The day was rather drab and chilly, but our group of nine ADKers enjoyed a really pleasant two hours and almost three miles in nature and good company. One of our group had never experienced Reinstein, so special attention was given to a few of the property’s gems. We stopped and discussed the oldest tree on the property on the Beech Tree Trail, aptly named, the Champion Beech, estimated to be between 300 – 400 years old. Another stop was the stone house located on Flattail Lake which was constructed in 1965 as a summer residence for the Reinstein family. And in a pretty evergreen area off the history trail, we stopped at the library in the woods, an Eagle Scout project that has a great assortment of books geared to almost all age levels. Teachers should check out the library for there seemed to be a lot to offer a classroom.
All delighted in hearing the cheerful sounds of black capped chickadees and seeing glorious male cardinals that flitted and followed us on our way back to the parking lot. The big discussion at the end of our walk was the purpose of the caged exclosures in the ponds. After a discussion with my husband, then calling Reinstein, it’s confirmed that they are indeed exclosures to prevent beavers from eating vegetation.
Another walk is planned for January 30th and we’ll take a different route, walk the boardwalks, view the other ponds on the property, and have a short period of silence to enjoy the sounds of Reinstein.
-Pam Sander