Car Spotting Mass. AT section 5 to Vt. border

[Mouser999]

Anyone have good directions for car spotting Sec. 5 to Vermont border for day hikes?. Mass.can be a a little difficult. Trying to finish Mass. With my hiking club.

Thanks

[Just Tom]

Have you checked out this site yet:

http://rohland.homedns.org:8008/at/s...&sectionID=123

[BillyGr]

Don't forget that you can't directly access the MA/VT border by road. You'll either have to double back about 4 miles to Route 2, continue into VT (which is tough, as the first road about 3 miles in is a small road and often hard to access, and the next access point at Route 9 makes about an 18 mile day hike from Route 2) or you can return about 1 mile and then take the Pine Cobble trail out to a road - not a lot of distance difference, but just a different route to avoid going completely the same trail both ways.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Don't forget that you can't directly access the MA/VT border by road. You'll either have to double back about 4 miles to Route 2, continue into VT (which is tough, as the first road about 3 miles in is a small road and often hard to access, and the next access point at Route 9 makes about an 18 mile day hike from Route 2) or you can return about 1 mile and then take the Pine Cobble trail out to a road - not a lot of distance difference, but just a different route to avoid going completely the same trail both ways.

When I hiked to the MA/VT border last summer I parked at the Greylock Community club right in the center of North Adams, which lets hikers park on their grass lot. Don’t know if they accomodate parking larger groups but it may be worth giving them a call.

[tdoczi]

Don't forget that you can't directly access the MA/VT border by road. You'll either have to double back about 4 miles to Route 2, continue into VT (which is tough, as the first road about 3 miles in is a small road and often hard to access, and the next access point at Route 9 makes about an 18 mile day hike from Route 2) or you can return about 1 mile and then take the Pine Cobble trail out to a road - not a lot of distance difference, but just a different route to avoid going completely the same trail both ways.

i'll second that and add that out of curiosity i spoke to a shuttler in north adams about that other road just over the border and was told they did manage to get in there once but it isnt anything theyd want to do again.

the VT/MA state line, as far as stopping and starting a hike, is effectively either rt2 or rt9.

many state lines are like this and ive never personally felt the need to jump through any sort hoops in order to "finish" a state by making sure i hike all the way to the border without going past it.

[Mouser999]

just found and printed thanks

[Mouser999]

My club did Vt. Section 1last year. We dropped cars on Rt.9 then found tnat terrible road go the Mass/Vermont border. Even with high clearance cars it wasn't fun. Made for a long day with the car spotting.

[tdoczi]

My club did Vt. Section 1last year. We dropped cars on Rt.9 then found tnat terrible road go the Mass/Vermont border. Even with high clearance cars it wasn't fun. Made for a long day with the car spotting.

all things considered, and especially with the long term planning being to hike both VT and MA, is two trips on that "road" to the border really worth it?

[Mouser999]

We are day hiking Mass. for members who haven't done it. we already completed the Conn. Section.

[Cosmo]

How large is your group, and when do you plan N hiking this section? Road condition varies year to year. The out and back from Rt 2 ain't bad, definitely a different trail experience in each direction.

Cosmo

We are day hiking Mass. for members who haven't done it. we already completed the Conn. Section.

[Bigg Jilm]

We sectioned Mass and Vermont to Killington in consecutive years. The access road closest to the actual border is a rugged forest road. A local shuttles was able to get us back there in August to start the VT section. I parked my truck there to end the Mass section. It truly is in the middle of nowhere, but doable. I worried the entire time about the safety of the vehicle...but I do that every time.

Your easiest bet may be to just end in North Adams. If you had to, you could slack the last miles (twice...in and out).

[linus72]

We are finishing MA this spring too and I was worried about that County Rd. Sounds like we will go up to the state line then take the Pine Cobble trail down. Don't think we have enough days to go all the way to Rt 9 with the miles we're currently doing.

[tdoczi]

i have a similar issue with finishing VA. hopefully by early summer ill be done from damascus through the northern border. what to do about those last few miles down south though?

target parachute jumping seems to be the best option.

[Mouser999]

We just did Sect 6 this weekend with 8 people. Section 5 in 2 weeks. how many people we get can depend on there is another hike planned. my co leader and i are working on car spotting and shuttles

[Mouser999]

I'm looking into parking at that location. Thanks

[linus72]

Mouser what were the conditions on section 6? We were going to do Dalton to Cheshire this weekend but based on my hike in the northern portion of CT last weekend with deep snow and ice on top, lots of postholing, we postponed to early May. Especially since we want to camp out and overnight... didn't seem very fun with all that snow and ice and now rain.

[Mouser999]

There was a lot of snow from Tyringham Road to Rt.20. We broke trail without snow.shoes or spikes. Lots of melting was going on as Sat. Was warm. rt.20 to tyringham road js 8.6 with not too much elevation. couple of bridges and signs for a spring. No toilet facilities unless yiu go to 1/2 mile off trail to shelter at goose pond