Mt. Toby Snowshoe

On Saturday, February 6th, 10 of us (Tom, Rich, Lane, Stephen, Darick, Gregg, Kevin, Wayne, David and myself...Gregg also brought his 2 dogs) showed up to do the hike up Mt. Toby in Sunderland, MA.  Unfortunately for me, I encountered some car troubles on the access road...it turned out that Reservation Road from the Rt. 63 side was very difficult to maneuver and is not the preferred entrance during the winter (I'm leaving it at that!).  In any case, I was not able to join the hike initially.  A big thank you to Tom, Wayne and David for helping me out.  Meanwhile most of the group went on with the hike.

Stephen provided the following trip report along with some nice pictures...Thank you Stephen!:
-
The weather was overcast and it was about 20 degrees.  The windchill made it more like a bone-biting 0 degrees!  This event was originally planned as a snowhoe, but they weren't needed.  Without significant recent snowfall, trails were packed down. It also was a mixture of light powder snow topping a rubble of hard ice and gravel.  The snowshoes stayed in the cars.  The hike began around 11 am.  
 
We used the Robert Frost Trail which lead directly to the fire tower.  The ascent to the Mt Toby summit is fairly steep in several places.  Good thing because I was underdressed and it was a chance to warm up with the exertion!  The steep parts were small in comparison to the ones in the White Mtns.  We reached the fire tower at noon.   The top observation deck was locked, so we could only climb as far as the landing below the cab.  Still, we enjoyed the 360 degee views.  (Yes, the sun finally broke through at that time.)  The Springfield skyline was visible which is about 60 miles away.  At this point, the group took a break for lunch.
 
The map we had in hand was difficult to read and we were unable to find the trail leading to the Roaring Mountain summit.  Gregg, who lives in Montague and been on Mt Toby before, lead us to a carriage trail with a very gentle descent back to the cars.  We met Stephen, David and Wayne on the trail going the other way.  After chatting a bit, the trio carried on to the summit and the 7 of us returned to the cars at approx. 3pm.
 
Afterward, we met at a wonderful place called "The Book Mill" which is a combination of a used bookstore and a cafe.  We all had great sandwiches and beverages.  The toasty indoor temperature was very welcomed after enduring the biting cold temperature.  This and the hike itself made the day very enjoyable.
-
Thanks to everyone that came out for the hike.  While clearly not my best day, I'm happy that everyone enjoyed themselves.  It did turn out to be a nice day out.  I'll look forward to seeing everyone under better circumstances on the next hike.  Promise!

Join me for this 5.5 mile snowshoe trek to Mt. Toby (1269') using the Robert Frost Trail.  Mount Toby State Reservation is owned by the University of Massachusetts.  The summit offers a 360-degree view of the surrounding area including the Connecticut River Valley and the distant peaks.  It also has a nine story observation tower.  On the return we'll take a short side trip to Roaring Mountain before continuing back to the trailhead.  Along the way, we'll travel along Roaring Brook, Roaring Brook Falls and Cranberry Pond. 

Trailhead:  From MA Rt. 2 take Rt. 63 South at Millers Falls.    Continue on Rt. 63 to Mt. Toby State Reservation and turn right onto Reservation Road.  The park headquarters and trailhead will be about 0.5 miles.  NOTE:  There may be a small fee (ca. $1).  Look for a grey Toyota Corolla. 

What to Bring:  Please dress accordingly for a day in winter conditions, bring your snowshoes and wear appropriate boots with thick socks.  Also bring along snacks, water, lunch and anything else you may require for the day. 

Afterwards:  We should be completed with the hike by 4-5 PM.  If there is sufficient interest, we'll cap the day off with dinner/drinks in the area afterwards.