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MOUNT RACE: Lesser-known mountain offers spectacular views, great hiking
A hiker is seen atop Mount Race in Mount Washington, Mass., viewing the scenic vistas of the Housatonic Valley, May 31, 2000. Mount Race and its slightly taller neighbor to the north, Mount Everett, are the first major obstacles greeting hikers on the Appalachian Trail coming from Connecticut. (AP Photo/Justin Pope) This story was published Sat, Jul 22, 2000
MOUNT WASHINGTON, Mass. -- To take in the view from atop Mount Race is to understand why writers William Cullen Bryant, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville made their homes in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts. This is the far southwestern corner of the state, just a hill or two from the New York and Connecticut borders, and closer to Albany, N.Y., and Hartford, Conn., than to Boston, the state capital, a city some people here still talk about as though it's a distant, occupying power. Mount Race's slightly taller neighbor to the north, Mount Everett, is perhaps the better-known of these two hills, which are the first major obstacles greeting hikers on the Appalachian Trail coming from Connecticut. But geology and climate have conspired to etch out sharper edges and deeper relief on Mount Race, leaving more and better vistas of the Housatonic Valley to the east and the Catskills to the west. A state-maintained road runs to the top of Mount Everett, which is part of Mount Everett State Reservation, and the influence of man is readily apparent at its summit. Because of the road access, the summit is more crowded than Mount Race, and the paths more worn down. The summit of Mount Race can only be reached on foot and is comparatively quiet and undisturbed. The only visible signs of man are 1,500 feet below -- a few farms and Route 41 -- thankfully too far away to be heard. William Race, for whom the mountain was named, lived on the western slopes before he was shot to death in 1755 by the rent collectors for Robert Livingston, a major landowner in the area. "He and other townspeople, early settlers, didn't pay their rent," said Bill Miles, unofficial historian of the nearby town of Mount Washington. "Livingston's rent collectors went up there and killed Race and two other settlers." A trail from the east follows Race Brook up the mountain, taking hikers past a series of falls that offer cool refreshment in the summer and spectacular pillars of ice in the winter. Hundreds of millions of years ago, geologists estimate these mountains stood 20,000 to 25,000 feet high. But waters have worn them down to their height today, between 2,000 and 3,000 feet. The western route to the top of Mount Race starts at the town hall of Mount Washington, population 145, next to a handsome 1874 church. From there, a road rises slowly, heading south along the grain of the mountain through the woods toward Plantain Pond. A trail splits into the woods, and soon intersects the Appalachian Trail, which turns sharply back up the mountain. The woods -- which explode in a montage of wildflower colors in June, then again in orange and red come fall -- are rewarding on their own. But the real payoff comes about halfway up, when hikers emerge onto a precarious ledge with a jaw-dropping view. Thankfully, the view isn't obscured on the way to the top. The growth of trees is stunted by the rocky soil and overbearing climate -- a reminder to avoid the place in bad weather. The 360-degree view from the top extends all the way to the Catskills looming past the Hudson River to the west and Mount Greylock, the state's highest peak, along a ridge to the north. From there the path goes down and then up the back of Mount Everett, a mile away, and after the splendors of Race, a bit of a letdown. Those feeling adventurous can search for the remains of a plane that crashed there in the 1970s (both people on board survived). More of the view is blocked by trees here, and an old fire tower that offers the tantalizing prospect of an unobstructed vista is closed to the public. The tower is a sore point between the state, which wants to reopen it, and Mount Washington townspeople who suspect telecommunications towers are also in the works. Miles said some people also are worried that threatened species on the mountain could be at risk. "We are all concerned about any further development on the reservation," Miles said. "We are at loggerheads with the state." Even without the tower, the view remains spectacular. There is a shorter route down, via the road, back to the Mount Washington town hall. If you go ... Mount Everett State Reservation is along Mount Washington Road, just north of the town of Mount Washington, N.Y. There is car or hiking access to the summit. To reach the summit of Mount Race from the Mount Washington Road side, park at a white church .3 miles past the entrance to Mount Everett Reservation. Walk southeast on the gravel Plantain Pond Road, then follow the marked trail off into the woods. This trail intersects with the Appalachian Trail, marked by white triangles, which ascends Mount Race and then Mount Everett. A shorter route returns hikers to the parking area. This hike is 7.6 miles. To ascend the Race Brook Falls trail on the Route 41 side, park at a kiosk near the intersection at Salisbury Road. Blue triangles mark the footway. Hikers can make a short 1-mile walk to the falls or continue to the intersection with the Appalachian Trail to continue to the summits of Race and Everett. Always plan ahead and dress warmly, as conditions can be very poor at the summits during bad weather. On the Net: http://www.magnet.state.ma.us/dem/parks/meve.htm | |
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