Lee
I'm honored. I look forward to hearing your observations on
precisely what patches and dynamics are being illustrated.
Bob
Sent from my iPhone
On Sep 17, 2009, at 3:42 PM, Lee Frelich <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Bob:
>
> Excellent pictures. Some of them illustrate the dymamics of different
> types of patches are going directly into powerpoint presentations
> for my
> new Landscape Ecology class.
>
> Lee
>
> [email protected] wrote:
>> ENTS,
>>
>> Yesterday Monica and I visited a scenic icon of the Connecticut River
>> Valley in Massachusetts - diminutive yet distinctive Mount Sugar
>> Loaf.
>> At 654 feet elevation, Sugar Loaf lies more as a big lump on the land
>> than a real mountain; yet its summit offers surprisingly scenic
>> views.
>> One reason is that the sides of Sugar Loaf include sandstone ledges
>> and cliffs. A 500-foot elevation gain occurs quickly. Another reason
>> for the quality of Sugar Loaf's vistas is that the little peak is
>> situated in the middle of the Connecticut River Valley in a spot that
>> provides views green fields, the Connecticut River against a backdrop
>> of the Holyoke and Mount Tom Ranges, nearby Mt Toby, and the more
>> distant Pelham Hills to the east and the Berkshires to the west.
>> Detractions to the otherwise superb views are the housing
>> developments
>> that increasingly encroach upon the green space that for so long has
>> defined the Valley. Then there are the unsightly profiles of the tall
>> buildings on the UMASS campus.
>>
>> To the State's credit, the top of Sugar Loaf is very attractively
>> maintained by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).
>> Consequently, the little Park is a must see for visitors to the
>> Valley
>> with an eye for the scenic. This point was reinforced near the end of
>> our visit. While at the summit, Monica and I briefly met a lady from
>> New York who had stumbled onto the property, and on impulse, drove to
>> the top of Sugar Loaf to see what it was all about. She was mightily
>> pleased that she had followed her impulse. She was awe struck.
>> Veering
>> off a congested Interstate and adding a quick 500 feet of elevation
>> can change one's perspective.
>>
>> Oh yes, the forests on Sugar Loaf. Well, there isn't much to show
>> off.
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