15. In just a moment, youâll see a cabin through the trees. Head down the bank to pay it a visit. From what I can tell, this place is first-come, first-served, and free. Since thereâs no camping allowed up here otherwise, the wooden bunks in this cabin look like the only option for sleeping on Alander Mountain. The Alander Mountain Trail can be hiked easily even with a few inches of snow on the ground. Quite steep up and down, but Ioved it. Please give the park HQ a call and see what advice they have for you there – the number given on their homepage is (413) 528-0330. Rebecca, thanks so much for the helpful information! Pleasure to meet you, na! It’s our second time there and it was an equally great time. Microspikes a must. As such, no mountains in Massachusetts are recognized by the Appalachian Mountain Club in its list of Four-thousand footers — a list of New England peaks over 4,000 feet with a … 27. At the road, go left to return to your car. Watch for traffic! And wait to collapse until youâre past all the poison ivy. Phew! You made it. I hope you have something delicious for dinner tonight. Those calories arenât going to replace themselves. After receiving more feedback that this loop was officially closed after the cabin (Step 16 above), I updated the trail guide back in May to advise people to turn around at the cabin to retrace their steps back down the South Taconic Trail.  If anyone has any other helpful details they can share, please share them in the comments! Washington HQ and take the Alander Mountain Trail, passing by some nice streams and going uphill, but gradually. Alander Mountain and Brace Mountain Loop is a 10.9 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Sheffield, Massachusetts that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as difficult. I don’t know if there’s a similar sign up at the northern end of the trail. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Mike: Your record of the trails are amazing , it will definitely help me when I go back. Tweet Share Email. I became frustrated trying to puzzle together the way went through reading your account and going back and forth with the red dots. Alander Mountain, is a prominent peak of the south Taconic Mountains; it is located in southwest Massachusetts and adjacent New York. I wish I had read your site before going today … we traverse the non-labeled at the top CLOSED trail and it was downright bad; donât know how many times my son got hit in the face after I pushed thru a downed tree or thicket … seriously in need of being closed and signage at the top. Wasn’t about to fight a 3-4 foot long snake that could kill me. Hope you get to see seven yourself. Background you can feel free to skip: There are several good ways to get to the top of Alander Mountain, but there arenât any easy ones. Of the two ways Iâve tried, the first is the longest hike (8 miles) Iâve ever done with a baby on my back, and the other is the steepest (1,822 feet in ascent in 5.4 miles). Iâll write up the steeper, shorter version here, but if you’d like to try the longer, gentler climb (the trailhead for this one is 700 feet higher), check out the write-up for Alander Mountain II. Thanks for the heads-up!  Sigh. Hope this is helpful — thanks for taking the time to comment! We came to a junction with the blue X on the tree, looked at your directions which said to keep going straight, and continued straight on a trail that was a bit overgrown. Thanks, Sharing the gps with the world goes against all conservation practices and they are state-listed. Jeff, that picture is INSANE! (Then you can volunteer, donate, or shop, depending on your mood.). Hi Kelsey! this weekend and would like your opinion on the possible conditions. Anyone who is interested in visiting Alander Mountain can print the free topographic map and street map using the link above. Sorry, I didn’t think to snap a photo. Have any issues at the section where the trail is apparently closed or closing or no longer maintained? I have one question though regarding the elevation gain. Hope you have a better run at it next time, and I hope we can help others to avoid the same fate! ), GPS coordinates of parking area: 42.06534, -73.51535 (clicking will open in Google Maps or the Apple Maps app, depending on your broswer/device). There is only one small rocky area that is near the summit. I did this hike in reverse today, and saw this trail closed sign on what I think is the loop trail? I have one last question, in your opinion which of these mountains has the best views? 4.  For now, I hope this trail guide will still be useful as an up-and-back guide to the summit of Alander. Not too far beyond the cabin, and along this overgrown path, is where I discovered the rattlesnakes.  In any event, thereâs only room for one car, and a nice, officially approved pull-off is just up the road. summit of Alander Mountain for a breathtaking view. It poured out so I guess he was sun bathing, he wasn’t aggressive or anything but god was he big! Alander Mountain Weather (Days 0-3): The weather forecast for Alander Mountain is: A dusting of new snowTemperatures will be below freezing (max 0°C on Sat night, min … Please leave a comment! The trail just beyond the cabin (which appeared to be actively-used on our visit) is really overgrown, to the point where you have to continually look down to find your way through the vegetation. Advanced features of this website require that you enable JavaScript in your browser. For now, I’ll update the trail guide above with a warning. All of it. Definitely a bit alarming but a fun time, I want to go back and try and get Brace Mountain done by the end of the fall. Thank you! I would never have anticipated their posting here to be an issue, but this has been an educational experience for me, and I appreciate the sensitivity with which my newfound herpetologist friend approached the conversation here. After awhile, fearful we had screwed up, we headed back the way we had come. From the summit of Alander Mountain, you can see the Catskill Mountains and other features in New York state. I have hiked more than five this summer and fall – all of your trail advise has been very helpful. Hi Mike! Perhaps my reading comprehension is not what it once was, but I was almost sure that you took the other way up and the left turn near the ny/mass border was where you picked up the STC in step 7. I ran into a rattler on nearby Brace Mountain, and I don’t recall finding the humor in the whole thing until way, way later. Did the hike today and it was awesome! Hike on the blue blazed Alander Mountain Trail. It was really something! **UPDATE May 2019** Okay, someone told me that the trail is no longer accessible from the top. Thanks so much for the update! I parked on Mt. As for the ammo box, I strongly suspect that you happened across a geocaching cache (http://www.geocaching.com/). Glad you didn’t get any better acquainted with him than you did. I think the directions would be correct if you said, at the junction, bear right uphill on the blue trail. Take that Xâs advice and keep heading straight/uphill on the Blue Trail.”. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and mountain biking and is best used from March until October. Thank you !!! Washington State Forest … and the person I spoke with actually didn’t know that the trail was closed at the bottom. Near the top, you'll come to the hiker cabin, at which point you'll turn right and climb up to the intersection with the Taconic Trail. This is contradictory to the summit location on my NYNJ trail map, hence the confusion. Post Hike Dinner: Taqueria Azteca, 284 Main Street, Greater Barrington, MA. Would not return. Most of the route is not too challenging except for the last rocky part leading up to the summit. Likely will do again next year. Thanks.  (My old-ish Garmin Nuvi lets me put in an intersection as a destination, so hopefully yours does, too. trail closure that makes the loop hike documented on this page no longer accessible. That said … the sign in the cairn is just a stick and a well something that use to be a sign now but is long gone. If you’re referring to Step 16 above, you turn away from the summit because, at that point, you’ve already visited the summit, so you turn left there to continue along the loop. Beautiful view at the top with a nice breeze. I will state for the record (6/4/2018) I just got off the phone with Mt. Alander from the NY side. Very cool well at least i thought so. horrible smelling; I would never stay that … ranky. Please remove that for the sake of the snakes. If I am planning to park near the Mountain Washington state forest side near the Bish Bash falls, would I still follow the Alander Mountain blue and white trails to the summit? Was this trail guide useful to you? Hiking trails are created so people can enjoy nature. Required fields are marked *. 11. On your left, after some more steep climbing, you might notice a sign that tells you youâve come .8 miles (thatâs all?)  Please respect the rules and the super-cool people who determined that closing the loop was necessary. As a side note, I’ve often read that people turn back on the trail when a rattlesnake is present and I wonder if they think these creatures have hidden legs and will suddenly leap up and bite them in the face. This is very helpful, Cathy – thank you! Trail, Ashley Hill Brook, Mt. Overall a perfect hike. Thanks for taking time to drop a comment, MBow! They are very common in the Taconic Range, and at Mt. I’m a bit confused by the directions, why do you not turn towards the arrow pointing to the summit? Hi–I just got back from trying this hike, and had some difficulty at Step 5. Those timber rattlesnakes are beautiful but one encounter was enough to scare (scar?) Any advise would be appreciated. 22 and Under Mountain Road in Ancram, NY is one mile from the trailhead.  Thanks for the heads-up, Sandy!). Hope you have many more great adventures out there, perhaps with slightly less excitement. I slipped on my crampons and flew up, followed by down, the icy but correct trail. Overcast and in the '20s but a beautiful hike despite there being no view at the summit due to weather conditions. The summit of Alander Mountain is unique for this area in that there’s no one place you can point to and say, “This is the best spot to take in the view.” The grass, rocks and low bushes along the trail at the summit allow you to stop wherever you’d like, grab a … Had weird experiences in business’ in town. I hope this is helpful! Hope that helps, and I hope you and the scouts have a great trip! **UPDATE November 2017**According to Rebecca’s helpful comment below, this junction now has some fresh signage. The map I’m looking at from the Mt Washington SF government site does not even show an “Alander loop trail”… this is utter #$%^. Thanks for your response. If you went straight/left here, which looks logical, youâd end up on a Spur Trail to Nowhere, so try not to do that.”, If you thought you were on Step 5 at that point, you would have been looking at these instructions: “You might notice another trail joining from the left, with a big blue X on the tree to tell you not to go that way. Any tips would be appreciated, thanks! Chris. Thanks again! Thank you so much for your helpful directions, this hike was incredibly beautiful. I hope youâll continue sharing on this site. However, going in the same direction as you describe you don’t see it until you have already done the trail. Took this trail just a few weeks ago. This nyebone poster is my hiking buddy, except when he sneaks up Alander Mountain without me, and he’s always quite confused. I did it this way last weekend, and though it was strenuous it was not an absolute killer. So glad you made it down safely! You COULD finagle a trip to the top using only the Blue Trail, but that would be a different hike than the one outlined above, and I’ve never tried it before. He asked if we could please take down those coordinates, with the understanding that both you and I would be hesitant to do so (you because youâre trying to help your fellow hikers, and me because I donât want to mess with other peopleâs comments). My son and daughter were very intrigued by it. Is it possible to take the blue trail all the way up? The trail we did was the one in the book (as of 1999), the blue-blazed Alander Mtn trail from Mt Washington State Forest headquarters. It sounds to me like you probably ended up on the Spur Trail to Nowhere mentioned in Step 4. Very well marked and beautiful views from the top. Hope that helps – have a great trip, and take lots of pictures! I would suggest changing the directions to indicate that you bear right at the intersection with the Blue X. There are websites that give the GPS coordinates of geocaching boxes hidden all over the place. Great trip report! Trail starts behind the main building. Hope that helps! Confused about this talk of the blue trail (Alander Brook Trail) being closed. 20. Youâll keep losing altitude for a solid half-hour after that small clearing with limited views, then the Alander Loop Trail dead-ends into the white-blazed South Taconic Trail. Turn left to go gently uphill along the South Taconic Trail. Does the South Taconic Trail ever go downhill? And thanks for the kind words. I think I might try Brace Mt. I like to hear from people who have actually had to use them, kind of hard to find those types of reviews, which I guess is good in a sense. Seems like this area, including Brace Mountain, is not in any danger of running out of rattlesnakes anytime soon. But I’m sure you kept a close eye on the kid, what an experience he’s lucky to have had at such a young age. Otherwise the views are incredible … nice hike. I plan on trying this weekend. Very much appreciated. Early on the trail was nice but returning from the summit the trail back was too crowded. Mount Frissell and Brace Mountain Loop Trail, Guilder Pond and Mount Washington Lookout Trail, Appalachian Trail from Jug End to Bear Mountain, Mount Fissell Trail to Alander Mountain Trail, Mount Everett, Bear Mountain, and Alander Loop, Jug End State Reservation & Wildlife Management Area. Cathy, I’m so sorry to hear this. Does anyone have any personal recommendations for a good snake bite kit? Great hike. Met 2 Rattlesnakes today on the trails, super cool. 22. Thankfully, youâre headed downhill again. About five minutes after you turn onto the Robert Brook Trail, youâll pass a concrete NY/MA state line marker. Tonight we accidentally missed the turn off and went straight. Please keep us in the loop if you find out anything else! Notify me of follow-up comments via e-mail.Â, Hudson Valley trail closures and parking restrictions due to COVID-19, Alander Mountain (Under Mountain Road trailhead), New York-New Jersey Trail Conference homepage, 20 Breathtaking Fall Hikes in the Hudson Valley, http://www.nynjtc.org/product/south-taconic-trails, Brace Mountain II (South Taconic trailhead), General information at the Alander Mountain, Plenty of nice pictures, including some winter shots, at, A gentler, longer route up the mountain at Hike the Hudson Valley’s. (And hereâs a quick primer on Leave No Trace, too, to help us keep the trails nice and fresh for each other.). Like and Share. I’ve never tried it this late in the year, and especially after the snowfall we got last night, along with fallen leaves, I’d expect the trail conditions to be pretty dicey and more difficult to follow. 7. When you arrive at the South Taconic Trail, which joins you from the left (careful you donât stroll past it! The local timezone is named America / New York with an UTC offset of -5 hours. I hope I don’t have one of those horrible nightmares tonight in which nasty dogs attack and swallow poor innocent rattle snakes (and nyebones) in filthy cabins. Washington St. Forest HQ in Massachusetts, which is what my friend did. Her group found a nice hiker to drive them back to their car at the other trailhead, a twenty-minute drive, which was very fortunate and cool of that hiker. But let’s do our best to have you avoid hitchhiking today, shall we?). Trail, Alander Mt. Your email address will not be published. I plan to try the hike again, so will take some photos to clear up what I mean. ), youâll have climbed about 700 feet from the parking area. You might want to take a breather at this junction, because the South Taconic Trail isnât going to take it any easier on you.After youâve caught your breath, take a left to head uphill on the South Taconic Trail. Youâll take a few steps up the bank, then curve right with the trail at the tree with the âSouth Taconic Trailâ sign on it. That's cool, too. Greylock due north, Albany (80 miles away) north west, Mt. My little cousins found one on a hike up in Maine, and there was a logbook and some trinkets inside — as I understand it, the idea is generally to sign in, take a trinket and leave a trinket for the next person who comes along. 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