Back to Holmes Educational State Forest, this time for the longer Demonstration Trail. Even availing myself of an official shortcut, it took two and a half hours. There was enough of a climb to get you 
into the clouds. There's no explanation of what's being demonstrated - a managed forest, I suppose - but at one point I suddenly came upon a very recent controlled burn. The rain brought out the smell of soot.
The chief target, it seems, were the eastern white pines which had been cultivated here before it became a state forest, their toasted wraiths hovering as a mixed hardwood forest is helped to return.
hickory!
