Friday, 10-May-13 through Saturday, 11-May-13
Friday, 10-May-13
- Start the weekend out slowly… no rush leaving work, and no rush packing the car. I grab dinner at home before making the final sweep to make sure I didn’t forget anything, and then jump in the car, pointing the nose toward the West.
- A long drive… and actually a cold one at that. Before the chill gets to me though, the rains hit and I have to pull over to put the top up.
- I arrive at Beartown park late… maybe 10:30 or 11:00. Exploring leads me to a near-perfect campsite – close to the main road, but far enough from other people that I don’t really need to worry about being loud.
- I learn that I do need to worry about the height of my car though… and that it IS possible to get the Mustang stuck on a rock. I leave it where it is for the morning, since I can’t really see anything.
- Set up camp, start a wee fire, and relax ‘till sleep takes me.
Saturday, 11-May-13
- I start the morning off right – actually waking up at a sane time, and going for a nice hike around the lake which gives the park its name. It’s nice… kind of a boring trail, but relaxing. I wish I could start more mornings like this!
- I meet an interesting group, taking a pair of German Shepherds for a walk. The dogs seem friendly enough, but the family is terrified of me getting near them – they leash the dogs and run back 20+ feet off the trail when I pass them. Sure, why not?
- When I get back to camp I shoot the breeze with the ranger for a bit – talking about places that I could find climbing, what times of the year are unbearable due to the blackflies, etc…
- Move on into town to find some climbing!
- Great Barrington holds some possibilities, a few good routes off a road aptly named “Quarry Road”.
- The main climbs are kind of boring, but there’re a ton of good cracks that could use some exploring and wire brushes… I think I’ll come back!
- Next I move on a town called Westfield… I think. It’s right off the highway, and you can see some huge slabs from I-90. I drive into town and follow my eyes and gut, finally finding myself at an old abandoned power station at the base of the rocks.
- They look good, really good. But the area is… sketchy, at best. A lot of decrepit houses and cars, with a good number of folks who look as if they’d like nothing more than to release me from my mortal coil. So I move on, without stopping to explore.