640 | 1280 Tufts from Pine Hill

At the beginning of the semester, I took my first Geology 1 field trip. I boarded the big yellow school bus, with thoughts of crayons and a lunchboxes on my mind. I was expecting to be bored out of my mind, and while it wasn't the most fascinating trip, it did end at the Middlesex Fells reservation. Fells, as we all know, is the Saxon word for "rocky, hilly tracts of land". Middlesex Fells Reservation is just that - 2500 acres of hills and trees, resting fewer than 10 miles outside of Boston. As our group climbed Pine Hill, about 300 feet above the ground, I was afforded an incredible view of the entire surrounding area. To the East, across Route 93, was Boston and the surrounding suburbs. To the South, two miles away, the buildings of Tufts were clearly visible on our own hill. The rest of the reservation stretched for miles to the North and West, unspoiled by construction.

   Something about the Fells impressed me, and it wasn't just the fact that I hadn't signed a release form before coming here. Hell, I had to sign one before I could play intramural volleyball, but climbing steep, 300-foot hills with rocky terrain and loose footings? No problem. No, what struck me was that this nature preserve existed within site of campus, and gave such an incredible view of the Boston skyline. The juxtaposition of the overbuilt city and suburbs against the thousands of acres of trees stretching as far as I could see, drew me in. I spent most of my time staring at the views and ignoring the talk of igneous rocks. When we arrived back at Tufts, I knew I had to return and get pictures. I got directions from my professor, as well as a warning: It seems that on multiple occasions, naked people have been encountered at the Fells. Two naked joggers running together, as well as a naked saxophonist. I might be able to understand naked running- they were getting back to nature perhaps. But naked saxophone playing? I must be missing something there.

640 | 1280 Bellevue Pond

It wasn't until more than a month later that I had a chance to get back to the Fells. I walked through Medford (and saw this fun piece of absurdity along the way), taking about an 45 minutes to get there. Once there, it was a short ascent to the top of the hill. I stopped at several points to snap photos. I wound up taking over 100 pictures with my digital camera, which is something I would advise against. It's hard to whittle 100 pictures down to a dozen or so. Anyhow, the picture to the left is the Bellevue Pond backed by some gorgeous trees. Bellevue, aside from being a correctional institute, is a pond near the South entrance to the Fells. The two images below are from 3/4 of the way to the top of the hill, before I took some time to read. They're aimed away from the city, towards nature. I wish I had a better capture of the birds over the hills, but I couldn't get one in time.

640 | 1280 100's of Motorcycles

When I got to the top of the hill, I scouted around a bit, and eventually climbed the observation tower (Wright Tower, pictured above). I took many pictures from up there, but the observation walls obscured much of the target. However, while I was up there, I heard the rather loud sound of motorcycle pipes. I looked down onto the road, and saw a dozen bikes entering 93. As I watched, motorcycles continued to pour onto the highway. This went on for at least ten minutes, with several hundred to a couple thousand bikes going onto 93 by the time the tail end, replete with policemen on choppers, came through. It was very odd, and I've no idea what they were doing. Anyhow, the picture below is a composite of two image, taken from two sides of the tower - one side facing the city buildup, and the other side facing the reservation. I made the image to create a sense of contrast. I imagine that as few as 300 years ago, the land seen in the bottom looked just like the land on top. This image really shows the crux of what attracted me to the area, the ability to see into the past, to see the area as it once was, and in some places, as it remains.

640 | 1280

Views From The Tower

   These last pictures are from the sides of Pine Hill. For some reason I became obsessed with capturing a falling water drop, coming off this moss which was dripping excess moisture. Took about 10 tries, but I finally got it. The second image is the sun just before it dips below the trees on the side of the hill. The last image shows Wrights pond, the smallest of several large ponds and reservoirs buried farther in the reservation. I like the hidden feeling the brush exudes, as if this pond is being discovered for the first time. Shortly after taking the last image, I was making my way down the North side of the hill to loop back and out of the park. Suddenly, there was a naked ass in front of me! In fact, it was one entire naked man, standing and enjoying a view. I turned and went back in the opposite direction, and let it slide, but now I must pass along my Professor's warning. If you plan to visit the Fells, watch for naked people. Perhaps its some sort of nudist destination, I don't know, but it's a weird site to stumble upon.

   That's the end of that journey. I did some reading while I was up on the hill, admired the views, and eventually, got too cold to stay around any longer. I'm glad I went back, and I'm sure I'll return, possibly in the Spring when it warms up. I saw several great little nooks for camping out (illegal, but the park is woefully understaffed), so maybe I'll do that. I also want to plunge deeper into the reservation, and see the reservoirs. I miss nature stuck here at school. I miss the nature I used to enjoy in the backyards of our housing development, and the nature I used to play with on camping trips. Fortunately, nature's not gone yet.