Essex County Highpoint Trip Report

Date: September 8, 2005
Author: Charles Zerphey

All gates were locked and I don't like to go back later to do HPs so started to hike up the gravel road that later turns into old blacktop which was in very good condition. I was only about a mile past the second gate when I came upon Willaim Barnard, Ph.D, Professor of Biology at Norwich University, Northfield, VT.

He was catching (netting, banding, taking blood samples, etc.) of Blue and Canada Jays. He stated he has the largest collection of DNA's of Jays in the world. He offered to take me to the summit as he was finishing up for the day. He gave me the entire history of the Military installation, part of which the radar site was our first line of defense in the early 50's until ?, when over 200 persons were stationed on the mountain. He saved a long day for me.