Topic: winter

COLD.... little snow.... but who cares! we will be at Russell Mill at 5:30 to start our weekly trek into the woods. Night switch over to Yak Tracks or Stablcers... but you bettcha we are going... call us crazy.... but then again lots of people do.

WE will be snow shoeing 5-pm to 8 pm tonight at Russell Mill.

Click here to see cute pictures of the Klondike Derby with over 300 Scouts at Russell Mill


Click here for Pictures

A bunch of us will be at Russell Mill today to snowshoe.Anyone with shoes and 4-wheel drive welcome.

The start of the tree scavenger hunt is just around the corner. !0 sites in town will be decorated starting about the day before Thanksgiving and will remain up until Jan 1 2009. Those who are interested keep a eye on this site for full rules in the next few weeks. We will have two categories group and individual. You will have to submit a photo of you stood by the tree(s). the trees will be located of a major trail.

Here is a head start: (

Click here for Photo of undecorated tree at Red Wing

It does not count until its decorated but you can scope it out now and see if you can find it.

What to help decorate? Drop me at line at Phil@thechelmsfordian.com

Officlal Hints:
(Not Decorated) Red Wing: Not all roads lead to Rome. Some blue ones lead to black raspberries.
(Not Decorated) Quarry: Feeling blue? Life is in the pits? this tree will brighten up your day.

7 p.m. A Taste of the South - an evening of words, wine and food at the Chelmsford Library.
This unique community social is the kick-off for Chelmsford's WinterFest 2008. Tickets should be purchased in advance at the library or town manager's office. Suggested donation $15.

Well Jim and I prepped the Snow SHow Trail at the Quarry yesterday and this morning we will do Wright. Both are ready for use and if you have a chance you should check them out. This is the best snowshoe condiitons in town in the last 10 years!

Click here for Current conditions of Wright snowshoe trails

Well our Snow Shoe Trails are now open and ready for use at Geoerge BB Wight and the Lime Quarry. We have 1.5 mile loop at the Quarry and 1.08 at Wright. What will you see? just check the gallery below for pictures1

Click here for pictures

So great day and non Steward Work. Got a call from a climbing buddy who said “want to go climbing?” . I dropped everything and he and I headed to Mt Monadnock On the drive there I noticed snow… lots of it. So we decided to take the Spellman Trail (hardest and least used) so we could play in the snow and ice. Lots of fun being 70 degrees and climbing in knee deep snow in a few places. A few times we got off trail and ended up doing a little scrambling but made it the 3+ miles to the top via this trail. All the streams were fuller than I have every seen and water falls where everywhere (and you have to climb a few). Great day and if anyone wants a unique and a bit crazy climb try this need week before all the snow melts.

Well I was back at the Quarry today and dug out the entrance so you can get in the parking lot. I also broke trail on the blue loop. So all trails are open and if you have 4 wheel drive you can get in the parking lot.

Being that we actually had good snow I skipped work and went to the Quarry. I have some fun photos! The new Green trail is pissa to snow shoe on and its about 1.5 miles round trip.

Click here for Photos

Walked Thanksgiving today - lots of people around and many tracks in the snow. The parking lot was full. Kids were skating & playing hockey on Mill Pond. It was absolutely beautiful around 1-2PM with the fresh snow & bright sun.

Met Bill from Westford during my walk. Bill was geocaching and said he found out about Chelmsford's Open Spaces through his geocaching activities. He has been over to the Quarry as well. I told him I knew of 2 caches in Thanksgiving - he thinks there is probably a dozen! We had a great conversation about the Stewardship program.

The Trails are still very open and clear to walk. If you are worried about Ice on the bridges we have sanded then with a little sand so they are not icy death traps. so head on out and see what winter looks like! (while it lasts)

Bob and I spent a long time yesterday batting back and forth Ideas about the new trail. We both have talked to users of the site and this is what we came up with. Seems we have two groups who use the trails. The first want easy to walk trails that are not steep and the second want trails that have more up and downs to increase their workout. So what we have decided is to go ahead and move the boardwalk across the stream before the steep hill up about 40 feet and make this a gentle climb instead of the steep one now. This makes the first group happy and the second group sad. So the new Green expansion trail will try to get a large number of up and downs. They will be steeper but not as steep as the one by the boardwalk. This new expansion will add more distance to the loop and with careful planning include at least one of the kilns and touch the out croppings. So now both groups will be happy and you will be able to mix it up when you walk there. We will also make it so you get some nice views of the stream and the pond.

If anyone has any comments or idea’s please add them to the comments on this page. (you must be registered to leave comments)

Click here for Maps

I will be meeting with and doing a site walk with the Chelmsford Land Trust Sat Dec 9 8am (meeting at the library parking lot). The purpose of the meeting (requested by the Land Trust) is two fold. The first is to get to know each other and the second is to see what each has and how we can work together. The view of the Land Trust is very much like the Stewards in that Open Space is just Open Space and no mater whose name is on it if we can help we should. After a day of walking we should have a pretty good idea of where to start. I have found that you can look at maps all day but nothing beats walking the land with someone who knows it and its history. So this is an open invitation to anyone who wants to join us. It will be cold could be muddy and I bet we walk at least 5 miles most likely more.

A lot of groups are starting to show interest in working together and we will do our best to make this happen. So far we have been in contact with or been contacted by Carlisle, Westford, Friends of Dracut forest, Chelmsford Land Trust,Scouts and Geocaching . We will try and firm up these links and maybe sponsor (ConCom) a meeting in the spring where these and others are invited to swap war stories. With a lot of the work done for the year it is time to catch up on paperwork (charter and rules ) and plan for 2007.