The Catamount Hill Association is pleased to announce two hikes led by Muriel Russell.
Information on future hikes will be posted closer to the dates.
Catamount South Loop Walk: Vernal Pools & Wild Flowers
Saturday, March 29, 2025 9:30 am Rain date: Sunday, March 30
Weather permitting, plan to meet at the corner of Rt. 112 and Charlemont Road, Colrain. We will be driving up part way, then walking uphill on a dirt road, then branching west over a woodland trail. Hopefully, early spring flowers will be blooming all along the roadside and in adjacent woodlands.
Last spring, we found our Massachusetts State Flower, Trailing Arbutus. This plant is an evergreen hairy leaved creeper, often hiding under leaves and very different from the white flowering Canada May Flower, often seen.
This walk leads to two vernal pools where we will be looking for egg masses laid by Wood Frogs and Yellow Salamanders. At the first pool, we will be rescuing Wood Frog Eggs
from a truck-made rut. To survive, the eggs must be moved over into the vernal pool,
that the wood frogs didn’t reach.
Afterward, we will eat lunch up at McCloud Pond. Then, we will loop over to the East Adna Bass Trail to the Sam Brown vernal pool where both wood frog and salamander eggs have been seen in other springs. This path leads past Brown’s Mill site and back over to Stacy Road.
Wetlands: Dress according to the weather. Please carry an extra pair of socks, your lunch, and water as well as unscented bug repellent. Friendly dogs welcome. Space limited to 12 participants. To register, call Muriel at 413-624-3311.
Distance: about 2 miles on uneven terrain
Information on future hikes will be posted closer to the dates.
Catamount South Loop Walk: Vernal Pools & Wild Flowers
Saturday, March 29, 2025 9:30 am Rain date: Sunday, March 30
Weather permitting, plan to meet at the corner of Rt. 112 and Charlemont Road, Colrain. We will be driving up part way, then walking uphill on a dirt road, then branching west over a woodland trail. Hopefully, early spring flowers will be blooming all along the roadside and in adjacent woodlands.
Last spring, we found our Massachusetts State Flower, Trailing Arbutus. This plant is an evergreen hairy leaved creeper, often hiding under leaves and very different from the white flowering Canada May Flower, often seen.
This walk leads to two vernal pools where we will be looking for egg masses laid by Wood Frogs and Yellow Salamanders. At the first pool, we will be rescuing Wood Frog Eggs
from a truck-made rut. To survive, the eggs must be moved over into the vernal pool,
that the wood frogs didn’t reach.
Afterward, we will eat lunch up at McCloud Pond. Then, we will loop over to the East Adna Bass Trail to the Sam Brown vernal pool where both wood frog and salamander eggs have been seen in other springs. This path leads past Brown’s Mill site and back over to Stacy Road.
Wetlands: Dress according to the weather. Please carry an extra pair of socks, your lunch, and water as well as unscented bug repellent. Friendly dogs welcome. Space limited to 12 participants. To register, call Muriel at 413-624-3311.
Distance: about 2 miles on uneven terrain
East Catamount Vernal Pools and Spring Flowers Walk
Saturday, April 26, 2025 9:30 am Rain date: Sunday, April 27
Meet at West Branch Cemetery, 9:30 Saturday. Car pool up to parking area. We will be walking west on East Catamount, moving along old town dirt roads and over rock bridges. Destination: two Shippee Family sites #50 and #51 and two vernal pools.
The first Shippee site has evidence of a milk house over the brook, a large cellar built into a hillside, and a large barn site nearby. Shippee Branch Trail leads over to North Catamount, but we will be walking on another side trail, back over the main trail, and then to #51, a less known farm site where Ira and Dilly Shippee lived.
On the way up to the Shippee farm site, we will investigate two vernal pools. Those ponds now serve as nature’s vernal pools and probably did in 1840 when the Shippee family lived there. Up the road, cellar holes mark sites where the house, barn, and henhouse were built. The farm yard still has beautiful rock walls. Nature Journaling: During lunch you will have time to write about nature or compare your lifestyle to living there from 1820 to 1920, plenty of changes, but still no electricity.
Beyond the east wall, there is an ice pond in a section of Catamount that has foundations, but as far as we know, nobody recorded who lived at several cellar holes in the forest, there.
Wetlands: Dress according to the weather. Please carry an extra pair of socks, your lunch, and water as well as unscented bug repellent. Friendly dogs welcome. Space limited to 12 participants. To register, call Muriel at 413-624-3311.
Distance: about 2 miles on uneven terrain
Saturday, April 26, 2025 9:30 am Rain date: Sunday, April 27
Meet at West Branch Cemetery, 9:30 Saturday. Car pool up to parking area. We will be walking west on East Catamount, moving along old town dirt roads and over rock bridges. Destination: two Shippee Family sites #50 and #51 and two vernal pools.
The first Shippee site has evidence of a milk house over the brook, a large cellar built into a hillside, and a large barn site nearby. Shippee Branch Trail leads over to North Catamount, but we will be walking on another side trail, back over the main trail, and then to #51, a less known farm site where Ira and Dilly Shippee lived.
On the way up to the Shippee farm site, we will investigate two vernal pools. Those ponds now serve as nature’s vernal pools and probably did in 1840 when the Shippee family lived there. Up the road, cellar holes mark sites where the house, barn, and henhouse were built. The farm yard still has beautiful rock walls. Nature Journaling: During lunch you will have time to write about nature or compare your lifestyle to living there from 1820 to 1920, plenty of changes, but still no electricity.
Beyond the east wall, there is an ice pond in a section of Catamount that has foundations, but as far as we know, nobody recorded who lived at several cellar holes in the forest, there.
Wetlands: Dress according to the weather. Please carry an extra pair of socks, your lunch, and water as well as unscented bug repellent. Friendly dogs welcome. Space limited to 12 participants. To register, call Muriel at 413-624-3311.
Distance: about 2 miles on uneven terrain
October 19, 2024 9:30 am
Catamount Cave Hike/Rock Walk
Come enjoy an invigorating and educational hike on Catamount Hill sponsored by the Catamount Hill Association led by Muriel Russell
Meet at West Branch Cemetery, Adamsville Road, near bridge. We will car pool to small parking area, farther up road, on East Catamount near the Cary cellar hole. The North East loop follows old town roads, bordered by rock walls, high ledges, and unusual rock formations. Lunch site: The Devil's Oven. Please bring a flashlight for investigating the Cave and Dens. Walking the loop, we will pass cellar holes where the Shippees & Willis families & Patience Cannon farmed long ago. This loop walk is approximatley 3 miles, on uneven terrain, some off-road in the woods, but not too hilly. Bring extra socks, your lunch & unscented bug repellent. Friendly dogs welcomed.
Space limited to 12 participants
June 15, 2024 9:30 am
Guided Hike and Flag Raising
Saturday, June 15th will be the next guided hike on Catamount Hill, weather permitting. There will also be a flag raising. Meet at 9:30 a.m. at the corner of Rt. 112 & Charlemont Rd., Colrain. For folks walking up on their own, follow the red hanging tags to the Schoolhouse Monument, but if you wish to eat lunch at the pond first, follow the blue tags north, at the right hand turn. Then look for red tags leading you west from the pond, over the hill & turn right for the monument. Flag raising is at 2 p.m.
Everyone attending the flag raising will be hiking uphill along old town roads and if you choose South Catamount Hill Rd. watch for signs marking cellar holes where families lived. First, the Farleys then, along the flag mid level section, on the right, Reuben Shippee. Farther along, Daniel’s on the left. The road is flooded just beyond where Peter Shippee’s family lived at what is called the rock house because he used a rock ledge for the backside. Following the red flags, move off the road, to the right and be very careful crossing the brook. It is only a short distance over that woodland trail to the old road. From the pond turn left, the the next right.
Please bring extra socks, water, your lunch & unscented bug repellent. Friendly dogs welcome.
Catamount Cave Hike/Rock Walk
Come enjoy an invigorating and educational hike on Catamount Hill sponsored by the Catamount Hill Association led by Muriel Russell
Meet at West Branch Cemetery, Adamsville Road, near bridge. We will car pool to small parking area, farther up road, on East Catamount near the Cary cellar hole. The North East loop follows old town roads, bordered by rock walls, high ledges, and unusual rock formations. Lunch site: The Devil's Oven. Please bring a flashlight for investigating the Cave and Dens. Walking the loop, we will pass cellar holes where the Shippees & Willis families & Patience Cannon farmed long ago. This loop walk is approximatley 3 miles, on uneven terrain, some off-road in the woods, but not too hilly. Bring extra socks, your lunch & unscented bug repellent. Friendly dogs welcomed.
Space limited to 12 participants
June 15, 2024 9:30 am
Guided Hike and Flag Raising
Saturday, June 15th will be the next guided hike on Catamount Hill, weather permitting. There will also be a flag raising. Meet at 9:30 a.m. at the corner of Rt. 112 & Charlemont Rd., Colrain. For folks walking up on their own, follow the red hanging tags to the Schoolhouse Monument, but if you wish to eat lunch at the pond first, follow the blue tags north, at the right hand turn. Then look for red tags leading you west from the pond, over the hill & turn right for the monument. Flag raising is at 2 p.m.
Everyone attending the flag raising will be hiking uphill along old town roads and if you choose South Catamount Hill Rd. watch for signs marking cellar holes where families lived. First, the Farleys then, along the flag mid level section, on the right, Reuben Shippee. Farther along, Daniel’s on the left. The road is flooded just beyond where Peter Shippee’s family lived at what is called the rock house because he used a rock ledge for the backside. Following the red flags, move off the road, to the right and be very careful crossing the brook. It is only a short distance over that woodland trail to the old road. From the pond turn left, the the next right.
Please bring extra socks, water, your lunch & unscented bug repellent. Friendly dogs welcome.
Vernal Pools: Saturday, April, 27, 2024
The Catamount Hill Association is sponsoring a guided hike on Catamount Hill, weather permitting. Meet at 10 a.m. at the corner of Rt. 112 and Charlemont Rd., Colrain. This wetland walk begins on Stacy Rd. We will be walking uphill, passing brooks, vernal pools and McCleod/Catamount Pond. Then, we will walk along the Adna Bass trail, visiting the Bass and Dwight homesites and Sam Brown’s mill site. Trees have recently fallen across this trail, but it is passable. Spring wildflowers are blooming. Dress according to the weather. Bring extra socks, water and your lunch. Use unscented bug repellent. Friendly dogs welcome. Space limited to 12 participants. To register contact CHA through their email address: [email protected]
There are two more hikes planned this year. One in June and one in September. Information on those hikes will be posted closer to the date of each.
The Catamount Hill Association is sponsoring a guided hike on Catamount Hill, weather permitting. Meet at 10 a.m. at the corner of Rt. 112 and Charlemont Rd., Colrain. This wetland walk begins on Stacy Rd. We will be walking uphill, passing brooks, vernal pools and McCleod/Catamount Pond. Then, we will walk along the Adna Bass trail, visiting the Bass and Dwight homesites and Sam Brown’s mill site. Trees have recently fallen across this trail, but it is passable. Spring wildflowers are blooming. Dress according to the weather. Bring extra socks, water and your lunch. Use unscented bug repellent. Friendly dogs welcome. Space limited to 12 participants. To register contact CHA through their email address: [email protected]
There are two more hikes planned this year. One in June and one in September. Information on those hikes will be posted closer to the date of each.
A Murder on Catamount
On September 8, 1875, Joseph Riley Farnsworth, a 35-year-old Civil War veteran and sheep farmer on Catamount Hill, was steps away from home after a day’s trip to Greenfield when he was brutally attacked. Barely able to drag himself the rest of the way and unable to communicate, he died the next morning.
The search for the perpetrator will be the subject of a Colrain Historical Society program at 7:30 on the evening of June 13 following the Society’s 7:00 business meeting in the Stacy Barn behind the Pitt House at 8 Main Road, Colrain.
