In this week’s local paper which is mailed to area households on Thursdays, I noticed a short blurb about an Open House at the Trustees of Reservations property near me in West Brookfield:

Join the Trustees of Reservations as they enjoy the winter splendor at the Rock House on Route 9 in West Brookfield on Saturday Jan 9 from 10 am to 2 pm.  Bring your skates, cross-country skis, snowshoes, or just take a peaceful winter hike, depending on what conditions Mother Nature provides.  Free for all.

I’ve hiked the trails at Rock House a number of times, but never in winter, so I decided to stop by.  Although the day was sunny, it was quite cold; I think the high today was in the low 20s.  When I arrived shortly after noon, I found a cheerful fire blazing, and two staffers from the Trustees had set up a table with snacks and hot drinks.  They offered me snowshoes to try, but the snow wasn’t that deep, and I could easily follow where other feet had trod the paths before me.  Out on the trails I even saw different animals’ tracks, but I couldn’t identify them.

The snow-blanketed landscape was both serene and striking.  Here are some of the photos I took to try to capture the contrasts between the dazzling white and the dark rocks and bare trees:

Stone Wall

Rocky Outcrop

Near the Balance Rock

Frozen Carter Pond