A few times each winter, Basin Pond and the nearby river and wetlands flood and freeze, producing an” icescape” several square miles in size. This beautiful and varied icy landscape is all but inaccessible to skiers, snowshoers, or hikers but can be explored on a bike — provided the bike is fitted out with studded tires.
The video above was shot over several seasons and features ice biking on Basin Pond, the Marsh Stream, and parts of the Jones Bog. Interested in ice biking Basin Pond? Let us know, and we’ll put you on an email list to let you know next time conditions are just right!
Thursday morning, Jan. 16, brought a few inches of fluffy white snow, not yet quite enough to ski on, so we took our plus-tire mountain bikes out for a spin in the woods and on the pond.
As we’ve been skiing and snowshoeing these last few weeks, we’ve been able to see solid evidence of deer: deer tracks! We’ve seen enough deer year round and plenty of droppings and certainly heard the gunshots in November, but tracks in the snow show us how close the deer have come, how many there are, and some of their trails.
As the snow gets deeper, it turns out the deer like our trails!
Not knowing which way to go, I follow the deer trail.
Because I was so lucky to have a semester off from teaching, I hung around Basin Pond, paddling and walking the trails daily.
Besides the usual garden projects, I harvested cranberries, lavender, and pine cones! I decided I would make all my Christmas presents!
Although it didn’t prove to be cheaper, my family all enjoyed the pine cone wreaths, cranberry infusions, and homemade lavender lotions and lip balms. I enjoyed the satisfaction of working with my hands and feeling the onset of Christmas a month early when I was baking pine cones and setting vinegar bottles to infuse. Stay tuned for Basin Pond Gifts next year – fa la la la la!
