Hiwassee Hiking Club
Athens, TN

New England Hike
Saturday, October 11, 2008

Saturday, October 11, 2008 was a perfect 70 degree day for a hike in Skinner State Park, Hadley, MA. Ron and I met three members of the Pioneer Valley Hiking Club for a 9-10 mile hike along parts of the Metacomet-Monadnock, Black Rock, and Lithia Springs trails. Our leader Richard Harris, (yes we know two!) led us up the steep trail, with hardly no switch backs, to the Summit House. The trail continued along a series of ups and downs known as the Seven Sisters. We were impressed with the forethought of park service personnel who have placed along the trail location markers used by emergency responders in order to locate hikers in need of assistance.

We enjoyed lunch along the Lithia Springs Reservoir and caught a beautiful view from a vista point overlooking the reservoir. Foliage was at three-quarter peak and the day offered one of the clearest views across the Pioneer Valley. The views take in communities that include Granby, South Hadley, Hadley, Northampton, Holyoke, Southampton, Easthampton and the Connecticut River. There are distant views of the Berkshire Mountains, Connecticut and New Hampshire.

We began our hike at 7:30 a.m. finishing at 1.45 p.m. Of course we had to enjoy ice cream and apple crisp at the nearby Barstow Farm. It was so wonderfully delicious! Esther and Ron Nunley.

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