Massachusetts High Point

The highest point in Massachusetts is Mount Greylock. It rises 3,491 feet above sea level. Greylock is located in the northwest corner of the state in the Taconic Mountain Range. The Appalachian Trail enters Massachusetts in the south near Mount Everett and leaves the state in the north near Mount Greylock. The easiest route to the summit is via the auto road. At the top there is a monument to Massachusetts Veterans that rises high into the sky. Visitors can climb the spiral staircase and drink in the views.

2009, June 21st

Usually my trip reports talk about how Todd and I hiked to the highest point of a state. This report is about how I ran to the highest point. The Mt. Greylock Trail Race is held on the third Sunday of June every year. Todd is a big fan of the race, so we are there year after year. It is extra special to him because Greylock is the highest point in Mass. and Todd is a high pointer. They offer two courses - a 5K and a half marathon. Usually I run the short course and I even came in first in my age group one year.

I decided to step up to the half marathon this year. In the past I have run a lot of short courses at the trail races. I needed a new challenge this year, so I set a goal to finish at least six of the Grand Tree races. So far I have completed Seven Sisters, Soapstone, Northfield and Greylock. I am planning to do Dam Trail Race and Savoy next. Since Savoy is a 20 mile double loop course, I have Mt. Toby as a backup if I can't finish Savoy. I am hoping to gain enough experience to complete Escarpment next summer. Looking back at my childhood in Nebraska (or what my husband calls flat land), I can't believe I am doing these races!

I had an amazing day on the trail today. The half marathon course has changed multiple times, but this year it was back to Todd's favorite course. Here is a picture of the course from my Garmin 405 GPS watch. How cool is that?! We climbed hard for about 3.5 miles up the Thunderbolt. I walked a lot of this part. I am still having problems with my calves and they screamed the whole way up because of the steep incline. Then we came out of the woods and onto the sidewalk that winds around the summit. Even though there was a threat of rain, the clouds were minimal while I was on top of the mountain and the views were amazing. But there wasn't time to relax and enjoy the scenery. I still had 10 miles to go and it was already 1:05 into the race. The rest of the course was fun. There were gentle roles. Some sections were slower than others because of the rocks and mud. I chatted with others runners along the way. At one point my key that I had knotted in my shoelace somehow came loose. Luckily I saw it fall and was able to find it pretty quickly and secure it again, even tighter this time.

My goal was to finish in around three hours. Because of the wet trail conditions I didn't make my goal, finishing in 3:17. I was still happy to have done it. As a reward, Todd and I stopped by the McDonald's in Adams so I could get a chicken salad. It wasn't quite a yogurt parfait moment, but it sure came close. I'll be back again next year on the long course again!