sureño
01-24-2012, 07:09 AM
I took advantage of the clipper which moved through Saturday to get in some snowplay before the warm front due the early part of this week in western Mass. I took routes 8 & 9 up in order to avoid the fine traffic pattern of Pittsfield and the mix of passive/aggressive, aggressive/aggressive, and oblivious drivers not uncommon therein. It was a beautiful drive what with the undisturbed powder backed by blue skies and all.
I arrived at the parking lot at the Busby trailhead (42.658086 -73.055656 (http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=42.65834,-73.05567&z=14&t=T&marker0=42.65808%2C-73.05567%2CBusby%20trailhead) for those who GPS) and promptly made a new friend.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6750087811_0069aff089.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/6750087811/)
A Sheltie who loves the snow? #win² (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/6750087811/)
I proceeded up the Busby Trail. It was my first trip anywhere in Savoy Mountain State Forest (http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/western/svym.htm) so I didn’t know what to expect. There was plenty of snowmobiling going on on a number of the old woods roads I had passed but I was pleased to find that there was none on my route.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6750098959_0ab68001be.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/6750098959/)
And on-road vehicles strongly discouraged. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/6750098959/)
There was steady and increasing gain as I neared Spruce Hill. The day had seen a decent amount of traffic to break trail in the previous day’s powder so the footing was a bit slick now and again in my old school snowshoes—I’m keeping my eyes open for some removable crampons for them but haven’t come upon any yet—but doable for most of the way there. For most of the inbound portion of my loop I think some combination of MICROspikes and trekking poles would have been sufficient for most folks with decent balance. For the last five or ten minutes before arriving at the Spruce Hill overlook things got vertical enough that it was much easier going with my snowshoes removed, though I think such would have been optional for most folks sporting metal frame snowshoes.
There was a wee bit of summit wind at the overlook but no more. I got there right as the sun was putting herself to bed for the night and the colors mellowed and deepened as I hung around for a few minutes before starting the second portion of my little loop. There is a fine view of Mount Greylock and the upper reaches of the Hoosic from Spruce Hill, as well as a fine view of the big gash of a quarry west of 8. One takes the good with the bad…
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6754244083_138d1a1fca.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/6754244083/)
Spruce Hill vista. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/6754244083/)
I got a shot of myself checking out the show. As I got set to start my trip down a pair of young men declaiming the beauty of the sunset and their good fortune in taking it in emerged at the overlook. I offered to get a snapshot for them but they said they were not carrying a camera. I said I would be happy to get a pic with my own camera and e-mail it to them but they demurred. I don’t know, maybe they have warrants and/or Skynet is looking for them or something.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6747333023_37191aca11.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/6747333023/)
Me and my ride at the Spruce Hill overlook. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/6747333023/)
I started back down to hook up with the Lost Pond Trail and got to gliss just a bit on the initially packed-down portions I had already traversed (a first for me, woot!). The second portion of my loop, however, had generally seen far less traffic than the first and most of the way back was pleasant going through the powder. I got off the Lost Pond Trail and onto the Blackburnian Trail to finish my trip down under the starry sky. As the light pollution in the immediate are of the parking lot was minimal I spent a few minutes trying to figure out if the glow on the horizon was the more southerly–than–usual Northern Lights (http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2012/0120/Northern-lights-Huge-solar-flare-may-trigger-Saturday-night-show), but since I had never seen them previously I couldn’t really say one way of the other. A very pleasant afternoon and evening regardless!
I arrived at the parking lot at the Busby trailhead (42.658086 -73.055656 (http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=42.65834,-73.05567&z=14&t=T&marker0=42.65808%2C-73.05567%2CBusby%20trailhead) for those who GPS) and promptly made a new friend.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6750087811_0069aff089.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/6750087811/)
A Sheltie who loves the snow? #win² (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/6750087811/)
I proceeded up the Busby Trail. It was my first trip anywhere in Savoy Mountain State Forest (http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/western/svym.htm) so I didn’t know what to expect. There was plenty of snowmobiling going on on a number of the old woods roads I had passed but I was pleased to find that there was none on my route.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6750098959_0ab68001be.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/6750098959/)
And on-road vehicles strongly discouraged. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/6750098959/)
There was steady and increasing gain as I neared Spruce Hill. The day had seen a decent amount of traffic to break trail in the previous day’s powder so the footing was a bit slick now and again in my old school snowshoes—I’m keeping my eyes open for some removable crampons for them but haven’t come upon any yet—but doable for most of the way there. For most of the inbound portion of my loop I think some combination of MICROspikes and trekking poles would have been sufficient for most folks with decent balance. For the last five or ten minutes before arriving at the Spruce Hill overlook things got vertical enough that it was much easier going with my snowshoes removed, though I think such would have been optional for most folks sporting metal frame snowshoes.
There was a wee bit of summit wind at the overlook but no more. I got there right as the sun was putting herself to bed for the night and the colors mellowed and deepened as I hung around for a few minutes before starting the second portion of my little loop. There is a fine view of Mount Greylock and the upper reaches of the Hoosic from Spruce Hill, as well as a fine view of the big gash of a quarry west of 8. One takes the good with the bad…
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6754244083_138d1a1fca.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/6754244083/)
Spruce Hill vista. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/6754244083/)
I got a shot of myself checking out the show. As I got set to start my trip down a pair of young men declaiming the beauty of the sunset and their good fortune in taking it in emerged at the overlook. I offered to get a snapshot for them but they said they were not carrying a camera. I said I would be happy to get a pic with my own camera and e-mail it to them but they demurred. I don’t know, maybe they have warrants and/or Skynet is looking for them or something.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6747333023_37191aca11.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/6747333023/)
Me and my ride at the Spruce Hill overlook. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbradley/6747333023/)
I started back down to hook up with the Lost Pond Trail and got to gliss just a bit on the initially packed-down portions I had already traversed (a first for me, woot!). The second portion of my loop, however, had generally seen far less traffic than the first and most of the way back was pleasant going through the powder. I got off the Lost Pond Trail and onto the Blackburnian Trail to finish my trip down under the starry sky. As the light pollution in the immediate are of the parking lot was minimal I spent a few minutes trying to figure out if the glow on the horizon was the more southerly–than–usual Northern Lights (http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2012/0120/Northern-lights-Huge-solar-flare-may-trigger-Saturday-night-show), but since I had never seen them previously I couldn’t really say one way of the other. A very pleasant afternoon and evening regardless!