2015 Long Trail in the Southern Green Mountains, Vermont
Our backpacking trip on the Southern Green Mountains on the Long Trail and Appalachian Trail in Vermont was one of the most physically challenging trips we've done. We hiked from Lye Brook Falls on over Stratton and Glastonbury Mountains, among other destinations along the way.
We camped along the way, treating water to drink from ice cold streams and springs. I remember carrying that heavy pack and losing a few pounds over the two weeks we were out on the trail!
Following are a few photos of our adventures!
2014 Mount Greylock State Reservation, Lanesboro, MA
We spent about a week camping along Sperry Road, and hiking around Mount Greylock in 2014. What I remember about that trip is how steep every darned hike we took was. Funnily enough, I cannot find many photos that document some of the steep slogs we took, such as through the Hopper. One look at all the contour likes on this close-up of the Greylock trail map will give you an idea of the terrain!
We occasionally talk about returning to Greylock, but we haven't gotten back there again. The word is there is some excellent spring ephemeral flower viewing along Money Brook. Maybe someday.
I apparently did not take notes on our Greylock trip, but here are a couple of sketches from my sketch book.
2012 Kenneth Dubuque Memorial State Forest, Plainfield, MA
One of our earliest explorations together was at Kenneth Dubuque, where we camped and hiked for a few days. Our time spent there was just several months after the devestating Tropical Storm Irene, which flooded and scoured parts of the State Forest - along with much of Western Mass and Southern Vermont.
The impacts of Irene could be seen at the State Forest, where dirt roads were scoured or washed away altogether, laying bare many stones and boulders, including the rare Crowsfoot Schist of the Hawley formation. We enjoyed exploring the schist rocks along the scoured roads and streambeds, along with wildflowers and mosses and other beauty in the forest.
Boy, we were young ten years ago! And Merle, our dog, was still with us.
Apparently I took no notes on this trip, but I did capture quite a bit of the plants we saw while exploring Kenneth Dubuque.
Here are a few pages from my sketchbook, along with a list of plants we identified while at the State Forest.
2012 Beartown and Mount Washington State Forests, Berkshires, MA
When we remember this camping trip in the Berkshires, we remember rain. Lots of rain. We had planned to camp in several locations, but with all the rain, we pitched a tent at Beartown State Forest and ended camping there most of the week. Neither of us had any desire to pack up and move a soggy tent.
Other memories of this trip include hiking in Mount Washington State Forests, and the striking vegetation. Scrub pine and oaks stunted by elevation grew low over ground covers of low bush blueberry and bearberry.
Though there was much rain, we managed to take many hikes, reveling in the foliage colors and abundance of mushrooms. This is a place we haven't yet revisited, but hope to sometime in the future.
Oak leaves, witchhazel, mushrooms and other foliage are painted with autumn golds and russets.
Scrub pines and oak grow low on the high elevation of Mount Washington, while berries peek out from under bearberry plants.
Breaks in the rain allowed time for hiking atop Mount Washington in the Berkshires.
Fall blooming flowers included asters and late blooming witchhazel
Life is good!
