Table of Contents
On this page: On other pages:- An Overview of the Long Weekend
- Saturday: Mount Greylock
- Sunday morning: Berlin Mountain
- Sunday afternoon: Crum Hill
- Monday: Mount Frissell and Brace Mountain
- Resources for Highpointing in the Berkshires
Routes to Alander Mountain
There are at least three possible ways of climbing Alander Mountain. I list several good paper maps in the resources section, if you do not have one available you may use a Topozone map which gives an overview of the region, including Mount Frissell and Brace and Alander mountains. The trailhead for the Alander Mountain Trail is at the X made by the crossing of two roads.The easiest way (the one I chose) is to start from the Mount Washington State Forest Headquarters in Massachusetts, at an elevation of 1,700 feet, and take the Alander Mountain Trail to its junction with the South Taconic Trail, then follow the latter to the summit of Alander Mountain (2,250 feet) and then down to the Columbia County highpoint at 2,110 feet.
A slightly shorter route, with much more elevation gain, starts from Undermountain Road in New York State at an elevation of around 700 feet, and follows the Alander Brook Trail to its junction with the Taconic Crest Trail, which then leads over the highpoint and on to the summit.
Finally, it is possible to loop over three highpoints in a single trip, starting and ending at the Mt. Washington Forest Headquarters. This route follows the Alander Mountain Trail, then the South Taconic Trail over the summits of both Alander Mountain and Brace Mountain (highpoint of Dutchess County, NY). From there you backtrack to the Mount Frissell Trail, which leads over the Connecticut highpoint to the summit of that mountain. From there you backtrack once again to where the Ashley Brook Trail heads back to the Mount Alander Trail and the trailhead.
Trip Report
I left the Boston area on Friday (May 16th 2003) after the morning rush hour and reached the small town of South Egremont around 12:30, too late for the loop over the three highpoints. I drove through South Egremont on Rt. 25/41, and at the western end of the town followed Rt. 41 as it parted company with Rt. 25. Almost immediately after that I turned right on the Mount Washington Road. After 8 miles a road branches to the right going to Bash-Bish Falls and Copake Falls, I ignored it and went straight ahead and after an additional mile came to the Mount Washington State Forest Headquarters, with a large parking lot.
It was clearly lunchtime and there was an agreeable field nearby, but I was not hungry and decided to wait and have my lunch on the summit. I followed the Alander Mountain Trail, which first descended, losing a couple of hundred feet of elevation. There was a river crossing that was a bit difficult, but I was able to follow a line of rocks and cross it with dry feet. The trail then went up at a moderate grade, ultimately reaching a cabin in the col between the two summits of the mountain.
Here I followed a trail to the right, it quickly joined the South Taconic Trail and went to the western summit, which was open with good views over the Harlem Valley in New York State, and of the twin summits of Mount Frissell and Brace Mountain to the south. A Columbia County High Point Trip Report by Michael Schwartz describes the highpoint (coming up the South Taconic Trail rather than down, as I was) as follows:
Shortly after the summit I was able to see both the state border marker and the small but obvious knob, I walked all over the knob to be sure that I had stepped on the state line.Once on the white trail, climbing the southwest ridge of Alander, the trail passes next to a three-foot high stone NY-MA border marker. The next, and most prominent knob on the ridge, straddles the state line, and the county high point appears to be a few feet west of the knob's peak.
From there I returned to the summit, descended to the cabin, and went up again to the eastern summit where I had lunch, looking south at Mount Frissell and Brace Mountain which I would climb on Monday.
The trip back to the car was uneventful until I reached the stream. On the way up I had found a series of rocks which had allowed me to cross it with no difficulty. Now I could not find them, and after a few minutes of looking I attempted a crossing which involved a very long step. As expected my foot landed in the water, then the other foot, and both my boots were filled with water. I was close enough to the car that it did not really matter, and I changed into sneakers and street clothes before the final drive.
The drive to Williamstown, where we were staying, was longer than anticipated, as the roads pass through many towns, and even outside towns the going was often slow. Nevertheless I arrived shortly after 5 PM, before any of our group. This gave me time to check in and shower while waiting for them to arrive.
After everyone had arrived we went out together for dinner, and I
tasted an excellent locally brewed beer, Steel Rail Extra
Pale Ale brewed by the Berkshire Brewing Co. During dinner plans
were made for the next day, some of the group wanted to go out for
breakfast while others (including myself) were satisfied with the
motel's continental breakfast. After that we would leave together to
spot cars before the rest of the group, who were driving up from the
Boston area for the day, arrived.