I've wanted to do this trip for awhile but weather and other factors never aligned until this past weekend. Actually I wanted to fly up to Marcy Field in the Adirondacks but the weather there was forecast bad, so this was the alternate... Mt. Greylock state forest in Massachussetts.
Saturday morning I flew from SNC in southern CT to AQW in northwest Mass, just below the VT border. Only 85NM, but that's respectable in a 65kt open cockpit biplane. Limited baggage space, my backpack was strapped to the front passenger seat with boots and other stuff in the small front baggage area.
From the airport, the Appalachian Trail is about 1.25 miles away. An easy walk, but one of the local glider pilots offered me a ride and as I'd gotten a late start I accepted. I started hiking about 1:30, then it was about 3 miles and 2000' climb to the the trail junction on Prospect Mt. where you drop back down to the designated camping area. While at the junction, I was watching sailplanes flying close overhead working the ridge lift. The climb reminded my that I'm not 25 any more and not even 45 any more!
It was a nice night, though the wind and gloomy conditions in the morning made me nervous about the flight home (no cell internet where I was camped). But it turned out OK, and after hiking back out on Sunday morning I had a good burger for lunch (and sadly, no beer from their excellent selection) at the Trail House restaurant next to the airport, then an easy flight home.
Passing Mt. Greylock on the way in:
Just about to pass over the Mt. Prospect ridge, the campsite is about where the wing wires cross:
All I need for the weekend, just have to put my boots on and hit the trail:
Cooking dinner:
Saturday morning I flew from SNC in southern CT to AQW in northwest Mass, just below the VT border. Only 85NM, but that's respectable in a 65kt open cockpit biplane. Limited baggage space, my backpack was strapped to the front passenger seat with boots and other stuff in the small front baggage area.
From the airport, the Appalachian Trail is about 1.25 miles away. An easy walk, but one of the local glider pilots offered me a ride and as I'd gotten a late start I accepted. I started hiking about 1:30, then it was about 3 miles and 2000' climb to the the trail junction on Prospect Mt. where you drop back down to the designated camping area. While at the junction, I was watching sailplanes flying close overhead working the ridge lift. The climb reminded my that I'm not 25 any more and not even 45 any more!
It was a nice night, though the wind and gloomy conditions in the morning made me nervous about the flight home (no cell internet where I was camped). But it turned out OK, and after hiking back out on Sunday morning I had a good burger for lunch (and sadly, no beer from their excellent selection) at the Trail House restaurant next to the airport, then an easy flight home.
Passing Mt. Greylock on the way in:
Just about to pass over the Mt. Prospect ridge, the campsite is about where the wing wires cross:
All I need for the weekend, just have to put my boots on and hit the trail:
Cooking dinner:
