Mill Brook Sugarhouse is boiling sap in a spring day around the corner from the Roaring Brook Trail, and Irish musicians are tuning up as I explore the Southern Berkshires.
Read articleThe Berkshires are rich in walks and hikes — gentle rambles in the hills and treks along the Appalachian Trail, and anything in between. Kayak on a mountain lake or get a taste of white water.
Sap and music rise on the edge of spring — #Berkshireweekend
By the scuffed ground around the bowl, I’m not the only small person who has found this magic circle. I’m out in the golden hour, walking on the lower loop through Hopkins Forest.
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A winter walk wakes an old Irish legend
The snow is still falling on the ridge behind my house when I set out, the soft, thick snow that holds onto branches and transforms the woods.
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Fresh bread on rainy mornings – #berkshireweekend
Ice Glen feels like its own world. You walk through a gap in the rock, and the land changes — steps and caves, boulders covered with moss and fern.
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Hot coffee and the swish of leaves — #Berkshireweekend
Where the Hoosic River and the Green River meet, the late maples are gold and sifting down along the bank. You can walk through them ankle deep and stir up the mild sweet mushroom scent.
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October touches Sheep Hill with brilliant color
Halfway up the slope, young maple saplings are turning vivid red and deep orange in the meadow. They’re hip high, no taller than the purple asters and the last of the golden rod ...
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Hike to the Elder trees on the Mohican trail
In the sun, a warm huge being gives me a place to rest, and I’m leaning back against a giant’s ankle. How many years has a white pine lived to grow broader than I can span even halfway?
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Beginners plunge into white-water rafting
The raft is a blue rubber tub, and I’m sitting on one round inflated side at the bow. We’ve just pushed off into our first standing wave …
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Field trips in an unexpected world #this weekend
It’s the season for field trips and picnics in the Berkshires … sourdough bread and iced coffee, or roadside stands with peach ice cream.
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Finding waterfalls along the Appalachian Trail
I came to the waterfall almost by accident. I didn’t know I was close — I just wanted to get into the woods on a sunny morning …
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