Highpoint #21: Massachusetts

Vanity Shot at Summit Sign

After Rhode Island, I headed onward to Vermont and then Massachusetts.  Sadly, there was just too much snow from the Nemo storm for me to count Vermont as my 21^st highpoint.  I had to turn around no less than 0.2 miles from the summit, but I did learn a new term:  “spruce traps”.  Sinking my entire height into snowdrift made it impossible to proceed any farther, even with an ice axe!  Yikes!  I wasn’t sure if I should try again the next day by a different route or just push on south to Massachusetts for an easier go at things.  I ended up doing the latter since there was no guarantee of fewer snowdrifts on the other side of the mountain, and, fortunately, everything was much easier by comparison.

I began driving south and arrived in Adams, MA in the middle of the afternoon.  The day was pretty long at this point having hit the trail at Mt. Mansfield by sunrise, knocking out several miles of snowshoeing, and driving from northern Vermont all the way down to Massachusetts.  Honestly, I was starving too.  Before I could go any farther, I stopped and picked up an awful “meatloaf sub” at Angelina’s (a local chain) on the way in, and kept going to the Cheshire Harbor Trailhead. 

7-Mile Hike and It's Almost Dark

I managed to eat half of the sandwich by the time I made it to the trailhead, but I gave up on eating the other half.  Starving doesn’t mean you are willing to eat just any old thing, apparently.  Man, that sandwich was terrible!  By this point, it was around 4:30pm.  I knew I had about 60-90 minutes of daylight left.  The trail is 3.5 miles each way, making for a 7-mile hike.  Obviously, I would not have enough time to hike the whole length and back in the daylight, so I grabbed my headlamp.  I figured that I would just assess the trail conditions for a couple of miles and go from there.  I fully resigned myself to knocking out the highpoint the next morning at dawn and just regarded this as a reconnaissance mission of sorts.

Cheshire Harbor Trailhead

The signs at the start of the trail though gave me some hope.  Apparently, the majority of the Cheshire Harbor Trail is a path used by snowmobiles.  Better yet, the route was temporarily closed to snowmobilers on my visit to prevent damage to the trail surface.  That told me that the snow was not very deep, definitely not “spruce trap” deep, and what snow I would encounter would likely be packed down and smoothed over from prior snowmobiling activity.  And it was!  This was going to be an easy hike!

Easy Snow Hike!

I left the poles and snowshoes in the car, and started off at a very quick pace with nothing to hinder my forward progress.  I made my way up some modest switchbacks, and finally I got my first glimpse of Mt. Greylock.  It was still a bit off in the distance, but the approach seemed clear enough.  I was clearly working my way up to the Appalachian Trail, and then hanging right along a ridgeline to the summit.  The tower at the top was clearly evident at this distance, and, indeed, beyond. 

First View of Mt. Greylock

After a mile, I came across a bit of signage marking the formal turnoff for the Cheshire Harbor Trail.  The path narrowed some, but the character of the trail was still easy.  

One Mile Down, 2.5 to Go!

I thought for sure that I would encounter a few folks on their way down at this point, given the other vehicles I saw in the parking lot, but I never saw anyone. 

Still Relatively Easy Snow Hike

Eventually, the trail met up with the Appalachian Trail.  

A Wintry View of the A.T.

I had the choice to continue along the A.T. farther south or I could just follow the road that passed through this juncture since it presumably would also lead to the top.  (In warmer months, one can actually drive to the summit, but the road is closed during the winter; indeed, the road wasn’t rescheduled to open until May).  

Option 1:  Follow the A.T.  (Yay!)

Option 2:  Follow the Road  (Boo!)

I kept true to the hike and followed the signs for the A.T.  This route saw a bit less traffic, as there was now moderately deep snow and only a set or two of boot prints to follow.  Daylight was holding out, so I pressed onward. 

A Lonely Meadow Along the Way
 

The hiking was still gentle enough, and I quickly found myself in a meadow.  I passed through it, hiked some more and came to the road once again.  So it goes.  

The Road Again with the Sun Setting in the Background

I, again, chose to follow the A.T. signs to continue to the summit rather than follow the road.  Technically, this time the A.T. was more direct than the road, making a beeline for the summit rather than looping around. 

Getting Closer!

Note the A.T. Blaze

I proceeded farther, passed by a radio tower and encountered yet another sign for the summit, hiked a wee bit farther, and finally came into full view of the summit tower.  Yes!  I made it to the top without having to wait until the next day!

First View of the Summit Tower

The tower is huge!  Rising 93 feet into the air, the tower is actually a memorial to honor those from Massachusetts who died in WWI and subsequent conflicts.  This is very similar to the highpoint in New Jersey, which also has a commanding tower in honor of its veterans.  It’s an interesting idea.  Beyond the great views, it makes the place special for an all-together different reason and gives visitors an important place to see.  Well, visitors during the summer anyway; during my visit, the tower was boarded shut.     

Boarded Shut for the Winter!

I posed for a couple of vanity shots, in the foreground of the tower and also by a summit plaque along the tower wall.   

Vanity Shot in Front of the Tower

I was lucky in a way with my very late start, because as I arrived the sun was setting.  This made for some beautiful views!  I was drinking in the beauty.

Sunset View from the Top

After finishing these highpoint duties, I saw my last bit of daylight was about to vanish.  I decided to change modes, turn on the headlamp, and quickly head down.  It was amazing how black it got!  I would not have been able to see much of anything without the headlamp.  

 My Hike Down the Mountain in the DARK! 

Fortunately, I was able to descend in little time at all and drive off into the night all the way back to Washington, D.C.  I managed to arrive home in the middle of the night, making my VT/MA adventure just shy of a complete 24 hours.  Yikes!  Getting this highpoint the hard way was totally worth it though, and Mansfield was a genuine adventure in its own right.  Good times.