Mt. Frissell & Tri-State Marker

Where: Mt. Frissell
When: 9 June 2020
With: Solo

I'd intended to climb Cannon Mt. in NH yesterday, but my heart (and head) weren't into it so I spent the day gardening. Today dawned and I felt like a hike. This destination had been on my list for some time, and it seemed like a good Plan B. I was out the door around 7:15, made a stop for gas, then headed west. There was a lot of road work on the Pike, but traffic was fairly light and I wasn't slowed that much. 

My GPS guided me through South Lee, Stockbridge, Great Barrington, and Egremont, and finally into Mount Washington, where the road turned to dirt. Actually, it turned to gravel, as the road was being re-graded. I was a bit concerned, but my car handled the surface just fine. I passed a couple of construction vehicles working on the road, and finally arrived at the parking area just before the MA-CT border. There were two dirt areas, one on each side of the road. I parked at the one on the west side, where a sign gave distances to points along the trail. I put on my boots, grabbed my daypack, and was on my way.

The trail was flat and smooth at first, passing mountain laurel (in bloom) and going through a small hemlock grove before arriving at the base of the first climb. It was steep and rocky, but not too bad, and 20 minutes later I was at a small side trail, which I followed to a view looking out over the valley. I snapped a picture and texted it to Jane before heading back to the main trail. A few more minutes of climbing and I was at the summit of Round Mountain.

I only stayed a few moments, and quickly began my descent to the col between Round Mt. and Mt. Frissell. I took a few moments in the col to explore a side trail that led (as I suspected) to a small campsite, with a stone fire ring, then I began the climb up Mt. Frissell. Again, steep and rocky, and longer than the climb up Round Mt. 

Generally steady going, though I did have one surprise. I encountered a log across the path, and as I pondered whether to go over or around it, I heard a noise. It took me a moment to identify the source...a rattlesnake, right in the path! I backed away, and it continued to shake its rattles while I looked for a route to get past. Eventually we both calmed down, and it moved off into the woods away from the trail. I got a good look at it...at least 4 feet long with an impressive girth.

I made a note of the spot for the return trip, and continued my ascent. Just 10 minutes later I was at the summit of Mt. Frissell (2,454 feet). I signed the summit register, took some pictures, then aimed my boots at the next stop...Connecticut's high point. Just 200 yards away on a slight downhill route, so I was there quickly. For those who don't know, Connecticut's tallest peak and its high point are two different places. The highest point in the state of Connecticut is on the side of Massachusetts' Mt. Frissell.

One more destination to hit, the granite tri-state marker where MA, NY, and CT meet. That was another short walk (9 minutes) away. Oddly, the marker only has MA & NY carved into it, along with a date (1898). No CT. No matter. It's there, I found it, and I have the pictures to prove it!

At this point I could have just headed home, but I decided to continue along the Mt. Frissell trail to the South Taconic Trail. I had last been there half a lifetime ago...literally. I was 31 when I was there last, camping with friends the weekend of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. The 31st anniversary of that event was just last week. It seemed right to make a return visit to the trail.

The path made a steep descent for a bit, but nothing too drastic (not as if I was losing all of my elevation). In a small col, the Ashley Hill Trail crossed. A sign pointed in only one direction, but the trail obviously continued the other way as well. Worth some research to see where it might go.

I reached the South Taconic Trail just a few minutes later. Wide open ledges with expansive views west & south. I noted a valley I recalled from my previous visit, with farms filling the area between a low ridge and the Taconics. Seemed idyllic, but it's got a shady past. It's known as Boston Corner, and was once part of MA. However, the mountains between it and the rest of the state made law enforcement difficult, and it became a place for lawless activities (like bare knuckle fighting). MA eventually gave it to NY.

I took more pictures, and consulted my maps to see where I might go next. I considered heading north to where a connector ran down to the Ashley Hill Trail. I could make a loop before getting back on the Mt. Frissell trail, but it seemed like a longer detour than I was interested in doing. Another option was to go south and summit Mt. Brace. One sign said it was 0.4 miles away, and a description I'd read said it was about a 20 minute walk.

In the end, I decided to just turn around and head back the way I'd come. The return trip was uneventful, though I did meet three other hikers heading in the opposite direction. All young men. Two travelling as a pair and one solo. We exchanged brief pleasantries before parting ways.

An hour after beginning my return trip, I was back at my car. I'd heard the road equipment from the trail and walked over to see how things stood. There was now a high mound of dirt and gravel in the middle of the road. Too high for my Honda Accord sedan. So I pushed enough to the side to make an opening for my car (I hoped) and prepared for the journey home. 

My efforts helped somewhat, but I still heard a lot of scraping on the underside of my car as I made my way over to the graded side of the road. Once on the road it was smooth sailing, until I caught up with the bulldozer doing the grading. There was no way to pass him on the left (he was actively creating the high mound on the center of the road), and nothing but woods and ditches on the right, so I just accepted my fate and rolled along slowly behind him, listening to my tunes. A few times I stopped in a shady spot and allowed him to get a good ways ahead before catching up with him again.

Eventually, he reached the end of his work area and pulled into a side road, and I was able to pass. At that point it was just a matter of retracing my route back home.

It was a series of 2.5 hour events: 2.5 hours drive to the trailhead, 2.5 hours hiking, 2.5 hours drive home.

Note: Posted trail distances were...interesting. At the parking area, the sign said the South Taconic Trail was 1.8 miles away. At the South Taconic Trail, the sign said it was 2.2 miles to the parking area. Two guidebooks (AMC MA/RI Trail Guide and Guide to the Taconic Trail System) both list it as 2.2 miles long, so I'll go with that. Total hike length: 4.4 miles.

Distances at the Mt/ Frissell/South Taconic Trail junction for Mt. Brace were also conflicting. One sign said it was 0.4 miles, and another posted it as 1.6 miles. The Guide to the Taconic Trail System confirms the 0.4 mile distance.

More pictures