Day 24: Tuesday, August 24
Night hike, Seven Sisters RT
I’d been wanting to do this for a long time: hike up to the Summit House on Mt. Holyoke for sunset (pictured), then hike the Seven Sisters range in the dark. It was a hot, wet day, humidity in the 90s. The sunset was wonderful, then the hiking began. Seven Sisters is not an easy range to hike, even in daylight. It’s a 4.5-mile (one way) stretch of constant steep hills, up and down. This is a different hike than climbing a mountain, with a long uphill followed by a long downhill. Rather, Seven Sisters is a long, steady workout that keeps raising your heartbeat then allowing a little recovery before doing it all again, over and over. For that reason, it’s a good training ground for hiking and trail running, and during weekend days you often run into trail runners training for an event. I’ve used Seven Sisters for years as a hiking training ground, often taking on the round trip with a 30-pound pack to build my trail legs. But hiking this trail at night is a different experience. You hear different animals, the view below is speckled with lights, and you don’t come across any other hikers. It can get a little spooky in the middle where it’s most remote, but mostly it’s a peaceful hike, always recommended.
Adventure: Night hike of Seven Sisters range.
Distance traveled: About 11 miles hiking.
Challenges: Hiking up and down a fairly rigorous trail; maintaining composure while alone at midnight deep in the woods.
Risks: Slipping and falling down a steep embankment; potential run-in with a bobcat, coyote or bear.
Difficulty scale 1-10: 7.5
Highlights: Lovely light-speckled night views of the Valley below; the peace of being alone in the woods at night.