Highpoint: Mt. Greylock
State: Massachusetts
Height: 3491 ft
Highpoint #: 3
Date: 5/4/2002
Trails: Gould Trail to Cheshire Harbor Trail to Appalachian Trail
Distance: About 7.5 miles roundtrip.
Vertical Gain: 1500 ft
Time Taken: 4.75 hrs
Weather: Clear skies, high 50s
Group: JO & BC

Comments: Once again, we totally lucked out and were treated to amazing weather and great views. This mountain was very wet and muddy, with lots of standing water for insects to play in. Mental note: bring bug repellant from now on. The main trail on the eastern side of the mountain is the Cheshire Harbor Trail.  There is also a lesser-used, steeper trail called the Gould Trail that more or less parallels the Cheshire Harbor Trail.  We began up the Gould Trail, which became very wet and muddy.  In an attempt to get off the wet trail we were on, about halfway up we decided to take a side trail over to the Cheshire Harbor Trail. This trail was pretty cool, but involved descending into a gorge, crossing a wide brook and ascending the other side, which was very steep and slippery with no rocks to speak of to keep the soil in place. When we were almost to the top of the other side, we came across a tree that diabolically had fallen right in the middle of the trail. It offered no easy way around, and we ended up picking a treacherous route around the nasty thing. Eventually though we neared the summit and crossed the mountain road that you can use to drive to the summit. It was a little colder near the top, and there were even patches of snow here and there. It was quite picturesque.  At this point the trail started to become a lot more enjoyable mostly walking on planks over swampy areas. Eventually we reached the summit area, and were able to enjoy awesome views. A large tower had been erected at the summit, but it was closed this early in the season. We sat around and ate our lunch while looking out over Adams, MA and North Adams, MA nearby. Then we packed up and headed back down through mosquito territory.

 

A view of Greylock from the trailhead.  The trail follows the left ridge.

BC crossing the stream about halfway up the mountain.  It was quite treacherous and wet and we are lucky we didn’t go for a quick ride down the mountain.

The majority of the Cheshire Harbor trail was nice and well-groomed.  This was taken near the top where the trail meets the road to the summit.

Man, I love this picture.  This is very near the top of Greylock, and it sums up the Berkshires perfectly.

BC posing with the eagle at the summit.

JO on the summit.

One last view of Adams, MA before we headed back down the mountain.  The trailhead is barely visible, about a half inch above and slightly to the left of the head of the person sitting on the right.