[at-l] Trail margins and a brief report

[Cosmo.A.Catalano@williams.edu (cosmo catalano, jr.)]

Grass at trail edge:
	The disturbance in the local environment caused by the trail 
provides home for many "non-regular" species of plants. this is 
probably due to increased sunlight and lack of competition from 
native species.  In fact, many of the rare/endangered plants found on 
the AT corridor by the NPS inventory are often right on the footpath. 
Probalby because they have been transported there by hikers and have 
a space to grow w/o local competition.

Trip Report:

Sunday was an unexpected day off. I had some work scheduled, but 
circumstances changed and I found myself with some free 
time...hmmm...what to do? Well, there was the yard to rake, the 
flowerbeds to clean out, the garage to clean...OR...I could hike to 
Money Brook Falls, a blue blaze off the AT on Mt Greylock--about a 
half mile down from Wilbur Shelter.

So I weasled out of the chores, dropped #1 daughter off at her work 
(she has cell phone bills to pay after all), and headed to the 
trailhead in the Hopper (a topographical drainage formation on the 
West side of Mt Greylock that resemble a grain hopper).

The snow has melted in the valleys and up to about 2000ft, the ground 
is pretty dry (we could actually use some rain, now).  The rivers are 
very full, and the mountain streams in particular are quite 
spectacular, milky water whipping itself into a froth over lots of 
rocks.  Probalby half the yearly volume of these streams happens in 
Marhc and April, maybe?.

The weather is fabulous, hot even.  About 70 degrees and sunny. 
Fortunately very windy, or it would have been uncomfortable under the 
leafless trees.  The first two stream crossing were on bridges, the 
water moving so fast that you would swear the bridge is vibrating, 
even though both ends are solidly anchored to rock.

The 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th crossings are "au naturel" with nos 4 and 
5 being especially tricky. Number three was fairly small, though 
busy--a quick step on a submerged rock, two pole plants and a hop, 
and I'm over--except one of my poles is still stuck in the center of 
the stream.  Yes, I didn't have the wrist straps on...color me 
stupid.  Of course, as I turned around to try  and snag the pole with 
the other one, it slowly leans over and falls into the brook.  And 
that's the last I saw of it.  I'll look for it in August, when the 
water is gone.

It's with some trepidation I look forward to crossing Streams 4 and 
5.  I get to #4 and it is raging, there's no way I could cross even 
if I had two poles.  I contemplate turning back, but the thought of a 
rake in my hand instead of a pole cause me to reconsider, and I 
bushwack upstream about a 1/4 mile, where a tree has fortunately 
fallen across the water.  Since I'm all alone, I decide to sit and 
scrunch over rather than try the tight rope bit with one pole.  Easy. 
As I return to the trail crossing, I see two backpackers starting to 
try and wade across (this trail is the only way out to the 
trailhead--and their cars-- from where the were without a 10 mile 
backtrack).  Fortunately I get there in time to suggest they try the 
tree.

Befor they split, they fill me in on their adventures:  The AT on the 
crest of Mt Greylock, Fitch and Saddle Ball is still under about 2ft 
of snow, but not impassable. It is however, very slow and strenuous. 
Just off the ridge, the trail is very wet with running snowmelt 
everywhere.  They also tell me that the stream crossings ahead are 
not too bad, so I press on.

After a lovely walk thru a nice stand of beach, with the wind hurling 
last years leaves across the trail like snow, I get to the last 
crossing before ascending to the Falls. There is a newly downed 
hemlock just above the water,so I shuffle across, and begin the steep 
climb up the Money Brook.  About halfway up, a HUGE hemlock has 
fallen into the stream.  It will be neat to see how it changes over 
the next several years.

The falls are spectacular, the water actually shoots out away from 
the  top lip and drops for about 50 ft before it smashes onto the 
rocks.  This thing is an unspectacular trickle in August.  It is cold 
and snow covered in the steep sided "gorge".  Evey now and then a bit 
of that warm breeze tearing over the top dips into the area and the 
sudden contrasts are pretty wild.

Continuing to climb past the falls the trial levels off on a plateau 
at about 2000 ft. Snow is pretty common here, but getting patchy. 
Water is everywhere.  Now that the falls are muffled, the trickle of 
water is ever present.  The footpath is a stream of icy, clear water.

A half hour brings me to the Wilbur shelter for lunch and a perusal 
of the register.  No listers except Gary's entry from last July (I 
think it was raining).

The shelter (really overused and needing replacement) is still 
standing and leak free.  I pick up about half a trash bag full of 
crap (what is with these people?!) and head back down.

Not to surprisingly, now that I think about it, the tree I used to 
cross the last brook is now under water, snow is melting very 
quickly, and this stream drains about half of three mountains.  With 
wet feet I continue back down, but decide a bush 1 mile bushwack will 
take me around the two remaining unbridged streams.

   As I tramp thru the still un-leafed woods it's almost like 
Wilderness.  I'm about as far way as you can get from a road in mass 
(About 3 miles in all directions), and quite cut off by the 
surrounding mountains. Don't bears come out from hibernation about 
now?  I know I'd be really hungry If I'd been sleeping since October. 
No bears, but a flock of turkeys nearly necessitate a change of 
undies before I sit down in the car for a very slow and leisurely 
return.  If I time it right, I can get back just in time to barbecue 
instead of rake.

So now when I'm at the Natic EMS for Club Day this Saturday, I'll 
have to leave my table for a few minutes and pick up a new pair of 
poles.  I'll be there pretty much the whole day shilling for the Mass 
AT Committee.  Look for a hairy guy with an AT-L button.

Cosmo