Beware – the trail at the Miriam Hunt Memorial Forest over in Rindge has the makings of an exciting “Choose Your Own Adventure” story for young-at-heart adventurers. My smallest adventurer and I set out on this trail recently to enjoy early spring wonder, unaware of what was in store: a skull, a web of paths, the mysterious sounds of nature, moving waters and dead ends.
Our trek began with the discovery of a deer skull at the trail’s kiosk, one likely located by a hiker and left for others to observe. An eerie and exciting sight, my trail partner examined the skull closely – the sharp teeth, pointed antlers and eye sockets were too tempting not to explore!
But then, suddenly, our concentration on the skull was broken by the sounds of a loud scraping and thumping off in the distance. A bear? Another deer? Something else? Should we turn back? No! The inviting songs of local bird life urged us forward.
Akin to a real-life “Choose Your Own Adventure” book, a choice of trails was now upon us. Should we turn left, or stay straight? Which trail do we choose? Will it lead us to the scraping and thumping we heard deep into the forest? The red dot trail or the blue? White dot or yellow? Where will they take us?
My little adventurer and I made our way cautiously along the trails of our choosing, looking for signs of danger: poison ivy, the source of the mysterious sounds we’d heard or perhaps wild Arctic wolves that we suspected had found their way to these Rindge woods.
Suddenly, we heard a swift brushing through the thicket behind us. We turned just in time to catch sight of a rapidly moving deer, bounding away from the trail and vanishing in an instant. We assured ourselves that the leaping deer was likely responsible for the sounds we’d heard earlier on in our trek.
Either that, or those pesky Arctic wolves.
To our relief, the trails we chose in this adventure story did not lead us to imminent danger, but rather to the most-serene and peaceful sight we’d encountered yet – the crystal waters of Rindge wetlands. The dead ends on these trails were full of sparkling life. Phew!
A bit about Miriam Hunt
On the eastbound side of Route 119 in Rindge, shortly after School Street, there is an inconspicuous pair of signs marking the Miriam Hunt Memorial Forest. The land houses a small network of family friendly trails amounting to less than an hour’s worth of walking enjoyment.
According to Rindge Historical Society President Karla MacLeod, town resident Miriam Hunt was trained as a teacher at the Keene Normal School, but was a caretaker to a local resident and landowner during the first half of the 20th century. The land that is the Miriam Hunt Memorial Forest today was land Hunt inherited from her time as a caretaker and was later donated in her memory.
Closer to the middle of the 20th century, Hunt was a teacher at East Rindge Schoolhouse No. 8. She was remembered by Karla MacLeod’s cousin, a young student of Hunt’s at that time, as a teacher who loved taking field trips. She had a very large vehicle, which she would pack tightly with as many children as she could fit – including in the trunk, a spot her male students would fight each other to ride in on those field trips.
Learning that Hunt was enthusiastic for school field trip adventures, I found it very fitting that a trail donated and named in her honor would offer such exciting experiences to its youngest adventurers.
Thank you to Miriam Hunt, and to Karla MacLeod for sharing this bit of Rindge history with us all.
Lost cat
Signs are posted throughout Rindge for a lost cat named Jasper. Jasper is a fluffy orange and white kitty who was last seen in the area of Wellington Road and Lake Monomonac. Please call 888-466-3242 (Microchip No. 985112005477649) if you’ve seen Jasper.
Poetry in the Pines winners announced
On Saturday, May 14, at 10 a.m., the Monadnock Writers’ Group and Cathedral of the Pines will host an event to recognize the winners of the 2022 Poetry in the Pines Contest. The free event will include poetry readings by past and current contest winners, a short walk to Grassy Pond Trail where poems are on display and light refreshments. For information on this event or on the Monadnock Writers’ Group, please email monadnockwriters@gmail.com.
To share your stories, contact me at rindgecommcorr@yahoo.com.