NEK and Moose Alley NH

[ctyanky]

I agree with KC. This is a great idea and you should see nice color. Are you coming down route 7 into Pownal? The drive south on 7 into Williamstown is amazing. (Williams College Campus is gorgeous!!!!) The color should be wonderful at that time. Keep south on 7 and you'll hit route 2 east into North Adams. I must add, if you have time, an absolute must is driving to the top of Mt. Greylock State Reservation! The 360 views up top are unreal! If this route is too far west for you, take 100 south out of Wilmington and pick up route 112 through Colrain to route 2. The drive is through farms and rolling hills and you will love it! I take 112 many times into Vermont and it is so lovely and peaceful with few cars on the roads. Lots of farm stands! Ahhhhhhh, so much to do and so little time! Isn't that the way it goes? The Bridge of Flowers in Shelbourne Falls is totally worth it! Another must stop! You won't believe what the group has done with that bridge. Give yourself an hour on the bridge! I also remember a cascading waterfall over the granite rocks just to the left of the bridge. Lots of places to eat there too.

[wentworth]

We saw a huge Moose on Route 114 in the NEK back in late September 2003--He was right by the road

[triz]

Hi CTYanky, wow, so many great suggestions!
We will either take 7, down to Williamston (as you suggested) or 91 and then 9 down to North Adams. The difference is probably less than half and hour.
What is more scenic? Probably the former?

[ctyanky]

Triz: Yes, the former for sure. When you leave Williamstown and head south on 7 keep your eyes on the rear view mirror for spectacular views of the mountains behind you and then find a place to stop. Fields on either side and great pull offs. If you would rather eat in Williamstown, there are a lot of choices as it is a college town. Nice shops but the best is yet to come on the Mohawk Trail and Mt. Greylock. There is a restaurant at the top of Greylock with great views while you eat lunch. I think this is the best choice all the way around. Can you add the Apple Barn to your list of stops if you choose route 7? You will thank me! Check out my post on Bennington for the details! Also, on route 7 out of Bennington in Pownal is a huge pumpkin patch on the right with the pumpkins shaped into the word VERMONT. A hillside of pumpkins and gourds for a great photo op!

There are awesome back roads around route 2 along the Mohawk Trail but I won't confuse you further with the drive through the beautiful Savoy Forest!

[triz]

There has been a little change to our plans.
Because of my wife's work, we have to make a shorter trip (Friday-Sunday instead of Friday-Tuesday). Therefore we can't make it from Philly to New Hampshire (too far!!), and we decided to spend our weekend in the Pownal/Bennington/Berkshire area.
It will still be the same weekend (Oct 12-Oct14).

My idea is to spend a day in the Pownal/Mount Greylock area, and one day in Mowhawk trail and surrounding areas.

A couple of questions: we like hiking, are there recommended hiking trails on the Mount Greylock?

Any suggestions on what to see the next day around Mowhawk trail? We will definitely check the Flowers Bridge.

Our lodge is in Bennington.

Thanks!!

[ctyanky]

Triz: I will send you a link to the hiking trails for Mt. Greylock. You will love it there! I've been a couple of times and the 360 views at the summit are to rival any of the mountains in Vermont. I will post the link for you tomorrow. You will also enjoy the Mohawk Trail. Drive around the Savoy Forest road. So beautiful! I'm staying in N. Benn this weekend and will also give you some nice roads to drive around before you head south on 7. Stay tuned! I have to dig out my link for Mt. Greylock! Great choice on the flower bridge! North Adams is quite an interesting town. There is an art museum there (name escapes me) and folks just rave about it! CT

[ctyanky]

Triz, as promised and sorry for the delay! I extrapolated the paragraph from a link on boston.com and in order to give them credit I also included their web link to the amazing hikes to be found in the Berkshires! See trail map at bottom for Greylock! It will not disappoint! I've been to Mt. Washington and we are hiking Bartholomew's Cobble in October! BTW, there is a restaurant at the summit. Wait till you see the views and the monument at the top.

https://www.boston.com/culture/travel/2 ... king-boots

Rock star of the Berkshires

The highest point in Massachusetts, 3,491-foot Mount Greylock, is the ultimate Berkshires hike, with summit views that span four states and 90 miles. (There’s an auto road to the summit as well, open seasonally.) This 12,500-acre state reservation offers 70 miles of trails ranging from easy to aggressive. For fit, experienced hikers looking for adventure, reaching the summit via the Appalachian Trail is an invigorating way to go. The trail travels the spine of the mountain, to the 92-foot-high Veterans War Memorial Tower at its peak.

Park at the trailhead at Outlook Avenue in Cheshire (look for the triangular AT signs.) The 6.8 miles to the top — nearly 14 miles round-trip — will take you at least seven hours, so start early, bring lots of water, and make sure you’re physically up for this. (If not, see auto road, above.) As for foliage: You’ll be in the thick of it, hiking through forests of oak and maple, along with thickets of birch, hemlock, and centuries-old spruce. Note that the weather changes as you ascend, so you’ll want to layer your clothing and bring gloves, a warm hat, and waterproof jacket to stay comfortable on your trek. Of course, the views from the summit on a clear day are beyond gorgeous, taking in the peaks of Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and New York in a kaleidoscope of color. On a cloudy day, you’ll see . . . not so much. But, hey, you made it!

To download a trail map, see http://www.mass.gov.

For more information: http://www.berkshires.org.

[triz]

Thanks this helps a lot!!

[triz]

Any recommendation on the Molly Stark Trail (Bennington to Wilmington on route 9) in the Green mountains? I will be in the area on Oct 13. Is it a nice route?
Any other suggested location in the area for that period?
The way that things are progressing, do you think it could be too early too see color in that weekend? Last year I was in the green mountains in the same weekend and was all either green or brown.
As mentioned the following day will be Mount Graylock + Mohawk trail in the Berkshire, which I am pretty excited about.

[ctyanky]

Triz! According to Charles who lives there, the "highlands" (Woodford, higher elevations on 9, Hogback) normally come to peak around the same time as northern VT if not slightly after, so I will not take the liberty to second guess him. However, southern VT in general, should show excellent color at that time. Try to end up in the Newfane, Townshend, Grafton and Chester backroads. Keep in mind, this season is not last year so you may be in for a treat. You are going to love Mt. Greylock and the Mohawk Trail. Drive down to Savoy Forest off of the Mohawk Trail, a nice diversion drive.

Please let me know if you have any other questions on Southern VT or Mohawk. CT

[triz]

Thanks VT, I will check those places then, and still drive across the highlands to get there from Bennington anyway!

[ctyanky]

Triz: I'm going home through route 7 all the way to the Mohawk Trail and down 112 through Colrain after Columbus Day Weekend so you will know for sure what the foliage is like before you come that way. CT