Mount Greylock

Sometimes, it's cool to be able to say, "I hiked to the top of the tallest mountain in a certain state!" Well, that's what we did in Massachusetts when we hiked up Mount Greylock. Now, there are a few interesting things to know about Mount Greylock... aside from it being the tallest peak in Massachusetts. Mount Greylock is a Monadnock, meaning it a lonely mountain that rises up steeply from the surrounding area (as far as I know, there is no dragon living in its depths, but I did not explore it that far). Also, legend has it that the shape of the mountain and the way the clouds float around its top inspired Herman Melville to write Moby Dick. Pretty cool, if you ask me.

Now, onto the actual hike...

Mount Greylock is the highest point in Massachusetts, its elevation 3491'. That might not seem impressive, but the scenery is what makes it amazing. Mount Greylock holds claim to being one of the most scenic mountains in the Eastern United States. We went before mid-May, which is when the roads to the summit are open. Of course, we would never drive to the top (that's cheating!!) but we were thinking to stop maybe 3 miles from the top, and have a decent 6-mile hike. NOPE.

We got to Adams, Massachusetts from Newington, Connecticut and were super excited to be doing this hike... until we found out the season was not yet in full swing. Just kidding, we were still super excited. Instead, we found a parking spot further down, which is fine. Nothing was going to stop us! So... the original 3-mile hike to the top turned into a 6-mile hike to the top. Who doesn't love a good workout?

Well, the hike was definitely more than a workout. We slipped and slid around the mountain as we got higher up because there was still quite a bit of ice on the trails. Don't get me wrong, though, this made the mountain look absolutely amazing, especially with the foliage that was recovering from the winter. It was incredibly interesting. There were a few spots on the way up that broke through the trees and you could see the surrounding area.

Closer to the peak, the hikes gets a little more steep. This is where the ice got a little more dangerous, but if you went slightly off the trail, the grass was long enough to get a decent foot-hold. Or you could just walk on the ice. Whatever makes you happy! As you're walking up this part, the Veterans War Memorial becomes visible (currently, the tower is closed for renovations until 2017, unless that has changed since I last went).

The summit is pretty cool. It's a wide, mostly flat area but if you walk over to the edge, there's a sort of wall that has different points written on it. On a clear day, you can see as far as Connecticut and certain areas of New York, which is nifty.... but who wants to stand behind some short wall? Nah, hop right over that! There's a grassy area that slopes downward and has some rocks scattered about it. You can wallk down a ways, but be careful, it leads right to a steep ledge with a nasty drop. Getting pretty close to that ledge is awesome, though, and it seems as though the world drops off in front of you. I have to say, it was definitely a breathtaking view.

(In my picture, I stood where you could see Connecticut off in the distance, as long as the weather was clear.)

It came time for our 6-mile hike down to the bottom. No big deal, we did it on the way up. Right? Wrong. The sun was setting and we had to be smart about the situation and walk on the road on the way down (we did not want to get stuck on an icy trail at night!) I could see why the roads were closed, though. They were caked in thick ice and there are absolutely no lights. We obviously did not run into trouble, but it was a little freaky all the same!

I would absolutely recommend Mount Greylock to anyone who loves hiking (but if you're doing the longer hike, try to leave as early in the morning as you can! We would have been fine if we planned for 6 miles instead of 3.)