Hike100 participant
Date completed: 11/22/2021
Home base: Merrimack, NH
Miles: In the winter and spring of 2021 I hiked all of the Massachusetts sections of the New England Trail except the final 19.2 northern miles. I also hiked as far south as Tariffville, CT. I covered a lot of these miles in long 10-15 mile point-to-point day hikes as well as a couple of overnights covering closer to 20-25 miles per day. while I live in NH my folks live in South Hadley, MA and I hiked the seven sisters (rt. 116 notch to CT river) as well as the mount tom section (CT river to rt 141 Easthampton road) multiple times.
Describe the NET: a very quiet and remote trail exploring old New England landscapes. beautiful mountain vistas as well as old pine forests.
What do you love about the NET? The peace and quiet.
Advice for NET Hikers: Start small. don’t expect large mountain views in each section you explore. take the time to enjoy the hardwood forest and old landscapes.
Trail Story:
I am an avid hiker and backpacker having completed the Appalachian trail as a southbound thru-hike in 2019. it wasn’t until a few years ago that I learned the New England trail goes right through the backyard of where I grew up in western Massachusetts. it was very special to me to spend so much time in the woods in an area I knew so well from my childhood but only knew by pavement and cars.