginal and the depression it was abandoned. This massive concrete bridge (it's about 200ft above the river) is pretty much the only sign that anyone was ever there. There was also an old falling down house surrounded by non-native pine trees, but unless you knew it was there you would never see it.

http://www.doc.govt.nz/templates/page.aspx?id=34106

http://www.aatravel.co.nz/101-must-dos-for-kiwis/Whanganui-National-Park-wanganui.html

Cheers

Ian

[treenail]

Randy, my view of the park is from the south. Schofield Mt. ie. the Old Hinsdale Rd. Because of the elevation, can see quite a bit of it from up there. If you are the Randy Steiner from the old Chesterfield Rd. We have met before. Worked at your next door neighbors, quite a bit twenty years ago. Gazebo, addition, garage, etc.  Used to work with Webb Hays.

Ted

[RSteiner]

Randy, my view of the park is from the south. Schofield Mt. ie. the Old Hinsdale Rd. Because of the elevation, can see quite a bit of it from up there. If you are the Randy Steiner from the old Chesterfield Rd. We have met before. Worked at your next door neighbors, quite a bit twenty years ago. Gazebo, addition, garage, etc.  Used to work with Webb Hays.

Ted

Ted,

I must admit that was me and we are still in the same place.  You do have a nice view from your neck of the woods, but a view in New Hampshire right now has become a huge tax liability.  It is good to meet you again especially at this site.

Randy