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Thread: Fall colors

  1. #1
    Registered User JNI64's Avatar
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    Default Fall colors

    Any happening south Massachusetts. Coming up from Harper's ferry area Columbus day weekend. Can't do a whole lot of hiking due to getting over a medical issue. I'm thinking great Barrington to Tom Leonard shelter and back the next day. Good place to park housatonic river? I'll be coming in Saturday morning and hike and hang out until Sunday evening got to get back to my dog as well.

  2. #2

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    Colors should be okay in Mass and might be heading towards peak in a week or so.

    There should be parking near Kellogg rd bridge, but might need GPS to find it. That's actually a bit of a rough patch of trail for Mass. You might want to go in from the other side on Lake Buel Rd. The area around the shelter is pretty interesting, being right next to a ravine.
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  3. #3
    Registered User JNI64's Avatar
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    What do you mean by that slo , a rough patch of trail? I was thinking of this route as well buel rd.parking but Is only 1.1 mile. Can't do to many miles at the moment but wanted more than a mile. Like you said I seen where it sounds like cool spot with views from camp site at the Leonard shelter . What can you tell me about going north from buel rd. To the Wilcox south shelter at least that would be 4.2 miles?

  4. #4

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    Park at the Lake Buel Rd AT parking area and hike south to Tom Leonard. Expect some other campers as weather will be pretty nice on Sat.

    If hiking North, closest official parking is near Shays’ Rebellion, adding a couple of easy miles to your hike. You could park on Kellogg Rd next to the river to save those miles but it’s not maintained, and hidden from the road.

    Cosmo

  5. #5

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    Nothing in Mass is very hard, I just remember that section to be a bit rougher then normal for Mass. The first 2 miles is swamp, then you got a series of good climbs to get out of the valley. Since you said you can't do a lot of hiking due to medical issues, it just seemed to me you'd be better off doing the short hike from the north with it's more gradual up hill incline.

    Also, it will get dark a lot earlier then what your used to in WV and any overcast makes it dark in the woods starting at about 4 PM now. It's headlight dark by 6. If you have to hike slow due to your issues, that could be a problem. If it happens to be raining or has recently rained (good chance) and with all the newly fallen leaves on the ground, the footing gets a bit treacherous which would slow you down farther.

    I looked at that campsite at Leonard and decided the shelter was a better option, as it didn't look very comfortable to me. Oh the walk to water was pretty much straight down into the ravine. 0.6 or 0.4 miles round trip depending on which way you go.

    Columbus day weekend is a popular hiking weekend all through out New England. It's also Canadian Thanksgiving, but not sure if many make it that far south. Quebec is well represented in NH and VT. If the colors are good and the weather fine, it will be a zoo in the Berkshires (and all the lodging goes for a premium).
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  6. #6
    Registered User JNI64's Avatar
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    Ok thanks so much got what I needed. My awol map book is 2013 a little dated , perhaps I'll get a new 1 next year.

  7. #7
    Registered User JNI64's Avatar
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    Had a great time in Massachusetts fall colors were about peak, beautiful. Hiked up to the Tom Leonard lean to with a pizza,awesome. I put my tent up behind the big rock. The place around the lean to was clean no trash, clean fire pit. There was a couple down on the tent platform out of sight and a section hiker showed up and took the shelter to himself. So I had my own little private campsite very nice spot. Thinking about going up Thanksgiving week for more should be 100% by then health wise.

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