Mt. Greylock: 4/16/12

[RTSpoons]

What a beautiful day to be out, sometimes I think global warming is a good thing.

Met my hiking partner again for another walk up some over grown hill. I have only been up Mt. Greylock a few times over the years and each time it was up the AT trail to the top. So today my partner, who has hiked Greylock numerous times took me up a different path. His choice, the Stony Ledge trail, and what a nice trail. From the Roaring Brook Rd. parking area you first walk along Roaring Brook than through an area which must have been farmed a couple of hundred years ago. Once through this area it is a steady climb to Stony Ledge and what a great overlook. After a nice break we continued through Sperry Rd. campground to the Hopper trail. Again a steady climb through mixed forest to a nice pond, where the dog took a swim to cool off. The views from the summit are very good and the warmth of the sun was just grand.

For the return we used a short road walk back to the Hopper trail to the campground and than Roaring Brook trail back to the car.

Great hiking area so close to home. For our next trip it is the Thunderbolt trail and maybe that slide close by.

[masshysteria]

Originally Posted by RTSpoons

For our next trip it is the Thunderbolt trail and maybe that slide close by.

Stony Ledge is a neat spot! Was anybody camping at the Sperry campground? That seems to get very little activity since they closed the road going through there.

[Jay H]

The last time I was on the T-bolt trail, it was fairly overgrown and the "trail" had a nice gully running through the middle of it due to Irene/Lee so prepared for loose rock and tall grasses.

I do love the Roaring brook trailhead! Good choice!

Jay

[RTSpoons]

Originally Posted by masshysteria

: Was anybody camping at the Sperry campground? That seems to get very little activity since they closed the road going through there.

The campground was not open....at the top we talked with a guy opening the resturant, the road is not open.

Jay: Hopefully the T-bolt is not to overgrown....let you know when we do it.

[Jay H]

It's only sort of overgrown above the big intersection you go through as you'll cross a trail that goes towards the Bellows Pipe Trail leanto. Eventually you'll get to a section called "the bumps" and starts to get more grassy... If you have the latest free DCR map, I think they even removed the upper portion of the T-bolt trail on their maps for some reason... but it's easy enough to follow...

Jay

[masshysteria]

Originally Posted by Jay H

It's only sort of overgrown above the big intersection you go through as you'll cross a trail that goes towards the Bellows Pipe Trail leanto. Eventually you'll get to a section called "the bumps" and starts to get more grassy... If you have the latest free DCR map, I think they even removed the upper portion of the T-bolt trail on their maps for some reason... but it's easy enough to follow...

Jay

Not sure why that isnt shown in the summer map. maybe its not 'maintained' in the summer?

FYI, if you decide to do the slide from the Thunderbolt, I would suggest this as the easiest approach;
http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/trails/mgry2.pdf

Where the Thunderbolt leaves the Greylock Glen property and enters the Reservation property, there is a sharp hairpin turn and the trail ascends to the northwest. Follow the trail until a north-south cliff band intersects the trail. Get on top of that cliff, and head roughly southwest gaining elevation, but not steeply. Its not far, maybe a quarter mile, and I find that to be the easiest approach.

There is a large fold out Mylar map that has far greater detail than any other map out there. Hundreds of trails, geologic features, plane crash sites, among other things. I know its for sale at the EMS in the Berkshire Mall, as well as the Bascom Lodge on the summit; it's a great map!
http://www.campingsurvival.com/amcmapmogr.html

[sureño]

How was the Ixodes scapularis situation? I was out in the woods in Beartown State Forest for all of two hours and I saw four crawling up my the outside of my trousers. (I tuck them into and blouse them over my boots for a reason.)

[RTSpoons]

Originally Posted by sureño

How was the Ixodes scapularis situation?

What the hell type of bug is that!!!! I hope they did not get me or the dog.

The bugs were out but lightly.

[sureño]

Originally Posted by RTSpoons

What the hell type of bug is that!!!!

The type that carries the bacteria that leads to Lyme disease.

[RTSpoons]

Had to look the word up....I did not see any of me or the dog.

[sureño]

Originally Posted by RTSpoons

Had to look the word up....I did not see any of me or the dog.

A pair of these would be well worth your while if you don’t go the high boot route like I do. If anyone tells you you look like a spaz tell them they look like they have Lyme disease.

[Jay H]

Originally Posted by RTSpoons

What the hell type of bug is that!!!!

[RTSpoons]

[QUOTE=sureño;189393]A pair of these would be well worth your while if you don’t go the high boot route like I do. (/QUOTE]

Nice looking gaiters....I have a pair of acorns...cloth gaiters which come to just above high top boots. I might look into this product.

[sureño]

Originally Posted by RTSpoons

Nice looking gaiters....I have a pair of acorns...cloth gaiters which come to just above high top boots. I might look into this product.

I had never heard of such a thing as gaiters before moving to the Northeast a couple of years ago. I have since been working my way towards true connoisseurship.

[masshysteria]

Originally Posted by sureño

I had never heard of such a thing as gaiters before moving to the Northeast a couple of years ago. I have since been working my way towards true connoisseurship.

Now those I would call 'spats'; kinda dressy......

[sureño]

Originally Posted by masshysteria

Now those I would call 'spats'; kinda dressy......

They’re USMC-issued, donated to the museum by a veteran of Iwo Jima. (I think the Marines called them “leggin[g]s.”) They do look pretty smooth but they apparently weren’t very comfortable. I know a fellow who wore during the Korean War and he claims that his leggings rubbed the hair off his lower legs and that it has still not returned.