South Taconic-AT loop in MA

[Another Kevin]

I'm off trail from doing half the loop; I came down with a nasty case of bronchitis and decided that I wasn't up to any more ascent in the snow. 1azarus is still going strong. I'm resting up at home and I'll write a trip report when I'm feeling better. For me it was a great - but challenging - trip. I didn't know I was getting that sick until today, but it was affecting my hiking ability. Normally those Connecticut/Massachusetts hills would be perfect for me, enough to huff and puff, but not enough to plead for mercy. Not this week.

[1azarus]

...and i'm home now, too. I just wanted to share my admiration of Another Kevin's back country navigation skills. He made the 5 mile bushwhack from Jug End to the South Taconic trail look like, ummm... a walk in the park! I couldn't have done it without him. At the risk of making him the go-to guy for this sort of thing -- he is the go to guy for this sort of thing!

The rest of the loop? Great winter hike. I loved every minute, and would recommend it heartily.

[coach lou]

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[Another Kevin]

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1azarus was right - it was a great trip for me right until I realized that I was having too bad a breathing problem to make the remaining climbs. The cabbie who took me back from near Catamount to my car was alarmed enough at the sound of my breathing that she offered to take me to the hospital in Great Barrington. The antibiotic seems to be working, my chest is clearing now.

Thanks again to 1azarus for putting up with my pace - I was going painfully slow, even worse than my usual slow pace. And thanks for at least pretending to like my dal bhaat tarkari. (Well, I like it. I don't usually cook things I don't like, at least more than once.)

[Another Kevin]

I just wanted to share my admiration of Another Kevin's back country navigation skills. He made the 5 mile bushwhack from Jug End to the South Taconic trail look like, ummm... a walk in the park! I couldn't have done it without him. At the risk of making him the go-to guy for this sort of thing -- he is the go to guy for this sort of thing!

The real credit goes to Will on VFTT. His directions made the navigation a piece of cake. Everything was right where he said it was.

[Wil]

The Appalachian Trail to South Taconic Trail link at Jug End has been updated/improved.
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthrea...ic-Trail/page4

[burger]

The Appalachian Trail to South Taconic Trail link at Jug End has been updated/improved.
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthrea...ic-Trail/page4

Nice to see. This is, by far, the best loop backpacking trip in southern New England.

[1azarus]

... I am planning to revisit the South Taconic Range Loop/bushwack this november... In preparation I've taken the latest off trail info from that VFTT site and superimposed it on the wonderful South Taconic Range Map... so the whole thing is easily referenced. I have posted the new map combination to the free Maprika smartphone app, where it is GPS synchronized. It is entitled "South Taconic Range Loop Trail." It is also attached here.south taconic range loop trail.jpg

[LIhikers]

My wife Kathy and I spent a couple days hiking around in Mt. Washington State Forest some years back. We talked about doing a loop with the AT but that's as far as the idea got. How many miles is this entire loop?

[1azarus]

Hello! there are long and short versions of the hike. My planned "long" loop is to park at the Jug End Loop Trail trailhead, (i hope i am allowed to leave a car there overnight -- I'll check) and take the loop trail south to the closest intersection with the bushwack, then to head northeast to connect with the South Taconic Trail. I'll take the South Taconic Trail to the intersection with route 344, then take the side trail up alongside Bash Bish Falls, ford Bash Bish above the falls and continue up to meet up again with the South Taconic Trail on Bash Bish Mountain. The trail is quite sweet continuing south -- over Alander, Frissell and Round Mountain, down past the AMC North West Camp, then up the Bee Line Trail (...I got pretty lost in the brush and snow on that trail the last time, but that is another story...) to Bear Mountain, where the trail circuit joins the AT and turns north. just past the Elbow Trail junction I'll pick up the balance of the bushwack and head west, over to the Jug End Loop Trail to complete the trip. The AT from Bear Mountain to the Elbow Trail is just over 8 miles... the whole bushwack is 5 miles, and my guess is that the full circuit is in the neighborhood of 26 miles-- but you want to get Another Kevin's attention if you want a better mileage estimate than that... I am really looking forward to hiking it in the fall, without snow on the ground.

[Starchild]

The trail diversion from the S. Taconic trail to Bash Bish, crossing at the upper or lower falls is, well status unknown. The blue trail does not exist officially anymore and the blue blazes are painted over black. I lead group here about a month ago, and noticed the change, but the route is the route and one I know very well (plan ahead and prepare, LNT and all). I was informed by one of my stragglers by a MA ranger that the trail no longer exists and the black blazes should have given that away, it was closed because it was too dangerous.

So officially it is now a bushwack, but is that allowed there??? There are some parks in NY that bushwacking is not allowed, not sure about MA.

[1azarus]

Oh my, starchild, this loop just gets better and better. When I last went through there it was in January and the stream was frozen two or three feet in from both banks, and I was proud of my decision not to ford alone. I walked back down the falls to connect with the taconic trail and took the long way around. I only saw the intersection of trails as I headed south over bash Bish mountain. Walking that trail is a big part of the reason I want to go back!

[JGrusauskas]

I'm thinking about linking up the AT and the South Taconic Trail in MA (plus a bit in CT and NY) to make a 30-mile loop. At the south end, it looks like the two trails connect via the trail to Mt. Frissell (which goes over the CT high point), and on the north end you'd have to road walk a couple of miles on Jug End Rd.

Has anyone done the South Taconic Trail or tried this loop? I've heard good things about the west side of the Taconics, but I've never been over there.

I have done the South Taconic trailfrom its *NEW* Southern terminus at the Shagroy Road Ore Mine inMillerton NY. Great little pond. I started there and went over BraceMt, Allander Mt. And down to Bash Bish Falls, where I got a ridehome. I have bushwacked quite a lot around this stretch too, andwould be happy to answer questions about whats around.


I have hiked the AT on this same ridge,starting on route 41 to Lions Head, over Bear Mt., Race Mountain, andMt. Everett. I have never connected the two trails this far north,but I have hiked from the AT over to the Taconic trail via the redblazed Mt. Frissel trail.


Someone told me this is one of thelargest uninterrupted tracts of forest in New England, but I cantverify. I do know I LOVE the south taconic range. Great views andsunsets from the taconic trail, great views from the AT side of theridge as well. Some cool hidden lakes and marshlands on top of theridge, and lots of blueberrys to pick. South Pond (part of Mt Rigacorp.) is paradise on earth, but Privately owned. If you have afriend who has a pass, you can ride with them to the swimming spot bythe dam on East St.


I wish I could see what it was likewhen Native American's inhabited this amazing spot, and then wheneuropeans came over and clear cut all of it to feed their ironfurnaces. Heres a shot looking at the ridge from the west, Brace Mt., Frissell, and Round mt. visible.IMG_3959.jpg

[tdoczi]

[QUOTE=J

Someone told me this is one of thelargest uninterrupted tracts of forest in New England, but I cantverify. [/QUOTE]

someone was talking a whole lot of total nonsense.

i suppose it may depend on what "one of the..." means exactly. it may indeed be one of the 100 or 200 largest. it isn't top 5 or top 10

[JGrusauskas]

thats sorta what i thought! from wikipedia: Taconic State Park is located within one of the largest unfragmented forests between Virginia and Maine, an area of 14,400 (5,800 ha) contiguous acres of protected open space spanning three states and designated as one of America's "Last Great Places" by The Nature Conservancy.

[tdoczi]

thats sorta what i thought! from wikipedia: Taconic State Park is located within one of the largest unfragmented forests between Virginia and Maine, an area of 14,400 (5,800 ha) contiguous acres of protected open space spanning three states and designated as one of America's "Last Great Places" by The Nature Conservancy.

weird word that unfragmented. i've walked roads there, both at the boundaries and in the center. if roads do not count as fragmentation then i don't see how GMNF and WMNF and baxter state park and a few other places couldnt easily dwarf it.

ok, maybe it might be #9 or #10.

x

[burger]

weird word that unfragmented. i've walked roads there, both at the boundaries and in the center. if roads do not count as fragmentation then i don't see how GMNF and WMNF and baxter state park and a few other places couldnt easily dwarf it.

ok, maybe it might be #9 or #10.

x

Speaking as an ecologist who's studied fragmentation, small roads generally aren't considered a major factor in fragmentation. On the other hand, WMNF and GMNF have plenty of clearcuts, plus they're divided into parcels of various sizes surrounded by towns and highways. Those do contribute to fragmentation.

[tdoczi]

Speaking as an ecologist who's studied fragmentation, small roads generally aren't considered a major factor in fragmentation. On the other hand, WMNF and GMNF have plenty of clearcuts, plus they're divided into parcels of various sizes surrounded by towns and highways. Those do contribute to fragmentation.

interesting. i just think of the south taconics as being bounded by not just roads but major development on all sides, (as well as in the middle up on the north end) so the notion that it is a protected area of some noteworthy size does not compute.

[1azarus]

Finally finished the bushwack loop today. I think I've gotten brush bushwacking out of my system now. Still, pretty cool and sort of fun. Thanks, Another Kevin, for showing me the first half...

[Sarcasm the elf]

Finally finished the bushwack loop today. I think I've gotten brush bushwacking out of my system now. Still, pretty cool and sort of fun. Thanks, Another Kevin, for showing me the first half...

Awesome Laz! Glad to hear and hope you’re doing well.