Black Friday Crosscountry Walk from Westhampton to Chesterfield Over Mt. Pisgah

We’ll walk from the lower right to the upper left; click pic for googlemap (use Norwich Pond as an orientation point)

Cross country walking—exploring terrain without worry of trail—is something we don’t get to do enough. It’s hard to get a sense of the “body” & vitalities of a biome, and of the microbiomes nested within it, by always following trails.

Leaving and returning to a trail is a skill, and part of this skill involves the ability to read the land for its ease of passage, safety, and beauty. You’ll have a chance to practice this skill, let your imagination wing, and enjoy field environmental philosophy, the day after Thanksgiving on this cross-country trek from Westhampton center to Indian Hollow in Chesterfield.

This four-to-five hour hike is of moderate difficultly and is designed for those who want to walk a few miles off trail to get the feel of what Nonotuck would be like if there were no houses around—i.e., if it was wild. For we will go where the wild things live.

Logistics:
Start: we’ll meet Fri. Nov. 27 at the Westhampton Public Library at 10:30 am.

Finish: our van will be waiting at Indian Hollow, Chesterfield to shuttle us back whenever we get there, anytime from 3 to 4:30pm. Saturday 11/28 will be our rain date.

Dress for winter in removable layers. Wear comfortable boots. Wear no cotton. Bring a pair of Tevas to switch into for our 1 brook crossing (unless you don’t mind walking a 1/2 mile to the van w/wet boots). Pack a pleasing lunch and snacks, plus at least a quart of water. Bring a cam.

—This a moderately difficult hike. We will stop whenever we want to, but our goal is to keep a steady, easy pace. We will hike about 4, or, if we want to go all the way to the Westfield, 5 miles with total altitude gains and losses of about 600 feet. There are sure to be short sections of bushwhacking, and we’ll cross the Dead Branch at the end of the hike. We’ll have a Red Cross certified 1st responder and 1st aid kit coming along with us.

Since we will be entering places humans seldom go and want to have a little impact as possible, our maximum group size is 12 people.

If you would like more information, please send a note through the comment form, or call Kurt at 413.320.0522

Registration & Cost:

This walk is school fundraiser; if you would like to register, a tax-deductible donation of $40.00 is highly appreciated, and can be made via this paypal link or on Friday.