Autumn foliage in the Berkshire Hills region of Massachusetts An unexpected gift gave our intrepid traveller the impetus to visit the Berkshires, USA By Captain Karen Speight, Log Board member everal years ago, my sister asked what I wanted for Christmas. A book of local pub walks, I replied. When the day came, she handed me Hikes and walks in the Berkshire hills, by Lauren R Stevens. Hills? Around here? The picture on the cover depicted low shrubs prepared for infrequent rainfall. Definitely not the Berkshire I know. I ordered it off the internet, she explained. I thought youd still use it. So, this is how I found myself in the Burkshires, Massachusetts, with a distinct lack of pubs. In Massachusetts, there are many differences from the average pub walk on the Newbury Downs. Walking boots are a must. If you need convincing: a) you need to occasionally wade through streams; and b) if an unsuspecting rattlesnake launches itself at you, it has a good chance of knocking itself out on your sturdy footwear rather than leaving you in need of medical assistance. To guard against more athletic, higher-launching snakes, I suggest gaiters. Make sure you have long sleeves and trousers. If you are more risk-loving, you could opt for a pair of tweezers, industrial-strength insect repellent and travel insurance that covers Lyme disease. I invested in a pepper spray to ward off hungry bears and the random serial killers purported to wander remote areas. Practising the quick draw technique necessary should you be ambushed whiles away any boring moments. Disappointingly for the wow factor of this article, I didnt find any serial killers on which to test my spray, but I do have a friends testimony. In a force 10, gusting 15 headwind, she accidentally blinded herself for several minutes. Lets all benefit from her painful experience to know it definitely works. Trail etiquette Dont get cosy expecting Ordnance Survey-style maps. What I found in Boston was... well, nothing, unless you are walking the AT (Appalachian Trail).* At some trailheads you might find a small-scale, but useable, trail guide. A photo of any trailhead map board could be useful, as are a careful note of the trail name and the colour of the tree-painted blazes, plus a copy of Lauren R Stevens book. Rule 1: The key strategy involves strictly following the blazes. This is America land of the litigious Warning! This drink is hot mentality. I confidently predict it wont be long before newborns are tattooed with Caution! Living may result in death before being allowed out of the maternity unit, unless they sign a reincarnation disclaimer. The authorities dont want you wandering off the track, being bitten by snakes, mauled by bears, chopped into bits by the local serial killer and then suing, claiming it was thanks to an unmarked trail. You should see the next marker on a tree or rock as you pass the current one. If you cant, stop, go back to the last one, and look again carefully. Rule 2: In some areas, trail-blaze upkeep is less enthusiastic. Rule 1 can be relaxed only where the trail is very clear. Park authorities are perhaps confident that, if you get lost in these densely forested areas, you will never be heard from again. Often, there will be several vague path-like routes (VPLRs) and it would be easy to follow the wrong one before realising you havent seen a blaze for a while and ending up hopelessly lost in the serial killer-infested forest. In England, you would eventually come across civilisation: a helpful farmer shouting Get off my land, a vicious dog indicating nearby habitation, a freerange egg stall with an honesty box. Here? You would die of thirst long before you reached safety. So, armed with these two rules, I set off into the unknown. Ashuwillticook Trail Lets start with an easy one, where you simply cant get lost as you follow a straight path along the old railway. After a mile or two, I gained some separation from a noisy road and found myself alongside the Cheshire reservoir, filled by the Hoosic River. Soon, I became acquainted with Daniel H Petithory, army sergeant killed in action, who has several plaques in his honour along the route. A shack by the lake was bizarrely decorated with trainers. Most people would choose a window box, but it was eye-catching nonetheless. At The Jungle I watched for snapping turtles, but was disappointed. A local I met on the bus back from Adams (not a serial killer) said it took him a year to learn how to pronounce the trail name. Bash Bish Ah, the elusive Bash Bish Falls! Just how elusive they are became apparent at a life-and-death decision point three-quarters of the way around. The trail began as the well-marked Alander Mountain Trail. Rocky streams provided a pleasant soundtrack to the steep climb, and I enjoyed lunch at the summit. Very clear white blazes led north along the ridge line, then suddenly turned blue. Mystified by this change, I lingered for a while trying to work out the significance. The map indicated a path junction near here, but the only route I could see was the blue one. Then the blue blazes petered out, leaving me stranded at the top of a steep descent, the sounds of the waterfall below tempting me to hack a route the quick way down, on my derrire if necessary. I had a stern talk with myself about the Rules of Trail Etiquette and the perils of risking my neck on such a foolhardy course of action. My only option was to invent Rule 3. A delicious pint of Berkshire Brewing Company beer The key strategy involves strictly following the coloured blazes. The authorities dont want you wandering off the track Rule 3: One tree looks much like another and, apart from the odd stream (not all are marked on the map), there are not many distinctive features. Look out for landmarks large boulders, ridges, unusual trees to orientate you back to the trail should you lose it. If you really cant find the next blaze, you need to know where the previous one is, because the only really safe strategy is to go back the way you came. Having searched for a while using Rule 3 as a guide, it was with a heavy heart that I gave up on Bash Bish and turned back. It was only when I got back to the colour transition that I realised my mistake. A back-on-yourself twist, for people with flexible necks who have not spent their lives on a flight deck, revealed the white-blazed trail descending west off the ridge. Rejoicing in Rule 3, I followed this route with considerable relief that I had not succumbed to the siren call of the falls and certain death. Finally, the spectacular view of the plummeting water opened up. I took a minute to study the map. Looking across the wide mouth of the falls to see where the elusive blue trail came out, I choked slightly when I saw on the cliff face opposite what can only be described as a landslide, and a sign: Trail Closed. I needed a pub. Fortunately, there was one in Pittsfield. Patricks serves hearty portions and delicious Berkshire Brewing Company beers. Race Brook Falls and Mount Everett This route was an ankle-deep wade along a path that could have been mistaken for a stream. A signed loop trail to the falls was unmarked, but easy to pick out. I arrived at the cascading stream and a search revealed red blazes, sparingly applied to the trees. After a steep scramble over wet rock, I paused for a while to drink in the heady sensation of standing in the middle of Race Brook Falls. A steady climb the other side took me on to the ridge, to stand, triumphant, on the AT, in the hallowed footsteps of the awe-inspiring Bill Bryson. The trail now varied between slippery outcrops and a river. In the more treacherous sections, someone had fortunately bolted wooden steps to the rock, allowing Rule 3. Finally, I popped out on the summit of Mount Everett. Say that fast enough and people may believe you have stood on top of the world. Sadly, there was no view, as it was still raining, with low cloud but it looked as if it could have been good on a clear day. Squaw Peak Inspired by Bryson and the lack of serial killers, I puffed up this steep climb. The trail colour coding had changed since Stevens 2004 publication, but there was a map at the car park. Clambering over rocks to the summit revealed dramatic drops off the buttresses. This was an area of deep ancestral history, encapsulated in names such as Squaw Peak Trail and Indian Monument Trail. A side detour leads to Devils Pulpit, a cliff edge with a very long fall. I spent a long time admiring it at a respectful distance from the edge, just in case I came over dizzy and plunged to my ruin. Mount Greylock READ MORE Please note There are many ways up Mount Greylock, but I wanted a full day and a sizeable chunk of the AT. After easy walking across fields and woodland, the going became steeper, meandering through dense forest, making it important to follow Rule 2, especially as there was ground leaf litter. Occasionally, Rules 1, 2 and 3 were not enough, and I had to invoke a new variation: Rule 1.5 looking for fallen trees, sawn to permit transit. Then, Rule 2.1 (a) turning around. You can see if there are signs of a trail leading up to you, or the position of the last blaze facing the other way. After several hours, I came across an exciting new hazard: snow, packed on the ground. Direction finding became extremely demanding and I had to invoke Rule 1.75 looking for footprints of people wearing suitable footwear and assuming that they were on the trail. After several moments of confusion and lots of backtracking, I eventually burst, with considerable relief, onto the road to the summit. The AT brushes the road three times, until you eventually pop out at a radio mast and some long-drop toilets, with paper and antibacterial hand cleaner. From here, it was just a few minutes to the top. Mount Greylock is adorned by a war memorial tower. The panorama to the east is spectacular, and had attracted a selection of seasoned walkers. Retracing the AT then picking up the Cheshire Harbour Trail, I found that I had run out of water. I cursed the rucksack-packing error that meant I had a filter cloth and iodine tablets, but no means of conveying water through the cloth to my drinking bladder. I took my mind off the embarrassment (and my dry mouth) by looking out for woodpeckers. Finally, I arrived back at the car. A stunning day out and a fitting end to my visit to the other Berkshire. A lakeside view from this unusually decorated shack READ MORE NOTES Please note, the author takes no responsibility for people getting lost, vertigo attacks, snake bites, turtle snaps, Lyme-disease diagnoses, injuries caused by inappropriate footwear or serial-killer attacks. *Appalachian Trail. If you want to appear in the know, refer to trails by their initials. For example, CHT Cheshire Harbour Trail; RBT Race Brook Trail; BWT Beer and Wine Trail. Ok, I made that one up. A red spruce tree grows at the summit of Mt Greylock, the highest peak in Massachusetts The Appalachian Trail is one of the better signposted routes Its a long way down at the Devils Pulpit A small marker of the Appalachian Trail stands near the summit of Mt Greylock TR AVE L Have book, will travel
