Walking along the snow machine trail last Friday, see previous post, we documented the damage done by ATV machiniacs as they plowed through the far end of the trail.
Because the trail is on the former electric tramway between Sabbatus and Gardiner, it is on a raised trail bed and represents a natural dam dividing this part of our local backwoods. Over time, the acres on the north side filled in, creating conditions one could call “pre-bog.” Once the beavers dammed the drainage culverts along the rail bed trail, a superb hunk of bog resulted.
This beaver inspired bog has existed like this for about ten years. The bog near our house and further along the watershed was the primary beaver bog twenty years ago or so. This is the latest evolution of beaver habitat in our local area but the falling water table and diminished rainfall could severely limit future beaver civilizations here.
The steady rain during spring has tapered off to sometime showers in the summer. This is the snow machine trail this weekend. The foliage has been growing steadily and the backwoods is filled with healthy plants. The bog, to the left in this image, has lost a great deal of water since springtime.