BOOTPRINTS Volume 11 Issue 5 September 2007 Soapstone Hill Quabbin MDC Gate #35 Lead by Mike Reed 14 July 2007 Trail notes and photos by Steve Fratoni t was a dark and stormy night. Well actual no, it wasn’t. It was Ia warm and sunny day; a bit humid in keeping with the season. Mike Reed collected 10 hearty souls into two vehicles (either he is a good environmentalist or he just likes the party car concept). We met at Hawley’s in Belchertown and drove north on Rt. 202 affording some spectacular views of the Quabbin and a fore taste of our hiking experience. The car pool arrangement also provides the means of exchanging information and insect repellant samples between occupants, if you View of Ausable Lake from Indian Head (Adirondacks, NY) - photo by Cindy Hibert know what I mean. The most popular choice of the day came about later on After fine meals had by all, Cyndi, Kay & I the trail when bob church shared his acquainted ourselves with downtown Lake mosquito switch concept (patent Placid, passed by the Olympic rink and hung applied for no doubt). He cut a thin The Waterfalls Hike out awhile at Ironman central, thought about flexible branch of maple about 24 buying Ironman shirts or caps but didn’t, then inches long, took off the bottom few And More headed back. The evening was cool but leaves and left those at the middle and ~ Mike Reed pleasant. The rain had passed and tip. Held in one free hand, a right left thankfully didn’t return for the rest of the slap of each shoulder cleared the back arrived at the ADK campground weekend. Adiraindacks sans rain. A first for of insects both small and large. around 4:00; Adirondack Anny and me. Nice! {Soapstone – continued on page 3} IDonna Fleury were there to greet me. {Waterfalls – continued on page 2} Five tents were already up, so we weren’t the only three that arrived early. Whilst I was deciding whether to pitch my EMS Escape 2 home-away-from-home in the light rain that was falling, new member Cyndi Hibert arrived on the scene and we decided that there was no time like the present to get this essential step done and behind us. Besides, I already had my eye on the best remaining tent spot that was still free for the taking. Meanwhile, Ann and Donna were unpacking the club’s new tent house (aka Camp Central) when Kay Byington returned to join in the confusion. Soon thereafter, all five of us were on it like yellow jackets on a jar of honey, and after futzing with it for awhile, uprightness was achieved, mostly by trial and error. After a bit of chit-chat, we headed to Lake Placid for some chow and ended up at Deerfield River Tubing with Norm Plante – July 29, 2007 (photo by John Klebes) Mr. Mike’s Pizza Restaurant—where else? Page 2 {Waterfalls - Continued from page 1} encounter: Angel? Falls (dang, I threw Ann’s displayed along the trail. I say Returning campside, I hooked up with waterfalls excerpts away that named this “conveniently” because, by the time Ann, Mike, Monica, Lucy & Dave at Camp one!) and a taller, unnamed, bifurcated falls, the next falls viewing opportunity Central, who were all in hike planning mode. which someone named Twin but which I presented itself—little more than a M&M were up for doing Mount Colvin, ADK named Deceit (forked tongue). It’s the same hope, skip, and a jump uphill to the Anny had her heart set on doing Dial Mtn., if falls that shows up prominently in a number left—only Cindy H and I had the only her knee would let her, and Dave was of shots from John’s recent, on-line, “Ironman gumption (and energy?) left to check it up for doing Dial and Nippletop, with Al et al. Weekend” journal. out. (It was only Mile 8 or so; geesh.) There was talk of a waterfalls hike, which Next came the rugged ascent to Fish This being the last waterfall to espy, Lucy was interested in, with Rainbow Falls Hawk Cliffs—hey now, it was sort of the rest of the hike went pleasantly being the highlight of this trek. When I asked rugged—I distinctly remember sweating at uneventfully. Crossing Ausable River about it and was shown the trail map, I some point along this stretch. Right. So, and passing through the Gates of Hell noticed there were two high points nearby, after that arduous ¼-mile climb, we broke again, we signed out on the log, made Fish Hawk Cliffs and Indian Head, which through the trees out onto the Cliffs, and got some small talk with the Cuban upon further scrutiny appeared to make a that visual rush most of us get when, after national at the gatehouse, and made nice loop, versus the somewhat less just a few quick steps, you pass from an our way back to our two cars, slowly. interesting and (should I say it?) wimpish up- insular wooded trail environment to the wide- Yes, friends, I must admit, Miles 10 to and-back of the original waterfalls-only route. open vista of a bare rocky plateau. The Cliffs 11 went fairly slowly for us all. On my Of course, as is typically the case when one directly overlook Lower Ausable Lake, part, although most of me is good for shows more than just a passing interest in a framed by Mounts Colvin and Sawteeth, with at least 15 miles of mountain hiking, proposed hike route with a yet-to-be- Upper Lake Ausable shimmering in the my hips are only good for about 10. It designated leader, Ann promptly asked distance. Scattered about the lake were really doesn’t matter though, as it was when I wanted those interested in my hike to some of the Club’s well-tended-to drifting all good. We returned campside meet the following morning?! along in row boats. We had our trail lunch pleasantly hiked out and ready for a Others passed in and out of tent house here, under a puffy-white-cloud blue sky, with shower. Not a bad way to end a day, as each new car-pooling group arrived, a gentle breeze caressing— summer in the no? Happy trails, all. some long after I had packed it in for the ‘dacks doesn’t get much finer than this. Then ~ Mike Reed night, and by morning there were nine hikers it was on to Indian Head, and pretty much the committing to taking on the rigors of my same views, where a pleasant, white-haired modified waterfalls hike; including one couple took some very nice shots of us, and hiking gent who kept his options open until a somewhat reclusive fellow returned directly {Soapstone – continued from pg 1} my hike was the only option left! (hmm, who to his rocky perch off to the side to guard his Personally, having recently had a could that person be?) and two who still paints and easel. bone graft that was derived from hadn’t made any plans whatsoever within 5 Descending another quarter mile or so, bovine sources, the whole technique minutes of my original 7:30 AM departure we crossed Ausable River just upstream of seemed to come naturally to me. time (we ended up leaving at 8:00)—ya gotta the lake’s dam; took some more fun shots (Think about it) love it! After a stop-and-go trip to the passing over the bridge, then made our way Gate 35 is just to the east of the trailhead by one carload traveling swiftly and along Cascade Brook to Rainbow Falls. This northern tip of the Quabbin. From Rt. the other more slowly, we eventually hooked waterfall was the most impressive of those 202 a quick minute east on Rt. 122 up and debarked onto the eastern access we saw and elicited lots of oohs and ahhs brings you to North Dana Road, which road to the Ausable Club, a throughway for from the troop. leads to the MDC gate most of the hikes being done that Saturday. Unfortunately, we and for us the trailhead. Passing by the club’s golf course and tennis arrived at what I The trail leads through courts, and a sampling of their members and estimated to be about tall oak-pine woods to the guests, and their casual glances, we arrived an hour to an hour-and- waters edge and provides at the gatehouse guarding the entrance to a-half too early for the the edge of the reservoir the Club’s private road to Ausable Lake, to sunlight to hit the for almost a mile. The sign the log book. Here we were greeted by copious spray from this cool water kept the sunny an octogenarian outfitted in what someone waterfall’s tumbling hiking conditions just described as Cuban revolutionary garb. A descent down a nearly right. North Dana was Cuban connection in the Adirondacks? vertical rock face and bustling intersection of Hmm. form what would most road and railroad at one Passing under the rustically ornate, likely would have been point in its history. By the open-gated archway of intricate branch- a profusion of rainbows. time the fateful date work, the “Gates of Hell” Norm called it, we (Mental note: visit this approached very little of traveled this shady lane paralleling Gill Brook falls mid-afternoon, the community remained. for nearly 2 miles, before pealing off to left 3:00-ish.) In 1900 the entire town of onto the footpath to Fish Hawk Cliffs, Mount After this, the return Dana numbered 790 Colvin, Nippletop, etc., again paralleling the trail parallels Ausable according to the State brook for most of the way.