View Full Version : Where to take the boys....
Teacher & Snacktime
07-12-2016, 23:18
I'm planning a long weekend trip with the boys: Snacktime, Gumball and Toots.
Day One is our annual short hike to the Upper Goose Pond Cabin to enjoy the pond and the pancakes.
Day Two is a return to the car, a drive to a second trailhead then a hike to a second camping spot (after a fast-food lunch and dinner pick up since Grandma doesn't want to cook this trip).
Day Three is a return to the car, ice cream celebration and ride home.
So, does anyone have any recommendations for the second camping spot? (A Distance between 3 and 5 miles would be best, along with something interesting about the location to warrant the effort.)
Gambit McCrae
07-13-2016, 08:05
It is a hard but rewarding walk, up in northern CT. Ravines ravine, Mt Race, Everett, Lions Head. and in between Race Mt and Everette is Race Brook Falls. Nice area
i'm a big fan of Beartown state forest , Nice swimming lake, The A.T. crosses it, You can hike north or south to a shelter area or day hike and stay at the campground.
Maybe drive up to the top of Mt. Graylock, hike out to one of the shelters north or south, spend the night and hike back to the car.
Teacher & Snacktime
07-13-2016, 11:54
It is a hard but rewarding walk, up in northern CT. Ravines ravine, Mt Race, Everett, Lions Head. and in between Race Mt and Everette is Race Brook Falls. Nice area
This trip is already planned for mid-august, but thanks for the input!
Teacher & Snacktime
07-13-2016, 12:02
i'm a big fan of Beartown state forest , Nice swimming lake, The A.T. crosses it, You can hike north or south to a shelter area or day hike and stay at the campground.
Maybe drive up to the top of Mt. Graylock, hike out to one of the shelters north or south, spend the night and hike back to the car.
Great ideas both...thanks! I've looked at both these possibilities but didn't know about "kid appeal". The swimming factor of Bear Mtn is big, but the lighthouse is pretty cool too.
Maybe a stop at the Cookie Lady's would be fun. It's not that far from Upper Goose Pond, and the blueberries are fantastic.
Teacher & Snacktime
07-13-2016, 13:02
Maybe a stop at the Cookie Lady's would be fun. It's not that far from Upper Goose Pond, and the blueberries are fantastic.
Gumball and I are watching Appalachian Impressions and they just mentioned the Cookie Lady! I was wondering if that might be a good option, and came back to WB to get some info. Talk about synchronicity!
I think we have a Winner Winner Chicken Dinner here!
I stopped there on my very first section hike, in 2006. The Cookie Lady and her husband live in a passive-solar house that he built. As I recall, he was restoring a small airplane in his workshop. I camped on their lawn.
Great ideas both...thanks! I've looked at both these possibilities but didn't know about "kid appeal". The swimming factor of Bear Mtn is big, but the lighthouse is pretty cool too.
Ice cream at Bascom Lodge has a lot of appeal for my kids.
Teacher & Snacktime
07-13-2016, 14:08
Ice cream at Bascom Lodge has a lot of appeal for my kids.
Bascom Lodge is at Mt. Greylock? Yeah, they'd find that appealing certainly! On our outings, it's always "all about the ice cream"!
Teacher & Snacktime
07-15-2016, 17:19
Ok...it's narrowed down to 3 choices:
Main St. Tyringham to Shaker Campsite
Concern: This one is very familiar and closest to our car, but are there too many mosquitoes? I've been reading negative reports on the bug front and that's not good.
Mt. Greylock/Bascom Lodge to Mark Noepel Lean-To
Concern: How far is the lean-to from the trail, and how hard will the return hike be? Also, is overnight parking allowed?
Pittsfield/Washington Mt. Rd to October Mtn. Shelter....via Cookie Lady & Blueberry picking
Concern: This shelter is close to a road and very easily accessible. How crowded and party-like is it likely to be on a weekend? What's it's condition?
Any info to help with this decision would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
Shaker campsite is in the running for the most mosquito-infested site on the AT. It's right up there with the four-mile stretch north of Jug End to the Route 7 crossing.
Teacher & Snacktime
07-15-2016, 17:43
Shaker campsite is in the running for the most mosquito-infested site on the AT. It's right up there with the four-mile stretch north of Jug End to the Route 7 crossing.
Ok, scratch that then. We'll do that hike in cooler temps perhaps.