I’ve been cooped up too long!
In part, you haven’t heard much from me here because I haven’t been able to do too much. Finally got a break Monday afternoon. And I needed to get out.
I headed to Arms Forest, a public park in Burlington, Vermont. There had been about 8 inches of snow on the ground before the weekend, but with temps in the 50s on Sunday, it mostly melted. There was a good wind, too, which meant mud wasn't as big a problem as I thought it might be after all that water melt (remember to walk on the trail, through the mud, if you’re out this time of year, otherwise you could be doing damage).
This was a return trip. I've shared pictures of this possible Mastodon Effigy publicly before, having spotted it last year about this time. I visited a couple of times last Spring. It becomes a bit too overgrown — and dominated by mountain bikers — in the Summer.
On this visit, getting in a little closer thanks to less snow, I discovered something I didn't pick up on last year — this effigy stone is actually perched, set between two other stones. It sits on and down between the other two. This appears deliberate.
Must admit, I'm no longer quite sure it is a Mastodon, as it also appears somewhat bovine, possibly a Bison. Or some other previously unknown North American cousin to the Auroch.
The "head" does seem to have been shaped, when examined close-up.
This ridge is just high enough that it would have been an island just off shore in the Champlain Sea. I wondered if ancient indigenous people pulled their boats in up between these stones.
Because this is not a trail in the park. Well, not now. But to my eyes, it presents as a ramp up onto the ridge, which further up itself possesses a huge boulder and many more curiously shaped stones.
Enjoy the raw video footage above, shared as shot yesterday. I’ll share more of what I found in Arms Forest in the days to come. Thanks for reading!
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