Paddling to Spirit Falls

Woke up with the thought that after three days of rainy weather, today might be just the day to visit Spirit Falls in Royalston.

I launched from the Tully River Canoe Launch on Doane's Hill Road.  The boat launch is well-maintained by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and includes a portable toilet.

I headed upriver...

 ...towards Long Pond.

Just before reaching the pond I landed my boat...

...and began the short hike to Spirit Falls.  Along the way I encountered two friendly and helpful Trustees of Reservations employees who were performing trail maintenance work.  They assured me I was heading in the right direction and also told me about the Tully Lake Campground which is located near to where I'd launched.  The campground is operated by the Trustees of Reservations and sounds like an ideal place for campers desiring access to both the river and the lake. 

Shortly after leaving them the trail got steeper and the sound of the falls got louder...until the rugged path brought me close enough to where I could feel the spirit of the falls...

A beautiful spot to visit on this beautiful day.

Then it was back to the river and my boat for more paddling to the north end of Long Pond...

Once there, another mile above the pond was paddled thanks to the recently raised water levels.
Three or four beaver dams were slid over before I reached the builders' biggest lodge...

...and the dam they're proudest of...

At this location just beyond the power lines...

...I turned about and began heading back.

The view to the SE was a beauty...

Along the way I stopped to admire these pitcher plant flowers...

...and a nearby tree swallow...

Blue herons, Canada geese, mallard ducks, a belted kingfisher, an eastern kingbird, and a good-sized snapping turtle were also seen.

The area was pristine and since only two pieces of trash were encountered over six miles they were photographed in-situ...

I guess this is no river for old trashpaddlers...and that's nice for a change.

South of Doane's Hill Road I briefly visited the spot where Lawrence Brook enters the river and lake...

On my drive out of the area a brief visit was made to Doane's Falls (another Trustees of Reservation site)...

 

 

Doane's Falls is further up Lawrence Brook and, according to a stone monument, is where the brook drops some 200 feet before entering the Tully.

This inscribed millstone attests to how revered the site is...