Outings

If you do not feel well, please stay home!

Click Here to download printable PDF of the rating charts.

OUTINGS RATING CHART

IS THIS OUTING RIGHT FOR YOU?

Please take care to match your physical condition, abilities and limitations to the stated length and elevation gain of the outing you choose and refer to the ratings chart above. The “level of effort“ is not the same for everyone. If you are new to hiking or unconditioned, a hike listed as moderate would be very strenuous for you. The outing leader may ask questions in order to determine if you can complete the trip safely. Please cooperate for your safety and the safety of the group. It is your responsibility to have appropriate equipment and clothing for an outing. It is in your best interest to let someone know if you have limiting physical conditions or are taking a medication.

FALL LUNCHEON:

Join us at the annual Fall Luncheon! See old friends, make new friends, enjoy a nice meal and an interesting presentation.

• Where and when: Moscatiello’s Italian Restaurant, 99 North Greenbush Rd (Rte. 4), Troy, on Sunday, November 2, 12:00 to 3:00 PM

• Cost: $25 per person. The Club partly subsidizes the meal.

• Meal: The buffet includes salad & rolls, penne marinara, meatballs & sausage, and eggplant parmigiana, followed by mini cannoli.

• Meeting & Speaker: After the meal we will have a brief business meeting followed by our feature presentation.

Speakers: Andre Dalbec, President and Lynne Mosher, Vice President & K9 Handler of Lower Adirondack Search and Rescue (LASAR)

Presentation: What happens when a hiker goes missing? What resources are needed and used to find the person? Andre Dalbec and Lynne Mosher will tell us about Lower Adirondack Search and Rescue (LASAR) and how they are involved when there is a call out to find a missing person. We will learn how the LASAR volunteers coordinate with NYS DEC Rangers and other volunteer organizations. They will tell us what skills and training are required, search and rescue techniques used as well as how their canine, Lily, is used to assist. We will also hear about actual cases.

LASAR engages in about 10 search and rescues a year. We hope we will never need them, but we are thankful that they are available!

Reservations: Use this link to pay online, via this website by credit card or PayPal. (Klarna not accepted.) Or you can mail your $25 check made out to “Taconic Hiking Club”, to: Taconic Hiking Club, c/o Margaret Parks, 9 Tokay Lane, Schenectady, NY 12309.

Due Date: Thursday, October 30.

OCTOBER

Wednesday, October 1: Rounds Rock Loop Greylock B

The leaves should be just starting to change to show off their fall colors in time for this hike. Starting at the Greylock Visitor Center (30 Rockwell Rd, Lanesborough, MA) we will hike up the Bradley Farm and Northrup Trails to the Rounds Rock Trail. We will stop and enjoy the views from a vista on Rounds Rock and go past the remains of a plane crash. Then we will hike back on the Woodson Spring Trail. Note that we might do the hike in the opposite direction: going up Woodson Spring and back on Northrup and Bradley Farm trails rather than the way described. Either way, there are a few short, steep sections. Bring lunch, snacks, plenty of water and poles if you use them.

Total distance 7+ miles with about 1000 feet of gain, moderate pace. Contact leader for meeting time and location. NOTE: 9/17 - hike is full.

Leader: Martha Waldman, email: martha829r@aol.com

Wednesday, October 8: Harding Rd trail - Palenville B

We ‘discovered’ this trail New Year’s Day 2023 as part of our Catskills All Trails quest. I fell in love with it then and thought it would make a good fall hike. I’m hoping to catch some fall color. If not, the trail at our feet will be colorful.  We leave from the Harding Road trailhead in Palenville and follow the Harding road trail to the Sleepy Hollow horse trail and the Palenville overlook.  From there we descend via the little known Quarry trail back to the car.  The horse trail is a very good hiking trail and this section little used by horses.

The loop is about 7 miles and 1500’. Contact leader for meeting time and location.

Leader: Lesie Siegard, email: lsiegard2@gmail.com

Monday, October 13:  Clark Art Institute trails, Remembering Blanche Nelson, Williamstown MA C

Let us share the beauty of the views from these trails in memory of THC member and hike leader Blanche Nelson who passed away this summer.  Blanche loved the Berkshires, the Clark, and Williamstown so this easy hike over rolling terrain would be on her calendar. 

Contact leader to register.

Leader: Sharon Bonk email: scbonk@gmail.com

Wednesday, October 15: Flag Rock & Monument Mt. trails, Great Barrington B

This hike will access several trails, within and outside the Trustees of Reservations’ Monument Mountain Reservation in Great Barrington. After parking at the Flag Rock lot on Park St, we will hike on the following trails: Willow, Cross Over, Mohican Monument, and Peeskawso Peak, the latter featuring several vistas overlooking sheer cliffs, including the chimney-like Devil’s Pulpit. After returning to the Willow Trail, we will head north to the dramatic Flag Rock summit, which offers a panoramic view of the village of Housatonic, the nearby South Taconic Range, and the Catskills in the distance. With a little luck, this will be a great place to observe the foliage remaining on the 15th .

The hike, which will be at a moderate pace, is between 6.25 and 6.5 miles with an elevation gain of about 1,500 feet. While the elevation gain is mostly gradual, there are also short, steep, rock-step climbs, necessitating careful balance, to access some of the vistas. Because some of the vista observation points are not very large, the hike will be limited to 8 hikers including the leader. Also, due to the various steep rocky areas, any precipitation the day before or the day of the hike, causing the rocks to be slippery, will result in cancellation.

Please contact leader for meeting time and directions.

Leader: David Dutra, email: ddutra@nycap.rr.com

Friday, October 17: Alander Mountain B

We will take the Alander Mtn trail from the Mt Washington State Forest Headquarters in the South Taconics. Let’s hope for a clear day, there are great views from the open summit and there may still be nice leave colors in the area. Bring plenty of water, lunch, and snacks.

This will be a moderately paced hike of approximately 6 miles with 1200 feet of gain. Contact leader for meeting time and location.

Leader: Jim Gorman, email: jimgorman102@hotmail.com

Wednesday, October 22: Bozen Kill Preserve, Altamont NY B-

We will hike every trail at the recently expanded Bozen Kill Preserve, a Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy (MHLC) property. We will start at the lower BZK parking lot and hike up the Ravine Trail and loop around the Hemlock Trail. The West Trail will take us to the upper portion of the site then we will go past a wetland and along and down the Ridge Trail. We will hike out along the Bozen Kill on the Flood Plain Trail. There are a variety of ecosystems in the preserve, hemlock forest, hardwoods, meadows, wetlands as well as the ravine, waterfalls, and streams.  I hope this is timed to still enjoy seeing some nice autumn leave color, but I also expect there will be plenty of fresh fallen leaves covering the trails.

The hike is 6.25 miles with about 600+ feet gain, at a moderate pace. Bring lunch, snacks, plenty of water, you may need gloves by then. Contact leader for meeting time and location.

Leader: Martha Waldman, email: martha829r@aol.com

Monday October 27:  Sarah Tenney, TCT, Shepherds Well Loop– Williamstown. Petersburgh: B

We will start at the Sarah Tenney pull off parking area on Rte. 2, Williamstown. Hiking on the Sarah Tenney Trail we descend into Treadwell Hollow then ascend to Petersburg Pass. After crossing Rt. 2 we start north on the Taconic Crest Trail stopping at an overlook with nice views towards the south and west. Good place for snacks if not lunch. Continuing north on the TCT we then turn onto the Shepherds Well Trail. After enjoying a favorite view of Greylock range to the east (and maybe finishing snacks and lunch), we descend gradually to the RRR Brooks Trail and follow this back to our cars at the Rt. 2 pullout.

Directions: Coming from NY, the Sarah Tenney pull off parking area on Rte. 2, Williamstown, is approximately 1.9 miles east (down) from Petersburg Pass, on the right. If coming from MA up Rte. 2, Williamstown, the parking area is about 1 mile west of the junction of Rte. 2 and Rte. 7, on the left.

Distance is about 5 miles with approximately 1100-foot ascent. There are no steep sections.

Bring lunch, water and appropriate clothing layers. Contact leader for meeting time, location and possible carpool options.

Leaders: Bob Armao & Sharon Bonk, email: bob_armao@yahoo.com or scbonk@gmail.com

NOVEMBER

Saturday, November 1: Boehme Legacy Forest, Cropseyville, NY C+

Join me in a newish Hudson Taconic Lands reserve that includes a little over 3 miles of trail with a steep climb up a rocky cliff to the summit of Bunker Hill. That trail is named after the late botanist David Hunt.

Boehme Legacy Forest Address: 391 Jay Hakes Rd, Cropseyville, NY 12052    Lat./Long.: 42.75306, -73.50704 

Leader: Sharon Bonk, email: scbonk@gmail.com

Sunday November 9: Spruce Hill via Hoosac Range Trail B-

 It’s hunting season, but there’s no hunting in MA on Sundays.  Let’s take advantage of that and explore the Hoosac Range trail.  I’ve been curious about it for a while. It’s part of the Berkshire Natural Resources Council trail system. It will be too late for the colorful foliage, but we will still get great views. We will start from Route 2 outside Florida MA, hike to Spruce Hill and return. Per All Trails this is approx. 5.5 miles and 900ft ascent.  If there is interest, we may extend the hike into the Savoy State Forest though that would add about 400’ elevation gain on the return.

Leader: Leslie Siegard, email: lsiegard2@gmail.com

Monday, November 10: Berkshires B-

Details pending; to be posted soon.

Wednesday, November 19: Sheep Hill to Buxton Ravine loops hike B

This hike will involve a couple of loops on various trails between the Williamstown Rural Lands office and the Buxton Ravine Trail. We will either do this hike clockwise as described or counterclockwise. Clockwise: To start, we will hike up Sheep Hill, onto the Fitch trail, up and over Bee Hill, to the RRR Brooks Trail. We will descend the RRR Brooks Trail along the side of an interesting, steep sided ravine. At the bottom we will cross a stream and then hike up the Sarah Tenney Trail on the other side of the ravine. From there we will do a loop starting on the Smith, up the Buxton Ravine, and down the Hunter Family Trails. We will stop at a viewpoint on the Smith Trail to enjoy excellent views of Williamstown and the Greylock Range. We will return to the cars by descending the Sarah Tenney Trail, a short walk up Bee Hill Rd and then down a trail along the side of Sheep Hill. There are nice views as we descend Sheep Hill.

Bring snacks, lunch, warm beverage and poles if you use them.

The hike is about 6 miles, with approximately 1500 feet cumulative gain, moderate pace. Contact leader for meeting time and location.

Leader: Martha Waldman, email: martha829r@aol.com

Tuesday, November 25: Taconic Crest Trail - Petersburg Pass to Route 346 B

Let's get a preemptive strike at those Thanksgiving Day calories. This is our chance to catch some great views now that the leaves are down and visit Snow Hole on the way. Starting from Petersburg Pass we'll hike to our spotted cars at the TCT northern terminus at Route 346. This is an 8 - 9 mile, 1500 - 1600 feet gain hike. 

Leader: David Pisaneschi, email: dapadk@gmail.com