Canaan Mountain revealed in Heritage walk

FALLS VILLAGE — In the second weekend of the 2016 Housatonic Heritage Walks, Hans Carlson, director of the Great Mountain Forest, guided a sizable group of hikers up to the Canaan Mountain plateau. 

It was Saturday morning, Sept. 24, at 10 a.m. when more than 20 people from the Tri-state area gathered in a circle near Great Mountain Forest’s East Gate office. 

The hike was one of more than 60 events being held this year in celebration and awareness of the Housatonic Valley’s history, culture and environment.

The open sky showed signs of fall’s deep blue, and after a chilly night the air was still climbing from low 50-degree temperatures.

Merrell and Keen boots were abundant, while fashionable outdoor jackets, fleece sweaters, vests, caps, visors and sunglasses were in no short supply. Some chose hiking poles and backpacks, others went the extra mile with hydration tubes installed in their backpacks. But that’s enough about apparel. 

“One thing to think about before we hike,” Carlson told the adventurous troop before departing, “is that this is largely a post-industrial landscape.”

Before the early 1900s, Northwest Corner lands were largely deforested for coal and iron industries. As a result, the Great Mountain Forest and its neighboring ecosystems contain forests predominantly less than 100 years old. Several sites provided evidence of long-ago coal harvests.

As the hike proceeded, the group left Great Mountain Forest lands and entered Housatonic State Forest, following the Iron Trail all the way through.

At the start, dense ferns on the forest floor sparked an informal conversation about “native invasive” plants and what, technically, the definition of “invasive” is in terms of forest management.

The topic quickly subsided, however, and the path continued through tall white pine trees where the air stilled and felt a good 5 degrees cooler.

Because of the group’s size, Carlson’s educational insights into the surrounding environment were heard in bits and pieces. On multiple occasions, where there was the space, Carlson paused to talk to the entire group.

In one area, he drew attention to rocky “bald” areas on the mountain surface where mosses and lichens, he said, were likely hundreds of years old.

The breaks provided both intellectual stimulation and cardiovascular restoration.

Nonetheless, pants and grunts were always audible as the hike continued along the trail’s ascent. Any extra layers were removed and tied around waists.

Throughout the hike, the group went through waves of silence. Behind and ahead, murmurs of chatter spontaneously arose.

“That’s where my son shot his first deer!” one man said enthusiastically to the person closest to him, without disturbing others’ more calm connection to the woods.

After arriving at the top, some 1,700 feet in elevation (that’s after a divot in the land near Wangum Brook, at about 1,300 feet), the group admired the near-panoramic view of the Housatonic Valley and Great Mountain Forest. A cool wind picked up, and most of the layers that had been taken off were put back on.

Several iterations of “What’s that?” and “What’s this?” were asked, with pointing fingers. Carlson identified a distant mountain ridge to the west and north as the Taconic mountain range, the site of Bear Mountain and the Appalachian Trail, extending from Connecticut into Massachusetts and New York.

Pairing eyesight with intellect to create topographical context, one individual retrieved a compass.

To the northeast, Wangum Lake’s water reflected the sunlight.

One person asked about Native American use of the lands on and around the Canaan Mountain plateau.

Carlson mentioned archaeological findings around Robbins Swamp in Falls Village of indigenous settlements that date back several thousand years. 

“You’ve got to figure that people were walking around up here,” Carlson concluded.

To learn more about this archaeological topic, go to www.webtownhall.com/canaan, hover over the “Community Resources” tab and click “History.”

To find out about the Housatonic Heritage activities scheduled for Oct. 1 and 2, go to www.housatonicheritage.org/events/heritage-walks.