Tag Archives: Baffins Borealis

Massachusetts Appalachian Trail: Dalton to North Adams – A Snowy Slog!

Continuing in the theme of “misunderestimating” snow, we take a look back at March of 2019. We had planned a 23 mile hike from Dalton to North Adams in Massachusetts. Snow maps were sketchy, but from what we could tell there would be no more than 2 inches on the ground. The weather had different plans. Four to eight inches of fresh snow on this relatively unused section of the Appalachian Trail made route finding and forward progress difficult. Imagine trying to spot white blazes when every tree is covered with white snow!

Mt Greylock
Greylock in the Snow
Continue reading Massachusetts Appalachian Trail: Dalton to North Adams – A Snowy Slog!

Appalachian Trail: Bennington to North Adams

In November of 2019, I took a group of Hudson Valley Hikers on a backpacking trip from Bennington, VT to North Adams, MA. We covered only 18.7 miles, but bridged a gap between two longer sections. Weather in November can be tricky. We call it shoulder season. Fall is over, but winter hasn’t quite started yet. You can get an odd combination of conditions. Over the last couple of years, we’ve learned to expect snow when hiking in Vermont or Massachusetts between November and March.

Vermont Massachusetts State Line
Our group stops for a photo at the Vermont / Massachusetts State Line. This is the southern end of the Vermont Long Trail.
Continue reading Appalachian Trail: Bennington to North Adams