Thirteen TOHG members hiked the circular loop around Weir reservation. Rising above Lake Cochichewick, Weir Hill (pronounced “wire hill”) offers hiking trails that lead you over the crest of this 305-foot double drumlin and track more than a mile of lake shoreline. The reservation is named for the fish weirs or woven fences with stakes, that were once submerged by Indigenous people in Cochichewick Brook to catch alewives before they reached Lake Cochichewick to spawn. In Colonial days, sheep and cattle grazed on the hill and nearby brooks powered gristmills. Generations of agricultural use, a history of fire, and cutting and mowing practices have created a patchwork landscape. Today the lake serves as a source of water for the local community.
After the three mile hike, eight of us enjoyed lunch at Joe Fish in North Andover.
Neil S
