Just for Fun!
Borderland State Park
On the Border Between Winter and Spring: Skiing at Borderland State Park
Photos and Story by Shoshona Brown
By the time March rolls around, some of us are getting “cabin fever,” itching to get out in the garden or to stroll in T-shirts and shorts on the beach. Of course New England is nothing if not unpredictable as far as the weather goes, but it is probably overly-optimistic to expect T-shirt weather just yet. The last snowfall of the 2014-15 winter was on March 21st, and looking back in New England history there was a major “April Fool’s” blizzard on April 1st, 1997. So if you own a pair of cross-country skis or snowshoes, don’t put them in storage just yet – there might still be a good chance to use them!
And of course...I know the perfect place. Borderland State Park, in North Easton, MA is an unsung gem just 33 miles north of Fall River (about a 40-minute drive). Part country estate (think of Downton Abbey on a modest scale) part wildlife refuge, the park is the result of the intentional landscape design of its creators Oakes and Blanche Ames, who purchased the 1,772-acre parcel in 1906. Professor Oakes Ames was a naturalist who established Ames Botanical Laboratory and eventually became Research Professor and Director of the Botanical Museum at Harvard University. Blanche Ames, one of the small number of women to receive a college degree (from Smith College) in 1899, was hardly less accomplished than her husband (they married in 1900). Her talents included portrait- and botanical- art, political cartoon artistry, and a flare for politics: she was actively involved in the fight for women’s suffrage, and in 1916 was one of the founders of the Birth Control League of Massachusetts. The Ames’ 20-room mansion, at the center of the park, was largely designed by Blanche herself, with an eye to making it as fireproof as possible, and utilizing stones taken from old stone walls on the property. Someday I will go back when a tour of the home is possible (their brochure says “from April to November, on the 3rd Friday and Sunday of each month”); I would love to get a look at the mansion’s 2-story library! But as this column is about outdoor adventures, I will relate my recent exploration there (on Feb. 9th) on cross-country skis.
I was so lucky that a fresh snow had fallen all Monday, but that on Tuesday – my day off – the roads had been cleared and the temperature was perfect: cold enough so that the snow would remain powdery, but warm enough that I would not be uncomfortable being outside for two to three hours. The park has various types of trails, some more rugged and wild, and others wide and gentle, the latter being part of the system of carriage roads that the Ames family had built back in the early 1900’s. Many of the trails follow the shores of the park’s six ponds, with picturesque bridges crossing small waterfalls at the pond’s outlets, replete with benches for sitting and enjoying the view. Other trails climb up the hills in the northern part of the park; with over 20 miles of trails, I could not experience them all in one visit. From the parking lot near the visitors’ center, I skied over to view the snow-draped mansion and its lawn, garden and the remnants of the pool in which the Ames family used to enjoy swimming. There is a perfectly-pitched gentle hill right behind the mansion where apparently children enjoy sledding, for a sign there said “Sledding Hill closes at 4 PM.”
What a joy to glide down the wide snowy carriage paths, sometimes bordered on both sides by the quiet snow-filled forest, and at other times skirting the edges of an ice-covered pond, or alongside an old stone wall or a split-rail fence. Last winter, with the record snowfalls we got in Massachusetts, I enjoyed the very secluded trails of Freetown State Forest, but at times I felt a twinge of anxiety, skiing alone, that if I should twist an ankle or otherwise get hurt, no one might find me for days! So it is comforting that Borderland State Park, while not being crowded, is popular enough that one is likely to meet half-dozen other skiers, snowshoe-ers, and dog-walkers, even on a weekday. In other words, if help were needed, help would arrive!
One of the popular loops in the park is around the largest pond, Leach Pond, which is just below the visitors’ center. Just as you reach the pond’s edge, there is a rustic stone hut, which boasts a fireplace and plenty of firewood. The ranger told me that anyone can go in and kindle a fire to warm up. It seems like an especially wonderful thing to do if you bring along kids and the makings for s’mores!
Although no alcohol is allowed in the park, I did discover an Irish pub nearby, perfect for an après-ski lunch, dinner or just a drink. Maguire’s Bar and Grill, at 503 Foundry Street (Rt. 106) in Easton, served me up one of the best grilled portabella mushroom sandwiches I’ve had anywhere, along with delicious onion strings and hard cider on tap. They serve a full lunch and dinner menu and kids are welcome; the atmosphere was just what I was in the mood for after a good two hours of adventure in the snow, and it is right on the way back to either Route 24 or I-495.
The parking at Massachusetts state parks is 5.00 per visit, but if you are a state resident age 60 or older, you can buy a lifetime pass for 10.00; I bought an annual pass for 60.00 – because I am definitely going to return to Borderland (and other MA state parks) for all 4 seasons!
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