South of Frissell: Connecticut's Highest Point, plus the CT/MA/NY Tripoint

In county highpointing, there are several counties where the high point is not a summit, but somewhere along the county line on sloping terrain. We call these "liners". Only one state high point can make such a claim and that's Connecticut. Yes, Tennessee and South Carolina have their highest points along their borders, but these are actual summits. A dozen or so others have their high points within a few miles of another state. But Connecticut is the only one with a prominence of 0 feet. Not even a summit, the official high point is the South Slope of Mount Frissell. The summit of Mount Frissell lies 150 yards inside Massachusetts. Most of the hike to the high point lies inside Massachusetts. Bear Mountain, a couple miles to the east and 50 feet lower, is the highest summit inside Connecticut itself. Connecticut's true high point is the south slope of Mount Frissell, an elevation of 2,379 feet marked by a survey spike. It's not as fancy as other states, but the view isn't something to sneeze at, either.

There are three ways to hike here, and all are surprisingly difficult for a state like Connecticut. Easiest way is from the east, and that is what I'll write about here. You could also hike from the southwest over Brace Mountain or from the northwest near Alander Mountain, but each of those is a strenuous hike starting well under 1,000 feet. The eastern trailhead is just shy of 1,900 feet and, while you need to climb over Round Mountain and Frissell itself, it's a moderate hike.

The trailhead from the east is on East St in Mount Washington, Massachusetts. A small amount of parking is located near the state line, with room for a few cars on the east side of the road just north of a boundary marker.

CT/MA boundary marker along road

Having left slightly later than I intended, I set out at 10:45 AM From there, I hiked west along the blue blazed and aptly-named "Mt. Frissell Trail". This trail generally runs along the state line, first heading northwest and ascending ever so slightly. After roughly 1/5 mile, there's a sharp turn to the south. Just after entering Connecticut for the first time, it turns west and the trail became steeper as I climbed Round Mountain, with a couple minor scrambles for good measure. Maybe 3/4 of a mile into the hike, the trail levels off at the bald summit of Round Mountain. Round Mountain, elevation 2,296 feet, is the second-highest summit inside Connecticut.

Cairn marking Round Mountain's summit

View south from Round Mountain

After taking a 20-30 minute break on a rock for water and an early lunch (it was already quite warm at 11:15 AM) while enjoying the view of the mountain I was about to climb, onward and downward I went. Steep at times, the trail descends into the col separating Round and Frissell and we eventually start to climb Frissell. Near the summit of Frissell lies a very short spur trail to the true summit, marked by a sign, cairn, and register, along with directions from here to the CT high point. Sign your name, head back to the main trail, and continue on (and DOWN) the remaining 300 yards to the high point, which is located at the right (north) side of the trail, approximately 1.5 miles into the hike.

A little anticlimactic, isn't it?

Well, there we go. That little survey spike lies on the highest piece of land along the Connecticut/Massachusetts border. There's an ammo box here containing a register. While its main claim to fame is being the only state high point that isn't a summit, this place does have a nice view, even if it is only to the south. Much better view than the highest points of several states, actually.

Two looks south from Frissell

Once you're done at the high point, you have some options. Either you can return now, or you can continue downhill to the tripoint marker (and to Brace Mountain if you're so inclined). I continued on. After a short gentle downhill section, there are some steep scrambles. Roughly 1/4 mile west of Connecticut's highest point, we reach the tripoint lying on the trail.

The CT/MA/NY tripoint marker

MA occupies the entire north half of the marker (right side if coming from the east). NY is the southwest corner, CT is the southeast corner. For some reason, Connecticut's name is not etched on the marker.

From here, many people continue on to Brace Mountain, highest point in Dutchess County, New York. Since I wanted to get to Rhode Island's high point before it closed for the day, I hightailed it back to my car and did Brace a few months later from the spectacular western approach (future post).

Saw this sign across from the trailhead on my way out

While only 3.2 miles in length, this hike took me 2-2.5 hours, including breaks. Lots of rock scrambles to slow you down, plus I took plenty of time to enjoy the view and make sure I had water. A large amount of the difficulty here stems from the amount of rock scrambles and how exposed the trail is.

Getting Here

Connecticut might be a relatively-dense state, but its high point is in a pretty remote area. The trailhead is located on East St just north of the CT/MA state line at the southern edge of Mount Washington State Forest. No services are anywhere near the trailhead There are three main ways to get here:

1. From MA Routes 23/41 to the north. This is the most direct access from points north and the Mass Pike/Interstate 90 and how I got to/from the trailhead. Roughly 2.5 miles is unpaved.
2. From NY Routes 22/344 to the northwest. This route goes past Bash Bish Falls and merges with the above route near the trailhead. Doing this, you could easily add a stop at the falls. A minimum of 2.5 miles is unpaved (as above), more will be unpaved if you cut a corner and bypass Mount Washington Center. 
3. From US Route 44 in Salisbury. A minimum-maintenance road heads northwest from Salisbury and is the only way to reach the area of the CT high point through CT itself by car (though you cannot get to the high point without entering another state). Most of this route is unpaved and it does not get a ton of use. About 6 miles is unpaved.

Resources

Mount Washington State Forest: On the MA side of the border in this area

Short Hike #2: Snowshoeing at The Clark

Looking toward Williamstown Village from the Stone Hill viewpoint

I didn't have a ton of time this afternoon, but I wanted to play in the snow a little bit while we still had some. So off to Williamstown I went, where there's a good 2 feet on the ground after Wednesday's storm. I had heard about the network of trails at the Clark Art Institute and, since I had never been there although living so close, I figured it was a good destination for the day. Parking at the uppermost parking lot, far removed from the crowds at the museum galleries, I strapped on the snowshoes and headed into the woods, figuring I could do an easy 1-2 mile stroll.

Trail map at the trailhead

Easy? Maybe not, as I was generally breaking my own trail. Immediately after crossing a bridge, I took a left onto the Pasture Trail, ascending through the woods. I passed through a gate and walked onto the meadow giving this trail its name. During the summer, this meadow is home to a local farmer's cows and horses. No trail could be seen, so I struck out across the deep snow to what appeared to be the high point marked on the trail map as a "scenic view". And scenic that view was.

The beautiful village of Williamstown. Pine Cobble is in the background. 

Looking east toward North Adams

What goes up must go down, so I went down to the north, exiting through a gate at the north end of the meadow. I walked along the fence to the broken-out Nan Path and turned left. There was a gate at this end of the meadow and I will keep that in mind for future visits.

Bridge after turning on the Nan Path

At the far side of the bridge shown above, the Howard Path branches off to the right, and the Howard Path I took. This path was unbroken and, although I could see outlines of steps along the trail, my snowshoes did not feel steps as I descended to a creek.

The Howard Path

After the creek, it was an uphill stroll through the edge of the woods back to my car. While I only hiked slightly less than a mile, it took nearly an hour between breaking a trail and admiring the views.

I definitely need to get back to the Clark at some point when I can stop inside and view the artwork, but the trails are certainly worth a visit in the warmer months, too.

Getting Here

The Clark is located on South Street approximately 0.4 mile south of the Williamstown village center. Multiple parking lots are on the property, with the southernmost being best if you are only here to walk around the property.

Resources

The Clark Campus information. Trail maps and information about the museum.

Ghosts on the Quabbin: The Abandoned Town of Dana, Massachusetts

The now-abandoned town common in Dana
(All pictures mine unless otherwise noted)

The Quabbin Reservoir, located in a rural area of eastern Franklin and Hampshire Counties and western Worcester County, supplies much of the water used in Greater Boston. When the decision was made to flood the Swift River valley and create the reservoir, the State condemned and purchased most land in the watershed above the planned dam site in order to protect the quality of the water. Much of the watershed land, with the notable exception of the large peninsula south of New Salem, is open to the public. This makes for some unique hiking opportunities.

Four towns were dissolved on April 28, 1938 due to reservoir construction. Enfield and Greenwich were mostly low-lying and are thus mostly submerged.

The destruction of Enfield Center. Town hall in center.
The town center is now underwater.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:FarewellEnfieldTownHall.png

Prescott is mostly above water, but largely inaccessible, as most of the above-water land is on the restricted peninsula south of New Salem. And then you have Dana. Unlike the others, the former town center, Dana Common, remains accessible to the public. That is, if you're willing to park at Gate 40 and walk 1.8 miles along a long-abandoned road now used only by foot traffic, bicycles, and service vehicles.

Map of the area. Parking is at Gate 40.
Dana Common is at the intersection under the "North" arrow. (Massachusetts DCR)
Source: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/public-access-maps

January 27 was an unseasonably-warm day, so I decided to do my planned hike to Dana. Gate 40, along Massachusetts Route 32A in Petersham, has parking for 6-7 cars, but it is NOT marked. Strongly recommend using a navigation app or GPS to get here. If you insist on going in without assistance, Gate 40 is a driveway leading to the small parking lot.

The parking lot. MA Route 32A is in the background.

Don't block the gate, as it is the emergency vehicle access point for the trail and you will get towed.

The gate, kiosk in background. Sign says what is prohibited. 

Leave Fido at home. Dogs are not allowed on watershed land.

A short distance past the gate is a kiosk, providing a wealth of historical information and a map of the area.

History, map, and regulations kiosk at trailhead

The Town of Dana was settled in 1763 and incorporated in 1801. Due to water power and rail access, it became a manufacturing center, eventually becoming the first town in the Swift River Valley to have electricity and the only town in the valley to have a motorized fire truck. The town common was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.

Asphalt is in acceptable condition and the road is relatively clear

Uh, oh, looks like ice ahead

The "trail" is the old road to Dana, still with its asphalt that likely predates the 1930s. It appears to be plowed in the winter and, while I had poles, I only used them for assistance on ice.

Yup, a thick sheet of ice across the entire road for about 200 feet

It generally looks and feels like a rural road in this part of the country, minus the vehicle traffic. There's a small hut of some sort past the icy patch.

The trail was pretty lonely, and I only passed one walker and one bicyclist before I started returning to the car. About a mile in, we start seeing real signs of former residents. Cleared fields appear, along with our first house foundation on the right.

A former orchard?

Foundation of an old farmhouse?

Cleared field

Old wall

Another old wall

On the right (north) side of the road, there appears to be an old alignment of this road. It too appears to have been paved at one point, at least partially.

The old, old road

Just past the old road, evidence of habitation increases significantly, with more foundations. Around a bend is the former town center.

Another field

And just like that, we're at the town.

Text: "To all those who sacrificed their homes and way of life,
erected by Dana Reunion 1996" 

An old sidewalk on the north side of the road leads away from the common to the former town hall.

The former Dana Town Hall

Same view as above

The foundation of town hall

Another foundation is to the left of the town hall. Given the old fence nearby, I would not be shocked if this was a church.

The town common itself looks very similar to how it did when Dana was a town, minus the cannon.

Old image of Dana Common 

Cannon was in the center of those trees

Walking along the north side of the common, there are some road signs. Abandoned roads, but new signs to help people navigate.

Road to the west 

Common from the west corner

Greenwich-Dana Rd is the road you hike in on

The road continues south to Gate 43

Some ruins along the southeast side of the common

Current site of the Johnson House

There's a small road leading southeast from the common. Some more stuff is down that road. 

Such as this cool wall. Stones are much smaller than usually seen in stone walls.

Leftover junk on top of the wall

The Cooley House, before and after 

Back to the main road, there are some leftover sidewalks and more foundations.

Guess it's time to head back to the car.

But one last look at the common

And I chose the right time to return, as I passed 6 groups on the 35 minute walk back to the car.

Didn't notice the old wire fence on the SE side of the road when hiking out

Near the shack

Overall, I spent about 1:45 walking to/from and exploring the ruins, but I'm accustomed to walking on rough terrain. Even though the walk was flat, it was definitely a unique experience and a place you should visit.

Red Tape

Being as this is a public water supply, there is some red tape associated with this hike.

• Parking is extremely limited. Not many places to park on the road nearby, either. If you show up at a busy time, good luck finding parking. You may be able to park at Gate 43 on Greenwich Rd, but it is a much longer walk and a bicycle may be useful.
• Dogs are explicitly prohibited, as mentioned above. This is almost certainly to protect water quality. I did see one person with a dog when I was there, but I expect that the area is patrolled during nicer weather.
• There are supposedly portable toilet facilities during the main season, but there definitely were NOT when I was here. Nearest reliable public restrooms are in Ware, Barre, and Athol.

Getting Here

While not particularly far from either Worcester or Springfield, this is a relatively remote area that gets little traffic. Cell service is limited and I did not have reception at any point during the hike. Do NOT rely on being able to find the location online if you are near the trailhead.