From the trailheat at Connecticut’s Mount Frissell, we headed back north to Williamstown, Massachusetts, for the next stop in this 2021 Summer Series of State Highpoints: Mount Greylock
The plan was simple once we arrived in this quaint New England college town: buy some flip-flops, grab dinner, dry our shoes with a hairdryer, and scope out the starting point for this state’s tallest landmark.
Appalachian Trail
There are several trails to the top of Massachusetts. However, one route interested me more than any of the others. I will always choose to hike the Appalachian Trail (AT) when it’s an option.
Our hike began at the AT crossing on Pattison Road, near Mount Williams Reservoir, with a 5.6-mile hike to the summit from there.
White blazes marked the way along this trail…
…and conditions were wet and sloppy again, though not nearly as bad as on Mount Frissell.
About 3 miles into the hike, we took a short break on Mount Williams. Unfortunately, this hilltop is surrounded by trees and offers little by way of views despite more than 2,200 feet of elevation gain.
The remaining 2.5 miles to the summit are relatively flat.
Summit Monument
Paul was happy to have reached the top as overcast skies initially greeted us at the summit.
My GPS showed that we had covered 5.8 miles with almost 3,330 feet of elevation. Not bad for 3h 36m.
Luckily for us, the clouds started to lift and the town of Adams came into view down below.
Then we noticed people exiting a door at the base of the monument. Naturally, we decided to have a look. A circular staircase led to the top of the monument.
That certainly made this state’s highpoint much more interesting than it would have been otherwise.
Bascom Lodge
I thought the view of Bascom Lodge from the top of the Veterans War Memorial Tower was pretty cool.
This lodge sits just off the Appalachian Trail near the summit of Mount Greylock. It is the highest-elevation lodge in Massachusetts and has been serving visitors since the 1930s. Through-hikers and section hikers alike often stop here for meals, water, restrooms, and overnight lodging when available.
Mount Greylock also holds a place in AT history because it was one of New England’s significant mountain destinations before the Appalachian Trail was completed. Benton MacKaye’s original vision for the AT included places where hikers could find shelter and services. Although Bascom Lodge wasn’t built specifically for the trail, it reflects that vision.
Back the Way We Came
We headed back the way we came, now northbound on the Appalachian Trail.
I would love to hike the AT from beginning to end. In fact, that would be the perfect way to finish my 50-state highpoint project, with a grand finale on the summit of Katahdin!
As we continued down, the clouds had cleared enough to give us a nice view of Williamstown from Mount Prospect.
Total distance for the day was 12 miles. Since the elevation gain recorded by my GPS included our climb to the top of the tower, I’d estimate we hiked close to 3,500 feet today.
Next, we drove back to New York to spend a few days with family before hitting Mount Marcy.
