This 90.2-mile section of the NOBO LASH covers all of the “AT” in Massachusetts, which spans between the CT/MA border just south of Sages Ravine and the MA/VT border which is the southern end of the Vermont Long Trail.
Number of days to complete this section of the AT: 10
Weather conditions: Absolutely no conmplaints! There was a mix of sun, clouds, wind, with mostly seasonable temps, and NO rain
Number of Shelters/Cabins: 10
Number of Shelters visited: 8 (due to location of 2 shelters being a considerable distance off trail)
Number of people encountered on the trail: Again, too many to count. The number of day hikers, section hikers, and thru-hikers has noticeably increased since hiking the “AT” in Connecticut.
The “AT” in Massachusetts offers some very nice vistas from mountain tops, rocky outcrops, and ledges – Mount Everett, Tyringham Cobble, The Ledges, Cheshire Cobble, Mt. Race Ledges, Warner Hill, Mount Greylock, just to name a few. As with Connecticut, there were many beautiful woodlands, meadows, brooks, ponds, and streams along the “AT” in Massachusetts. Imagine walking along the “AT”, deep in the ‘green tunnel’, and hear only the melodious song of a Wood Thrush while silently sauntering through the woods….
Passing through Sages Ravine in the early morning is an experience not to be forgotten. There are so many cascades to be seen along the “AT” in this section that one could spend hours enjoying the serenity of the water flow and the lush greenery deep in the ravine.
There was a bear sighting near the Jug End Trail Head. It took little effort to scare it off, which indicates this particular (and very large) bear was not habituated to being around humans.
The highest peak on the AT in Massachusetts is Mount Greylock, at 3,491 feet. At the top of Mount Greylock is Bascom Lodge, which provides lodging and meals. A one night stay at Bascom was quite a relaxing treat. Monica and Peter did a wonderful job making guests feel welcome to dine and lodge at Bascom.
To get the full flavor of the “AT” in Massachusetts, please visit the Massachusetts Gallery!