Upper Goose Pond Cabin

[Grampie]

In my estimation, the cabin at Upper Goose Pond is a great place to stay while doing the AT in Mass. It offers, inside bunks, pancake and coffee breakfast and a nice pond to swim in. The cost is only $3.00 per night. The cabin also has a canoe for the use of thru-hikers.
The cabin is owned by the NPS and is run bu the Mass. AT. It has a poarch with a picknic table, a kitchen and common room with a large fireplace down stairs with a bunk room upstairs. Thru-hikers may use the kitchen to cook on a propane stove.

[Lone Wolf]

I thought the AMC owned it.

[eyahiker]

Do you need reservations for this, say in July anytime? I assume it can get pretty full since it really sounds awesome. L. Wolf, any comments?

[Lone Wolf]

I never stayed there, just visited. I stealthed in the area.

[hungryhowie]

Do you need reservations for this, say in July anytime? I assume it can get pretty full since it really sounds awesome. L. Wolf, any comments?

Unless it's changed in the past four years, the AMC does own it. When I was last there no reservations were needed. Unless they've installed a phone, I don't see how one could make reservations to stay there. It's a small cabin on Upper Goose Pond with no electricity. It used to be a personal cabin, shared by several families who used it for vacations. One of the former-owning couples plays host for a week or two every summer (or at least used to) and I had the great fortune of being there when they were. They went out of there way to be kind to us, showed us all sorts of wonderful 'secret' spots and things to do... it was great.

The second time I went through, the caretaker was also very cool. It was out of season, and there were only a few section hikers and maybe a thru-hiker/flip-flopper around, and we just kicked back and relaxed.

The third time I went through the caretakers sucked. When they found out that I wasn't thru-hiking, they refused to let me stay in the cabin. Fine, I said, I'd rather sleep down by the dock anyway. They told me I couldn't do that either because I wasn't a thruhiker. I told them to shove it and that this place wasn't for the exclusive use of thru-hikers. I went down to the dock to play in the water, and they had the absolute NERVE to ask me to go get water for them. For anyone who doesn't know, getting water involves paddling accross the lake to the spring, dragging about 50 five-gallon jugs behind you, filling them up one at a time, and dragging them all back.

I told them that if they would leave me alone, that I would go and get them water (as I had offered and gotten water twice during my previous stays). Upon reaching the spring I was horrified! Without consulting anyone, these caretakers had used quickcrete to "dam-up" the spring trying to create a little waterfall to make it easier to fill the jugs. It didn't work and had prettymuch destroyed the spring's integrity and the surrounding beauty (it used to be a pristine spring with moss and green all around...now it looked like modern-art gone wrong...).

I kept thinking about the first caretakers that I had had the pleasure of staying with and how they'd been using this spring for more than 50 years, never treating the water, never using anything more than a bucket and funnel to get water for summer upon summer. And these idiots come in and ruin it! Needless to say I almost went ballistic on these people. I got their names to report them to the AMC and ATC and couldn't wait to get out of there the next morning.

Unfortunately, their names didn't survive the rest of the hike, so I couldn't report them, but I am still bitter about it.

I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again, I only hope that caretakers more in line with what I experienced the first two times are present.

-Howie

[eyahiker]

Thanks for the update and the info!

[DebW]

In my estimation, the cabin at Upper Goose Pond is a great place to stay while doing the AT in Mass. It offers, inside bunks, pancake and coffee breakfast and a nice pond to swim in. The cost is only $3.00 per night. The cabin also has a canoe for the use of thru-hikers.
The cabin is owned by the NPS and is run bu the Mass. AT.

The cabin and land are owned by NPS. The cabin is run by volunteer caretakers from the Mass AT Committee of the Berkshire AMC. Most are generous and accommodating to any hikers. There has been a recent move by towns in Mass. to remove "improvements" (ie. pipes) from springs, so consequently the springs at UGP and now Jug End are now harder to collect water from.

[Cosmo]

Howie--
Sorry to hear about your third experience with caretakers at UGPC. There is no policy that favors ANY type of hiker over another. What little info we do publicize about the cabin refers to it as a facility for Appalachian Trail hikers. This is mostly to discourage folks from thinking of it as a AMC Hut. We've had folks thinking they can stay there while they enjoy the many cultural events in the Berkshires. They are quite surprised when they find out they have to walk to get there, and there is no electricity, running water or private bedrooms. But that $3 donation (it really is, you don't have to pay if you don't want to) really catches their eye.

Weekends in July and August do get a little busy with converging NB and SB thruhikers plus folks out for a shorter term experience.

Hope your last visit didn't bum you out so much you won't return.

Cosmo

[hungryhowie]

Hope your last visit didn't bum you out so much you won't return.

Cosmo

Don't worry, I have fabulous memories of the place from the first two times I was there, and know that that is the norm. The last visit was an exception...a bad exception...but an exception. I know the "back" way in (don't even ask, I'm not about to tell ) so next time I'm up that way I'll drop in for a spell and chill by the lake.

-Howie

[Jeff]

Does anyone know what time of year caretakers staff this cabin? Would love to partake in morning coffee and blueberry pancakes, but wasn't sure if this is only during the summer months.

[ridgewalker777]

No question it's a great deal--a mother and her daughter were serving as caretaker last week when I stayed--good people. But as a label-reader, I would pass on the margarine and non-dairy creamer which came "free" with breakfast, rich in trans-fatty acids, hydrogenated oils, a pet peeve. The pond had been treated with an herbicide and algicide in the last month (posted), though I took a dip anyway to wash off the perspiration.

[Cosmo]

The caretakers will be there full time through Labor Day, then weekends through Columbus Day. If you have a specific date in mind, let me know and I'll see if there is coverage. We are closing the cabin for the winter on Oct 23rd this year.

Even tho the cabin is closed, you are welcome to use the porch or the tenting areas. It is still a nice area, and off season is very quiet and peaceful.

There was another herbicide treatement on Monday the 26th. Hopefully the last. The herbicide contractor does not recommend bathing or drinking for 24 hrs after the application. The cabin does not get it's water from the pond, usually. It is from a spring on the other side.

Unfortunately the pond itself belongs to the state (as do all bodies of water over a certian size in Mass), so we have no real say in how the water is managed. The concern is the Asian Milfoil, and invasive species that will literally fill the pond with vegetation if unchecked. Hand pulling is not very effective, as even a small piece that is left on the bottom will root and re-grow. There are some non-chemical means of control (importing a certian type of snail), but they are not particulary effective when dealing with a large crop. The Milfoil problem is predominantly in Lower Goose Pond which is fed in a large part from Upper Goose Pond. The lower pond is fairly densely developed, with lots of boating and swimming, little of this traffic ventures into the narrow channel to the upper pond. Other than the Cabin, there is only one other residence on the pond--an inholding on an NPS term estate. Their property will revert to NPS in 2010. We will probably opt to remove the structure.


More that you wanted to know, no doubt. Enjoy the cabin,

Cosmo,
Mass AT Committee

[oruoja]

Am looking forward to checking out Goose Pond. The last time on the AT in Mass was way back in '78 and I just can't remember the pond at all. Hope be be back in '06 on an AT thru and after that maybe even more frequently as my younger son is really eying going to school at UMass.

[Cehoffpauir]

Am looking forward to checking out Goose Pond. The last time on the AT in Mass was way back in '78 and I just can't remember the pond at all. Hope be be back in '06 on an AT thru and after that maybe even more frequently as my younger son is really eying going to school at UMass.

I found the pond a great place to stay for 3 days. Granted, I had experienced and friendly caretakers, but thru-hikers didn't seem to have any exclusive rights--in one night, 2 groups of 10+ kids tented, and the caretaker Peggy made a non-issue of it. That's a beautiful, peaceful spot I'll be visiting again next year.

[TakeABreak]

COSMO,

I was curious as to what you said about reverting to the NPS, in 2010. The Mass. clubs not want to retain it or is that not an option. Because if they do want to retain it and it is the NPS that is the holdup here. I think this website would be great place to start a letter writing compain to the NPS, and to get an article in the ATN. Upper Goose Pond was awesome even if it is a hike off the trail, I truely enjoyed my stay there as everyone I talked to.

I too was shocked to hear about howies experience, I hope the cement has been removed.

[The Hog]

I stayed there one night the year I thru hiked. The caretaker was kind, generous, and attractive. So attractive, in fact, that I gave her my address before I left. She did write, we started exchanging letters, then phone calls, then visits. Three years later, we were married on the summit of Mt. Mansfield in Vermont. Today, we live in a rural Vermont farmhouse with our two beautiful children. I'm glad I didn't pass up that spot!

[Cosmo]

The reversion to the NPS in 2010 refers to an inholding by a private owner of some land adjacent to the Upper Goose Pond Cabin. When the NPS bought the land surounding the pond for the AT Corridor, two property owners decided not to sell, but instead settled for a "Term Estate". One has expired and is now NPS property, the other will expire in 2010 and also revert to the Park Service.

The Upper Goose Pond Cabin, has been a part of the NPS Corridor since the original purchase, and will continue to be owned by the government. AMC--through volunteers of the Mass Appalachian Trail Management Committee--will continue to manage the cabin and the surrounding property as part of their AT responsibilities. As usual, AT management partnerships are complex extending across several entities. It is the price we pay (willingly, mostly) to retain volunteer management of the trail.

The concrete at the spring was taken out. One of the disadvantages of involving a lot of volunteers is a somewhat diffuse central management structure, so oversight of activites is somewhat loose. In the long run, though the benefits far outweigh the liabilities.

Cosmo

COSMO,

I was curious as to what you said about reverting to the NPS, in 2010. The Mass. clubs not want to retain it or is that not an option. Because if they do want to retain it and it is the NPS that is the holdup here. I think this website would be great place to start a letter writing compain to the NPS, and to get an article in the ATN. Upper Goose Pond was awesome even if it is a hike off the trail, I truely enjoyed my stay there as everyone I talked to.

I too was shocked to hear about howies experience, I hope the cement has been removed.

[TakeABreak]

Cosmo,

I got ya, now, I mis-understood a previous statement about removing something, I thought you meant the upper goose pond hostel. But you meant the other place in holding, will probably be removed, once it reverts to the NPS, Correct?

[Crash! Bang!]

hungry howies story sounds awfully fishy

[The Solemates]

Didnt have an experience quite like the Hog's, but we stopped here after our shortest hiking day of the entire trail (other than 0 days): 5 miles. Just felt like the right thing to do. I was not aware you had to pay for it. We got there before any caretaker did and found the place unlocked, so helped ourselves.