Bears Make Fire, Rockin’ LandArt

This summer we visit Purgatory Chasm State Reservation, a state park in Sutton, Massachusetts. The park, managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, is notable for its .25 mi long, 70 ft deep chasm of granite bedrock featuring abrupt precipices and boulder caves in which ice lingers into the early summer. The reservation is open to picnicking and hiking.

My little mountain goats love this trail. We don our hiking boots, our headlamps and climb rocks.

After a most perfect hike, where for the first time, the kids were able to carry themselves through the whole trail, we stop at the playground. The kids start gathering sticks and stones, building little “camp fires.”

They pretend they are a family of bears. They hunt for “bear fish,” or salmon, and cook them over the fires.

We stay there for an hour building fire pits, fishing for salmon and pretending to feed our bear family. This was a good day.