Highpoint #4: Connecticut

CT Highpoint Marker

Clumsy Vanity Shot

Again I found myself in NYC for a running race, so I decided to take advantage of the opportunity for another highpointing adventure.  Since I went to the NJ highpoint on my last trip, the next closest one was in Connecticut.  I scouted it out on the map, and it looked fairly doable as a day trip being only about three hours drive away from the city.  The trip was on!

Parking Lot Sign

AMC Parking Lot

The Connecticut highpoint is properly the “south slope” of Mt. Frissell, and it is located very close to the geographical point where New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts all meet (more on that below).  Now, “south slope” is an interesting description.  The thing about highpoints is that they do not always fit the stereotype of being a nice prominent peak visible from a distance.  In the case of Connecticut, it is anything but that.  Indeed, the highpoint marker actually falls on the Connecticut/Massachusetts line, and not on the top of a hill or mountain like one might think.  Indeed, the summit of Mt. Frissell is actually in Massachusetts.  Fortunately, in order to arrive at the highpoint, you do summit a couple of hills along the way if you take the standard route, so the climbing experience is not lost all together. 

I arrived at the trailhead by following East Street on the Massachusetts side and crossing the border into Connecticut where it immediately becomes Mt. Washington Road.  There is a modest parking lot off to the left designated with an “AMC Northwest Parking” sign (see photos above).  I parked here, and just walked back up the road 100 feet or so to the border and made a left into a much smaller parking area.  The trailhead was just beyond there.

Trailhead (Note the Red Blaze)

The trail itself is pretty well blazed with red blazes, so it is easy to follow in nice weather.  However, with that said, many of the blazes are on low-lying rocks and not on trees, so they could be missed entirely if snow is present.  Fortunately, it was an absolutely beautiful day when I visited, so I could zone out and enjoy the hike. 

"Wall of Rock"

The hike starts off easily enough on a flat graded trail that eventually leads to a “wall of rock”.  There is nothing difficult about the rock; really, it is just straightforward scrambling requiring hands for support at times.  Exposure runs from non-existent to at most a few feet, so there is nothing harrowing here either.  After this wall of rock, there are a few more like it along the way to similarly pass over.  Summiting the intervening hillocks will have you encountering a couple of rock cairns. 

Rock Cairn

The second “summit” has a bit of a clearing where you can go off in 2 different directions.  To the right, a couple of hundred of feet away, there is a summit register hanging from one of the trees with “2,380 feet” etched into the side, designating the elevation.  This is not the official highpoint, but it is the nearest summit, and it is where many people who are highpointing choose to record their accomplishment.   If you return to the clearing and go in the other direction, you eventually will come across another large rock cairn and a small green cylindrical spike emanating from the ground.  It designates the state line and is considered to be the true highpoint.  It is a little underwhelming after all of the scrambling, but it will do. 

Summit Register

If you push on just a little bit farther beyond this point, there is another goodie awaiting the would-be hiker – a tripoint!  They actually have a fairly nice marker (waist high no less) that marks where the three states come together.  MA and NY are etched prominently on the marker.  CT is missing, but someone has tried to mark it in with chalk.  Essentially Connecticut wishes to have nothing to do with this highpointing or tri-pointing business.  So it goes.  

Tri-Point Marker

Vanity Shot at Tri-Point Marker

Since there is no prominent peak, there is no grand panoramic view anywhere.  Though, there are some great distant views of the land below along the way.  Just a few feet from the green spike, I found this great view:            

Great View!

Overall, this highpoint was a lot of fun and, refreshingly, was more demanding than all of the other highpoints I have been to up to this point.  I wish I had more time to hike on farther to other scenic destinations nearby.  New England is just a great part of the country to spend time outdoors!