Photo Album

It was a very hot day, but that did not deter locals and through-hikers from gathering to celebrate Great Barrington’s connection with the Appalachian Trail on Saturday, July 20, at Beartown State Forest. The 7^th Annual Great Barrington Appalachian Trail Community Day included trail maintenance at Glen Brook and Hemlocks overnight sites in Mount Everett State Reservation and a guided wildflower walk around Benedict Pond led by Judy Schumer. A longer hike was cancelled due to weather conditions.

Twelve AMC members, including three volunteer leaders, met in Hadley on a beautiful spring day to enjoy a recreational group ride in the Pioneer Valley.

More than 75 current, former and prospective Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) Berkshire Chapter volunteers, spouses and friends, Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) and Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) staff met recently in Great Barrington at the 17th Annual Appalachian Trail (A.T.) Volunteer Gathering to share information and find out more about volunteering. The meeting was organized by Christine Ward from the Great Barrington Trails and Greenways.

Jan Alicia Nettler, former Chapter Chair, recently led a challenging hike on the Holyoke Range accompanied by 16 senior citizens, most in their seventies. Her goal was to prove that "older people still can do more than people expect us to do." Her article on the activity was recently published in the Daily Hampshire Gazette. Read the full article here.

With half of the autumn leaves still on the trees and the other half covering our path ahead, we all gathered by our cars. Some of us put on our gloves, and some of us wished that we had brought gloves; the cold fall weather came quickly. We exchanged names (and repeated them a few times for memory), reviewed our plan for the day, and then we began our hike.

A congenial group of Berkshire Chapter cyclists enjoyed a leisurely 45-mile ride on quiet country roads along the Connecticut river.

The Berkshire Chapter's annual Outdoor Festival at Noble View on Saturday, September 15, was a great success, with more than 150 attending.

Highlights of the event included:

Nine cyclists shared a beautiful day together for a recreational 31-mile group ride from Williamsburg up to Ashfield, through Conway, and back. The route passed through stunning Chapel Falls, and meandered along quaint streams and expansive reservoirs. There was plenty of shade and several rest stops, including one at Elmer's store in Ashfield. At the conclusion of the ride, many riders celebrated and socialized over lunch at The Brewmaster's Tavern before heading home.