| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Carter Fields, MA |
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 | Trails: |
Unnamed trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, May 10, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Large soccer field lot. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A sign at either end to remind you to stay on the trail and avoid private property (it runs behind apartments/condos). Nice smooth trail. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Two concerns. 1. People come here for wildlife observation (mostly birds). 2. Don't let them run into the private areas. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Carter Fields, rookery
This is listed in the FONAT.org trail guide (Friends of North Andover Trails). Parking is in North Andover, land/water goes into Boxford, and trail is maintained by Essex County Greenbelt Association. The viewing platform as well. Nice platform overlooking a beaver pond. Beaver ponds give you tall dead trees, the perfect place for great blue herons to build their nests. There are rookeries here. While we did not see any herons or their babies, there was a huge variety of birds, including a swan and Prema's favorite - red wing blackbird. The trail continues around the back of the buildings, overlooking even more wetlands. We saw a huge woodpecker here.
Great little walk, you can make it last for hours watching the pond. Negative plant life: 1. thought I saw what looked like a poison ivy vine going up a large tree 2. and speaking of vines.. we saw the largest oriental bittersweet wrapped around a tall tree. It was actually as thick as a baseball bat. Someone had cut it at various points, but small shoots are coming for their vengeance! When we're not hiking, I'm dealing with this #$%^ in my own yard!
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 | Name: |
Beckie and Prema |
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 | E-Mail: |
beckiejani@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-05-11 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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