So, after some internet searching I found the answer to the question about quartz and granite and the difference in the apparent temperatures of each one. Different minerals have different thermal properties. Granite, or the minerals that make up granite, is more insulating, that is, it doesn't conduct heat well, so when one touches its surface, it feels warmer. Quartz is actually among the minerals that conduct heat at an average or normal level, but better than granite, so it feels cooler to the touch. It conducts the heat of one's hand into the rock more readily than granite. Marble is another stone with strong thermal conductivity so it also feels cool to the touch. Bakers know this and use the thermal conductivity of marble to roll out pie crusts more easily. Marble rolling pins help to keep the dough more flexible and less sticky. The interesting phenomenon is that probably all of these rocks have the same surface temperature, but their ability to conduct heat makes them feel warmer or colder to us.
I still haven't found the answer to the question about why moss and lichen grows better on granite than on quartz, but I'm sure it has something to do with some other property of minerals. More investigation to come.
Back to the hike report: Spruce woods are very interesting. In some places, the understory was thick with spruce seedlings and saplings. In other places there was little or no understory growth and we could walk easily and search for that elusive antler. Undoubtedly this has to do with the relative ages of the spruce in different parts of the forest and with the ability for sunlight to get to the understory. So, perhaps, where the seedlings and saplings are thick (and, I might add, very difficult to maneuver through), the mature spruce trees are letting more light through to the ground and perhaps some older trees have died and created openings that allow more sunlight, while the younger forest is thicker with the growth nearer to the ground, inhibiting the light from reaching the ground. In any case, the spruce woods were beautiful in their variety, but the travelling was much easier through the medium age spruce stands. No antlers were found either way.
We did think that it would be interesting to build a raised walkway through the canopy layer, so that we could walk through the woods and observe wildlife in a very different way. Maybe the Harris Center can get a grant......
Eventually, we left the spruce woods, after we had connected with the trail up to Blacktop (on land owned by the Town of Nelson), the highest point in the town and second only in elevation in Cheshire County to Mount Monadnock. We acknowledged where we were and decided that we would return to bushwhacking our way back to Old Stoddard Road.
On the way back, we came upon a rock outcropping that resembled a 3-D puzzle. We imagined that we could, given the time, figure out which rock in the jumble below the ledge had fallen from which spot in the ledge. We also thought that it wouldn't be too difficult to predict which section of ledge would fall next. The rock face had many prominent fissures and a steady flow of water which contributed to the erosion of the ledge. Actually, in hindsight, I wish that we had thought to mark which section we predicted would fall next and observe over time whether our predictions were correct. Who knows how long it had taken for the ledge to fall apart to the point which we discovered? But it would be interesting to see what will happen in the next year, 5 years, etc.
We came upon some impressive specimens of deciduous trees. One oak had many burls and each burl had sprouts growing out of it. More questions: why did the burls in this particular oak foster this unusual sprouting. The tree resembled a tall pincushion from about 20 feet up all the way to its crown. In addition to the oak, we also found two large ash, some sizeable red maples, and an old yellow birch, whose roots were so thick as to resemble the rock face over which they grow. Along the way, Al pointed out large pines or spruce, and snags (standing dead trees), that could serve as landmarks as we choose the path to Kulish Ledges and back.
Heading down one steep decline, I heard the distinctive sound of a ruffed grouse taking flight. I looked back and saw the grouse on the ground behind us and alerted Al. He caught a glimpse of the grouse as it took flight again and disappeared into the woods.
At the foot of the ancient yellow birch, Al and I rested for a bit. We could hear kinglets and chickadees overhead. We began to make a particular sound that we find will attract these birds, if only to investigate what is making the sound. It is a rough approximation of bird song, but effective in bringing a few birds closer. At one point, I looked into the small spruce (yes, spruce again) tree nearby; two kinglets were just feet away. They didn't stay long, but it was a moment of joy for me!
We followed a stream down the slope. Along the way, we turned over logs to look for salamanders. We only found one cold red-backed salamander today. The salamanders are starting to dig deeper into the ground and under the leaf litter as the weather gets colder. So we may be rewarded with an occasional sighting of a salamander in these late months of the year, but will have to wait for next spring for more.
The weather this day was perfect for hiking. We were able to hike comfortably, neither too warm nor too cold through a variety of terrain and woods. It was not until we reached the relatively level area leading back to the car that I found myself getting too warm, but it was fine. We were almost finished with a satisfying exploration which had blessed us with mysteries and discoveries, questions and wonders.
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