Interstate 90 at the Appalachian Trail

One thing that I like to do is combine my road trips with hikes. Sometimes, I get the chance to blend the two interests together, whether it be a hike down an abandoned stretch of road, or even taking a hiking trail to get an unique view of a road from a different angle. Recently, I took a short hike on the Appalachian Trail in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, specifically from US 20 to I-90 in Becket, Massachusetts. The goal was to see the Massachusetts Turnpike from a different perspective after driving through Western Massachusetts for so many years. This was something that I had long wanted to do and decided to finally do it during a drive around the Berkshires.

It's not a far walk to get from the pull-off on US 20, just about a half mile. However, you do have to walk a little bit east from the pull-off to the stairs that will take you along the way. Then it's a short walk through some woods and a small stream to Greenwater Pond. From the pond, it's a quick shot over to the Mass Pike. Let's take a brief tour.

Actually hiking the Appalachian Trail, if only for a bit.

Greenwater Pond. There was a passing rainstorm coming in behind me, so the sky is looking pretty dark.

We've arrived at the Massachusetts Turnpike. Currently looking towards the west at the westbound lanes.

The Appalachian Trail starts a loop under the overpass and then eventually up a slope to cross the highway.

Sign denoting that this is the Appalachian Trail crossing in Becket, Massachusetts. We're currently 14.7 miles away from the border with New York State.

There is a break in the fence between the trail and the Mass Pike. My guess the break in the fence is for emergency purposes in case someone got injured while hiking and not as an escape option for through hikers who have had enough hiking and want to bum a ride to Albany.

Walking up to the overpass over the eastbound lanes. I didn't spend much time here as the rain was coming down pretty heavily at that point and I had neglected to bring my rain poncho.

Looking east at the eastbound lanes of the Mass Pike.

Starting to walk over the westbound overpass.

Getting welcomed to the Berkshires on the Mass Pike westbound.

Heading back to my car now that the rain is winding down. There's an earthen dam here at Greenwater Pond.

How to Get There:

Comments

Ghost Town Tuesday; Mannfield, FL and the stairway to Hell

Back in 2015 I went searching the Lecanto Sand Hills for the original Citrus County Seat known as Mannfield. Unlike Centrailia in Hernando County and Fivay in Pasco County I did find something worth seeing. Mannfield is located in the Lecanto Sand Hill section of Withlacoochee State Forest somewhat east of the intersection of Citrus County Route 491 and Mansfield Road. Mannfield was named after Austin Mann and founded in Hernando County in 1884 before Citrus County Split away. In 1887 Citrus County was split from northern Hernando County while Pasco County was spun off to the south. Mannfield was selected as the new Citrus County seat due to it being near the county geographic center. Reportedly Mannfield had as many as 250 people when it was the County Seat. The town included various businesses one might include at the time, even a sawmill which was common for the area. In 1891 Citrus County voted to move it's seat to Inverness which set the s...

Interstate 40's Tumultuous Ride Through the Pigeon River Gorge

In the nearly 60 years Interstate 40 has been open to traffic through the Pigeon River Gorge in the mountains of Western North Carolina, it has been troubled by frequent rockslides and damaging flooding, which has seen the over 30-mile stretch through North Carolina and Tennessee closed for months at a time. Most recently, excessive rainfall from Hurricane Helene in September 2024 saw sections of Interstate 40 wash away into a raging Pigeon River. While the physical troubles of Interstate 40 are well known, how I-40 came to be through the area is a tale of its own. Interstate 40 West through Haywood County near mile marker 10. I-40's route through the Pigeon River Gorge dates to local political squabbles in the 1940s and a state highway law written in 1921. A small note appeared in the July 28, 1945, Asheville Times. It read that the North Carolina State Highway Commission had authorized a feasibility study of a "...water-level road down [the] Pigeon River to the Tennessee l...

The mystery of Hawaii Route 144 and temporary Hawaii Route 11

The 1959 Gousha Road map of Hawaii features two largely unknown references in the form of Hawaii Route 144 and Temporary Hawaii Route 11. Both corridors are shown running from the boundary of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park east to Glenwood via Volcano Village. At the time Hawaii Route 11 was using the so-called "Volcano Road" which was constructed as a modernization of Mamalahoa Highway during 1927-1928. This blog will examine the two map references and will attempt to determine what they might indicate. The mystery of Hawaii Route 144 and Temporary Hawaii Route 11 Hawaii Route 11 is part of Mamalahoa Highway (the Hawaii Belt Road) and is the longest Hawaiian State Route at 121.97 miles. The highway begins at the mutual junction of Hawaii Route 19 and Hawaii Route 190 in Kailua-Kona. From Kailua-Kona the routing of Hawaii Route 11 crosses the volcanic landscapes of southern side of the Big Island. Hawaii Route 11 terminates at Hawaii Route 19/Ka...

Gribblenation

Search This Blog