Hike #150
Appalachian Trail
Kay Wood Shelter Trail to Crystal Mountain Campsite Trail (Dalton, MA)
Hike Distance: 14.6 Miles
Date Hiked: 12/20/2015
Date Published: 12/21/2015
On my previous Appalachian Trail hike (#149), I made my way northbound from Washington Mountain Road in Washington, MA to the side trail for Kay Wood Shelter in Dalton, MA before returning to my car. At the halfway point of that hike, I debated whether or not I should continue to Grange Hall Road before returning to my vehicle. Ultimately, I was pressed for time so I elected not to continue to Grange Hall Road. As a result, I would need to do double back at the start of this hike in order to pick up where I last left off. Fortunately, there is a small parking location just off of Grange Hall Road so I didn’t need to go too far south before turning around.
To reach the Grange Hall Parking Location:
Once I located the side trail, I grabbed the walking stick I’ve been using ever since I found it on Hike #146. I’ve become attached to this particular stick so I’ve been strategically leaving it here and there at trailheads and turn-around spots as I made my from section to section.
Now heading north along the same section of trail I followed in, I was surprised to find three deer hanging out near the trail. I had only passed by this way moments earlier so I was stunned to see them. I would’ve thought they avoided trails like this for a while after humans passed through.
Roughly .6 of a mile in, and .3 of a mile from the Kay Wood Shelter side trail, I returned to Grange Hall Road…
Approximately .8 of a mile in, and .5 of a mile from the Kay Wood Shelter side trail, I crossed Barton Brook on this footbridge…
On the north side of Day Mountain, I found some icicles hanging off of some of the rocks near the top of a steep cliff…
Roughly 2.1 mile in, and 1.8 miles from the Kay Wood Shelter Side Trail, I crossed what looked like and old woods road and several seasonal brooks (which were fairly dry) as I made my way across the north side of Day Mountain. That’s right, you read that correctly…”across”. The trail here actually does almost exactly what it did on the south side of the mountain…creating one big “switchback” as it takes the hiker over additional mileage. Looking at some of the maps in the area, the “switchback” on this side of the mountain might deserve a bit of a pass because it appears the trail has moved. And, most likely, the reason for the move is something which is out of the control of the trail maintainers.
Approximately 2.7 miles in, and 2.4 miles from the Kay Wood Shelter Side Trail, I crossed train tracks owned and operated by CSX Railroad…
Roughly 3.3 miles in, and 3.0 miles from the Kay Wood Shelter Side Trail, I crossed Massachusetts Route 8 where it intersects with Massachusetts Route 8A and Massachusetts Route 9. I then continued my road walk through another residential neighborhood while following High Street.
Approximately 4.3 miles in, and 4.0 miles from the Kay Wood Shelter Trail, I crossed Bridle Road. At this point, High Street becomes Gulf Rd and I noticed a smallish house with some restoration work being done on it…
Continuing due west on Gulf Road, I reached a spot where the pavement ends…
Now roughly 4.5 miles in, and 4.2 miles from the Kay Wood Shelter Side Trail, I was beginning to wonder if I should turn around or attempt to continue on to Crystal Mountain Campsite. I wasn’t tired, but like last week, I was a bit pressed for time because I wanted to be home in time for the Packers 4pm game. I was really discouraged when I passed a mileage sign which indicated I was still 3.8 miles from Crystal Mountain Campsite…
As it turns out, there is nothing in this next section which would stand out to me later. I walked for three miles, up and down over several elevation changes, before encountering anything even remotely resembling a turn-around spot. This section of trail is so insignificant I don’t even have any pictures. That and, due to the time crunch, I was now in a bit of a hurry so I wasn’t exactly slowing down for anything.
Approximately 7.5 miles in, and 7.2 miles from the Kay Wood Shelter Side Trail, I crossed a power line cut…
Then, I had a moment of clarity. I could use the power lines as my turn-around spot. They were memorable enough I could recall them when I encountered them again on my next section hike…no matter how long it would be before I returned to the AT. Then, for some unknown reason, I decided power lines were a lame excuse for a turn-around spot. So, I continued on.
Then, I had another moment…this time it was a moment of Déjà Vu. Last week, while going through an internal debate of whether or not to keep going…also because of a time crunch…I crossed a power line cut shortly before reaching the Kay Wood Shelter Side Trail. Well, wouldn’t you know it? This week, after only a short walk from the power line cut, I reached the Crystal Mountain Campsite Side Trail. The strangest part of this whole scenario is I found the side trail to the campsite a lot sooner than I thought I would. I still can’t figure out the reason for this “shortage”, but I was thrilled about it because it meant I would be home in time for the Packers game.
Roughly 7.6 miles in, and 7.3 miles from the Kay Wood Shelter Side Trail, I reached the Crystal Mountain Campsite Side Trail…
Throughout this recap, I’ve hinted at taking an extended period of time away from the Appalachian Trail. It has very little to do with the trail itself. Yes, it can be frustrating to drive three hours round trip and spend many miles in the woods with little to no highlights…like the final three miles of this section. But, my reason for taking what could prove to be an extended absence from this particular trail is better than that. For those of you who don’t already know, Jaci is pregnant…with twins!
I’m very excited about being a dad, but we’re going to have our hands full…all four of them. So, when I do get around to some “me time” (look at me…I’m already looking forward to it), I probably won’t be in good enough physical condition to start hiking the AT again immediately. Add in the fact that the next few sections are probably going to be the most challenging in Massachusetts (Mount Greylock is looming large on one of those sections), and I’ll probably want to start by warming up on some of the local trails. I don’t think I’ll ever stop section hiking the AT (I’ve come too far now), but it just seems to make more sense to put the long drives and solo adventures on hold for the time being. Who knows? Maybe somewhere down the line, I’ll hike a section or two of the AT with my kids.
I would’ve preferred to sit on that rock next to the Crystal Mountain Campsite Side Trail, reflecting on past and upcoming adventures a little while longer, but the wind was picking up and I was getting chilly. So, I put my pack back on and took a deep breath. Then, I started to make the seven mile journey southbound back to my car. Along the way, as I was passing back through one of the residential neighborhoods, I saw a horse-drawn cart. The people inside the cart were all decked out in Christmas wear. Just one of those magical moments I’ve been fortunate enough to experience along the way. It was if the AT were telling me “Here you go, big guy…here’s one for the road.”
For a map and an elevation graph of my trip from Kay Wood Shelter Side Trail to Crystal Mountain Campsite Side Trail, please click here.