[at-l] PG excerpts, section VII - NY/CT to MA/VT

[RockDancer]

VII NY/CT Line to MA/VT Line

 

1. Major AT enhancing reroutes have been made in CT over the past several
years and all the dust has yet to settle. In 89 the CT AMC had a green
brochure with all the new camping sites, including some not mentioned in the
89 DB.

 

2. Kent, the only hotel is the Fife and Drum $95/double; hikers who stay
here often get into groups of 4 or 5 so can afford it. No cheap place to
stay in this upscale town, but good places to eat. Interesting "Beware of
Dog" sign on right as go out of town before bridge: tally marks below it!

 

4. Silver Hill Shelter: one of the nicest, if not THE nicest, shelters on
the AT in 89! Fully enclosed cabin with couch, plenty of magazines, inside
fireplace, loft for sleeping, piped spring to a faucet, outside cooking, and
dishwashing area, porch, chair swing. No fee in 89. (There are very few
remains at this location in 2011. -rd)

 

5. Cornwall Bridge - Baird's General Store: Mr Worcester of 89 explains "The
store is friendly to hikers, but owners have that reserved New England
attitude so they seem unfriendly." Nora's Nursery, formerly Breadloaf Mtn
Country Garden, has baked goods (brownies recommended), etc., tables
outside, bench inside. Ask Nora Hulton about the tunnel under the building
which was once part of the Underground RR.

 

6. At junction of US 7 and 112: Mobil gas station - conflicting reports as
to hiker reception here. Recommend you bypass this place in favor of the
Village Coffee Shop. (This was an unfriendly place in 97. -rd)

 

11. Bad forest fire in 88 south of Bear Mountain, reputedly started by
hikers. The "Tower" on Bear Mtn is a stone structure although it looks like
a pile of rocks.

 

12. Caretaker now at Sages Ravine, $2.50 to camp in 89.

 

13. From here into New Hampshire porcupines are prevalent and have a taste
for salt, so hang your boots and packs where porkies can't climb. If you are
hiking with a dog, keep it from tangling with porkies or the results will be
pitiful. Yes, porkies really do chatter their teeth at night as they lumber
around. (The warnings about porcupines seemed excessive to me in 97 and they
are hardly numerous on the MA and VT sections I've hiked; even bushwhacking
remote peaks yields very few sightings. -rd)

 

18. Great Barrington - Shea's Pine Tree Inn where friendly Joe & Barbara let
hikers sleep in pavilion out back even on Tue when the inn is closed. Cold
running water tap outside behind the restaurant. Toilet in pavilion. Bugs
can be bad so set up on the lawn.

 

19. Barrington Ice Gulch is spectacular. At south end of gulch is Tom
Leonard Shelter. Tom "Long Ways" Leonard was an 85 Thru Hiker, contributed
information to the PG and worked as a MA ridgerunner on the AT. He died in
1986. The 87 PG was dedicated to him. (The Old Fhart wrote on Whiteblaze
that this shelter "apparently replaced the Forgotten Bridge Lean-To". -rd)

 

25. October Mtn Shelter: Decrepit might overstate the condition but
certainly needs some sprucing up. Is sleepable. Local club plans to build a
replacement in 90. Water from swamp.

 

27. Pittsfield Road: Marilyn Willey has water and cookies when she's home.
Signs posted in 88 & 89.

 

28. Dalton: Good meals at Ozzie's on Main Street. Hikers no longer welcome
at the Community Center because of drunken-hiker incident in 1985. 

 

29. Cheshire: Father Tom hosts hikers at St. Mary's Church of the
Assumption. Fr. Tom prefers playing host to playing policeman. If rules are
broken, then this hostel will soon be closed to hikers. That would be
unfortunate since hundreds of hikers stopped there in 89. (I met Fr. Tom in
99, he was a long-distance hiker perhaps a Thru Hiker. Since closed. -rd)

 

30. Mt. Greylock, Bascom Lodge: Friendly atmosphere, beautiful place, known
as "The Zone", one of the best stops.

 

31. Williamstown: The Mountain Goat backpack shop may allow hikers to camp
in backyard on Green River.

 

 

Arthur D. Gaudet

RockDancer on the Appalachian Trail

Rockdancer97 at comcast.net

 

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