[Mewalkinwoods]

Slideshow
http://s928.photobuc...mview=slideshow

We entered the woods about 11am. It was in the low thirty’s with the smell of winter in the air. Since this was Pete’s “back yard”, he led the hike. We had no real trip plan for the day, except possibility of checking out a gorge, and bushwhack for the day in the beautiful rolling hills of the Berkshires.

During the winter of 2008-2009 there was a huge ice storm. You can picture all of the ice covered trees bent over. What a mess. Everywhere you look was a fallen tree.

We decided to get off the old road we were traveling on, and follow the stream towards the gorge. At that point it started to snow shower. This was the first sight of snow for me in 2009. It kept up for most of the day.

About a half hour later we found a massive Hemlock Tree. This tree must have been at least 125 feet tall and probably 300 years old.

About two hours into our hike, Pete spotted something in the distance. "What the heck is that’? It turns out to be a very old rotted out car with wooden wheels.

As we continued to follow the stream, we began to merge with another old road. This road led us to two old foundations. This was an old Monastery. One foundation had a fireplace still standing, and the other look like it might have been a barn because of its size. The rocks of the foundations were covered in a bright green moss. There must have been a large pasture, because of the new growth of trees and many stone walls that surrounded the area. What a sight to see.

After we made it to the gorge (which I could spend a whole day exploring), we decided to call it a day. The sounds of gun shots from hunters made us feel uneasy, so we took the high road back to Pete’s house. On the way, we reached the highest point of land of about 1625ft. The view was of Skyline Trail and the surrounding areas.

I would love to return to this area, but next time I’m bringing my tent.

[dudley]

That's some severe ice damage.
We skied in Savoy SF last winter after the storm.
Made it all of 4 miles in 5 hours.... and it wasn't even as bad.

Those hemlocks are looking pretty sad too
http://www.umassgree...ly_adelgid.html

nice pictures

[Mewalkinwoods]

dudley, on 05 Dec 2009 - 04:12 PM, said:

That's some severe ice damage.
We skied in Savoy SF last winter after the storm.
Made it all of 4 miles in 5 hours.... and it wasn't even as bad.

Those hemlocks are looking pretty sad too
http://www.umassgree...ly_adelgid.html

nice pictures

Thanks for the link. I will reply after I read it.

My wife and I are planning hiking Savoy State Park 12/28-1/1. I'm hoping to showshoe.

Trip Plan

http://j2log.weebly....009-112010.html

We have been looking forword to it for months.

I am starting a new job on Monday, and I think they will still let me go.

What stood out most to you at Savoy State Park?

[dudley]

We went to Savoy to ski 'cuz it's an easy drive from central CT and we knew that there'd be plenty of snow
What 'stood out'?...... that we were only able to ski 4 miles in 5 hours time due to the downed trees

The whole business about the building of the Hoosac Tunnel might interest you
http://www.hoosactunnel.net/index.php
You'll pass the 'central shaft' on the way into the park..... it's supposed to be haunted

Quote

on October 17, 1868, the worst disaster in the tunnel's history occurred. Thirteen miners died in a gas explosion that blew apart a surface pumping station. Debris filled the central shaft where the miners were working.

Glenn Drohan, a correspondent for The North Adams Transcript, reported that a miner named Mallory was low¬ered by bucket and rope to search for survivors. Brought back to the surface, and almost unconscious from fumes, he gasped. "No hope."

Without an operating pumping station, the 538-foot shaft soon filled with water. Bodies of some of the dead miners surfaced. More than a year later the remaining bodies were found on a raft the men had built to float on the rising water. They had suffocated from the vapors of deadly naphtha gas.

Drohan wrote. "During the time the miners were missing, villagers told strange tales of vague shapes and muffled wails near the water-filled pit. Workmen claimed to see the lost miners carrying picks and shovels through a shroud of mist and snow at [the] mountaintop.

“The ghostly apparitions would appear briefly, then vanish, leaving no footprints in the snow, giving no answers to the miners' calls.

"But, as soon as the raft-bound miners were found, and given a ‘decent’ burial, the visitations ceased."

[Mewalkinwoods]

dudley, on 06 Dec 2009 - 01:32 AM, said:

We went to Savoy to ski 'cuz it's an easy drive from central CT and we knew that there'd be plenty of snow
What 'stood out'?...... that we were only able to ski 4 miles in 5 hours time due to the downed trees

The whole business about the building of the Hoosac Tunnel might interest you
http://www.hoosactunnel.net/index.php
You'll pass the 'central shaft' on the way into the park..... it's supposed to be haunted

Quote

on October 17, 1868, the worst disaster in the tunnel's history occurred. Thirteen miners died in a gas explosion that blew apart a surface pumping station. Debris filled the central shaft where the miners were working.

Glenn Drohan, a correspondent for The North Adams Transcript, reported that a miner named Mallory was low¬ered by bucket and rope to search for survivors. Brought back to the surface, and almost unconscious from fumes, he gasped. "No hope."

Without an operating pumping station, the 538-foot shaft soon filled with water. Bodies of some of the dead miners surfaced. More than a year later the remaining bodies were found on a raft the men had built to float on the rising water. They had suffocated from the vapors of deadly naphtha gas.

Drohan wrote. "During the time the miners were missing, villagers told strange tales of vague shapes and muffled wails near the water-filled pit. Workmen claimed to see the lost miners carrying picks and shovels through a shroud of mist and snow at [the] mountaintop.

“The ghostly apparitions would appear briefly, then vanish, leaving no footprints in the snow, giving no answers to the miners' calls.

"But, as soon as the raft-bound miners were found, and given a ‘decent’ burial, the visitations ceased."

Man is that up my wifes alley.

Great tips.

Thanks

[Mewalkinwoods]

dudley, on 05 Dec 2009 - 04:12 PM, said:

That's some severe ice damage.
We skied in Savoy SF last winter after the storm.
Made it all of 4 miles in 5 hours.... and it wasn't even as bad.

Those hemlocks are looking pretty sad too
http://www.umassgree...ly_adelgid.html

nice pictures

Mother Nature can be cruel. I am going to share this link with the guy I hiked with.

Once again, Thanks for the info.