View Full Version : Massachusetts section hike plan ?
Mandalorian
04-12-2016, 17:27
Later this season I'd like to hike from Rt.7 in Great Barrington Ma to Rte 2 in North Adams MA. Just thought I 'd ask if anyone out there has done this or similar. Which shelters or campgrounds did you stay at. What was the greatest mileage in one day and how many days might I plan on. Don't want to hike more that 10-12 mpd?
That whole stretch is 18 miles and easily doable in a day and a half or two, tops. For thru hikers, probably a day.
There's a shelter a few miles north of N. Adams (Seth Warner) and another one a few miles from Rte. 7 (Congdon.)
Most of that stretch is flat, easy walking, maybe a bit boggy in places. Steeper between Congdon shelter and Rte. 7. The ascent/descent at the south end is well-graded.
Reviewing the profiles in AWOL's guide, it's not quite as flat as I remember it. I did it northbound. Only hiked for a half hour or so the first day, heading north from Hoosic Ave. in N. Adams. Stayed at some tent platform. Next day I walked as far as Congdon Shelter, stayed there. The following morning, maybe 3 hours walk down to Rte. 7.
steve_zavocki
04-12-2016, 18:15
I did Great Barrington to Tyringham four years ago. It was so incredibly beautiful, you are in for a treat. There are few wet areas where you hike on boards. There is a also a nice lunch spot on the edge of a pond within the first 5 miles. You then go over and down a mountain and through an open meadow. I loved this section!
Mandalorian
04-12-2016, 19:27
I really don't think the whole stretch from Gt Barrington to North Adams is 18 mi. It's got to be at least 30-40 ish.
Mandalorian
04-12-2016, 19:32
I really don't think the whole stretch from Gt Barrington to North Adams is 18 mi. It's got to be at least 30-40 ish. The Congdon shelter is in VT. I' m going to stop in North Adams without even crossing into Vermont
Ack, I misread -- I somehow mixed up Bennington with Great Barrington. Well, most of MA is easy hiking in any case. The one big climb is Greylock. Eg., I planned three days from N. Adams down to Dalton and it barely took two.
illabelle
04-13-2016, 09:42
Later this season I'd like to hike from Rt.7 in Great Barrington Ma to Rte 2 in North Adams MA. Just thought I 'd ask if anyone out there has done this or similar. Which shelters or campgrounds did you stay at. What was the greatest mileage in one day and how many days might I plan on. Don't want to hike more that 10-12 mpd?
We did this exact section a year or two ago, but we did it mostly SOBO, in the fall. According to www.atdist.com, it's 63.2 miles.
We took the local bus to Cheshire and slacked north over Greylock back to our motel room. Next morning took our packs on the same bus back to Cheshire and headed south. I remember a spot maybe 3-5 miles south of Cheshire where the trail made a left turn off of a woods road. We missed it, as did a few others. Going north, maybe this won't happen to you.
Only shelters I remember are at Upper Goose Pond - blueberry pancakes! :) and the Mount Wilcox shelters - IIRC they were up on a forested bluff, sorta neat.
Later this season I'd like to hike from Rt.7 in Great Barrington Ma to Rte 2 in North Adams MA. Just thought I 'd ask if anyone out there has done this or similar. Which shelters or campgrounds did you stay at. What was the greatest mileage in one day and how many days might I plan on. Don't want to hike more that 10-12 mpd?
I just did most of this hike a week ago and the rest of it a few years back. I used Tom Leonard, Shaker Campsite, GoosePond, October Mountain, Kay Wood, Mark Noeple and Wilbur Clearing. These are all about 8-10 miles apart. The longest stretch w/o camp sites is GlenBrook to TomLeonard at about 15 miles. Which by starting at RT7, you've cut in about half.
Good luck.
Mandalorian
05-10-2016, 13:16
Just say your post about your hike of the same section in Mass. Just wondering, you mentioned 7 shelters. Did you stay at each which means you were at least 7 day on the trail. I was thinking it would only be 4 days? Am I that off base?
Gambit McCrae
05-10-2016, 14:30
63 MILES (http://www.atdist.com/atdist?k1=MG&k2=MT&h=49dc6534&year=2016)- I HAD A VIRUS BUT I FOUND MASS TO BE THE MOST DIFFICULT AT THUS FAR ON MY JOURNEY OF COMPLETION