Nice day to be out in Petersham on the Rutland Brook Sanctuary trails. We had wanted to explore these trails, and didn't feel like a long drive up north. The parking area and road were icey, but my 6-point crampons worked well. There is still about a foot of snow in the shaded areas, but some of the trails were a glaze of ice. Rutland Brook was raging after the rain and very beautiful. Saw some hemlocks that had been chewed on recently by beavers. Then, we found the Porcupine Loop Trail that went into a ledgy area, where there was a lot of recent scat. Found a warm sunny spot to have lunch at House Pond! A cold, but nice trip. A hot cup of Java at the Country Store was much appreciated. 
