The Path Less Traveled By –Claudia Corona
From Williamstown, the way to Ford Glen Brook is mildly long, but it is so within good reason. The way to Ford Glen Brook is a transition, from the bustling town, to the quiet houses along Bulkley street, to NorthWest Hill road; where forest land becomes more pronounced, until finally you reach gravel road, announcing the beginning of Hopkins Forest, and the entrance to a world with not much to say, but lots to show.
Straight ahead on Northwest Hill Road you see a huge house-like sign with an emblem on it that says: “Hopkins Forest”. This road diverges into two, one leads to the Rosenberg Center and the other beat up path continues up. Look ahead into the distance of Northwest Road (on the right) and you’ll be able to see the Ford Glen Brook bridge, and you’ll know this road less traveled by is the one you need to take.
Walking across the bridge, you’ll hear as well as see the stream run along the rocks below. This stream isn’t wide, like the Hudson river, or very long, like the Mississippi river, but it’s just as important to the thirsty trees, the parched squirrels, and the dry soil, as any other body of water is to their surrounding environment. About 99 feet from the bridge, there is a path to the right that opens up into a trail about 7 feet wide. This trail is known as the Ford Glen Brook trail, and it is the path you’ll take to get to your destination.
As you make the turn you’ll see two fallen logs, about two feet long, right in front on the path. And then up ahead, there will be a huge horizontal white bar in the way of the trail. This bar is not to keep people away but to impede motor vehicles from entering. About 10 feet before you get to the bar, there is a little footpath on the left that goes around the white bar, and enables you to keep on walking on the trail. Once you get back onto the main trail, you’ll notice that you can hear running water nearby, that is Ford Glen Brook that you just walked over, and the trail is actually adjacent to the brook, so you’ll be able to hear the stream as it runs over and under rocks all throughout your time on the trail. You’ll also notice a lot of leaves on the ground as you follow the trail and go deeper into the forest. The amount of leaf litter is definitely more than usual, and is due to the trees shedding their leaves. Since the days are getting shorter and shorter, the photosynthesis that trees can produce is limited, thus causing them to shed their leaves to sustain energy and “rest” during winter.
Walking down the trail, you’ll notice lots of flora on either side of the path. The bright green lance-shaped leaflets are Northern Lady Fern. The smooth branching stems bearing tiny, white rayless flowers are White Snake Root. The trees with the grayish-white bark are paper birch trees and the really tall(100-120 feet high) dark brown trees with crooked lines running parallel to each other and crown rounded leaves are sugar maples. About 40 feet ahead of the metal bar, the ground floor becomes more visible as the leaf litter lessens, and it will feel muddier and be a dark brown color. The trees during these next 45 feet are farther away from the trail and more clustered together, so their leaves tend to fall in one general direction, usually, not on this part of the trail. Walking on, you’ll pass a huge Sugar Maple tree with about 2-3 feet in diameter. A couple of steps ahead, there is a fallen log that looks to have been embedded into the trail, that you have to step over in order to continue exploring. But wait a second. If you stop and look at the right side of the log-step closely, you’ll notice a small, about three feet long, foot trail. Walk on the trail, and a few feet ahead, there will be some fallen birch trees scattered across your path. But you’ve gone too far to be stopped by some fallen logs now! So climb over them and once you’re over that (a couple steps ahead), you’ll have a great view of the Ford Glen Brook stream running along!