Bernard Mtn.

The summit of Bernard is special precisely because it is wooded, unlike so many other peaks on the island. It attracts less visitors, and often has a certain hush that makes me want to walk real slow, or stop for awhile even though there is no view. Today it felt still, and quiet compared to all the hustle and bustle elsewhere on the mountain.

After all the rain yesterday the entire mountain felt saturated and fully charged with water. All the moss was sodden, swollen, and bright, bright green. Every little brook was rapid and noisy; all the culvert and water bars were overwhelmed and parts of the trail had become slippery stream beds requiring careful navigation. At Great Notch I could hear the water running underground for almost a hundred yards before it came to the surface and ran down the mountain. The reservoir at the bottom was full, with water pouring over the dam and down the raceway into the woods. 

It made for an invigorating morning and I was sore, a little damp, and even bleeding in a few place by the time I got home.