Welcome to Aging Adventurist. I am attempting to do one adventure every day for the month of August, 31 days, 31 adventures, some big, some small, some physical, some mental. I hope you’ll come along, or join me!
Day 5: Thursday, August 5
Hiking the high points of Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts
Hiking the highest land points of Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts in one day is almost more of a driving logistics challenge than it is a hiking challenge. Driving to Jerimoth Hill, the highest point in Rhode Island at 812 feet, is really not worth it – especially on a rainy morning – except strictly as a required check-off if you’re trying to do all the states. Park on the shoulder of Highway 101 and walk in a half mile on a flat trail. A tiny outcrop marks the state’s high point. Rhode Island, check.
Mt. Frissell, the highest point in Connecticut, is much more interesting with a very nice 2.5-mile hike in after driving about two hours west from Rhode Island. To access the high point, you have to start in Massachusetts, where the Mt. Frissell summit lies, then hike down from there to the state border about half a mile south at 2,380 feet. A marker signifies the Massachusetts-Connecticut border, with an option to stand in both states simultaneously. Nice place for lunch before the drive to Greylock.
Massachusetts’ high point, Mt. Greylock, is about another 1.5-hour drive from Mt. Frissell. By the time I arrived it was late afternoon, just enough time for the four-hour summit round trip. Most Mass. hikers are familiar with Greylock – gorgeous views, a friendly climb to the summit at 3,489 feet, the War Memorial Tower atop the bald peak. After the mini-adventure of Rhode Island, the pleasant hike over the Connecticut border and all the driving in between, a Mt. Greylock sunset hike was enough to make it feel like a day of adventure.
Adventure: High points hike, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts
Distance traveled: 250 miles driving, ~13 miles hiking
Challenges: Climbing New England mid-size mountains; walking 13 miles; maintaining hiking speed to finish by sunset.
Risks: Typical hiking risks: slipping and falling over drop-offs, twisting ankle, running out of food and water, hiking beyond sunset.
Difficulty scale 1-10: 7
Highlights: Mt. Greylock is always enjoyable, especially when the view is clear all the way to Mt. Monadnock in NH. The summit of Mt. Frissell was a nice surprise too, where I met Alexi and Cassandra, two backpackers thru-hiking a 40-mile, 3-day loop trail around CT-MA. I’ve already hiked the high points of VT (Mansfield), NH (Washington) and ME (Katahdin). Next: New York’s Mt. Marcy.