A long-distance hiker walking the Appalachian Trail southbound has been working through western Massachusetts in mid-October, and their latest stretch offered a mix of unseasonable warmth, valley farmland and a shelter worth returning to.
The day started at South Mt Wilcox shelters with a deliberate short leg — nearly 20 miles in total, but at an easy pace after weeks of long days. An unusual warm spell meant sleeping layers came off overnight, and by morning the sun was strong enough that the hiker was sweating through 60-degree temperatures, gulping water far earlier than usual. Water was a running theme: much of it in the Housatonic River Valley flows near farmland and is best filtered or avoided, so stops at the Tom Leonard shelter and other reliable sources mattered.
The route crossed East Mountain State Forest and dropped into the Housatonic River Valley, passing dairy farms where cows had drifted right up to the trail edge for shade. From there, the day's payoff came on the climb back out: a steep first mile that ends at a viewpoint over "Jug End", a curve of the valley where the hiker could pick out the very path they'd walked hours earlier. The night finished at the Hemlocks shelter, a favourite for being comfortable and rodent-free — though with high winds forecast, the hiker pitched a tent instead, noting it holds heat better than an open shelter.
Trail culture got its own moment too. A local day hiker going by "Wilderness Woman" flagged down conversation near Route 23 to ask about "the big poop" — a mystery deposit so large it had been photographed, marked, and debated (bear? human?) among her friends. The hiker's verdict, on reflection: most likely an uncleaned-up dog. A useful reminder for anyone walking the AT with a pet that leave-no-trace applies here as much as in a city park.
Why should a holidaymaker care? This stretch shows the AT at its most approachable: modest climbs, farm valleys, named viewpoints and shelters spaced for easy overnight planning. It's a realistic snapshot for anyone considering a section hike in the Berkshires rather than a months-long thru-hike — you can sample the Jug End views and river valley without committing 2,000 miles.
Story via The Trek.
