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 college town: buy some cheap flip-flops while our shoes dried out, grab dinner, 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. The summit would be 5.6 miles from here.
We found conditions wet and sloppy again, though not nearly as bad as on Mount Frissell.
Mount Williams was a good place to take a short break 3 miles into the hike. Surrounded by trees, this hilltop offered little in the way of views after gaining more than 2,200 feet of elevation.
The remaining 2.5 miles to the summit are relatively flat.
Summit Monument
Overcast skies greeted us at the summit, and my brother-in-law was happy to have reached the top.
I was happy to see the clouds starting to lift not long after. The town of Adams came into view below us.
While taking the usual summit selfies, 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 the monument more interesting than it would have been otherwise.
Bascom Lodge
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.
I will someday hike the AT from beginning to end. In fact, I’d love to end my 50-state highpoint quest with a Katahdin summit in Maine.
As we continued down, the clouds had cleared enough to give us a nice view of Williamstown from the Mount Prospect viewpoint.
Total distance for the day was 12 miles. My GPS-recorded elevation gain is a bit inflated because it includes the climb to the top of the tower. I’d estimate the actual hiking gain at around 3,500 feet.
Now we would drive back to New York to spend a few days with family before hitting Mount Marcy.
