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

Hawaii Route 8930

Hawaii Route 8930 is a 2.5-mile State Highway on the Island of O'hau. Hawaii Route 8930 is aligned over Kualakai Parkway over the course of its entire alignment south from Interstate H-1 to Kapolei Parkway. Hawaii Route 8930 is one of the newest Hawaii Routes only having been completed during 2010. This page is part of the Gribblenation O'ahu Highways page. All Gribblenation and Roadwaywiz media related to the highway system of O'ahu can be found at the link below: https://www.gribblenation.org/p/gribblenation-oahu-highways-page.html Part 1; the history of Hawaii Route 8930 The history of Hawaii Route 8930 is brief given it is a modern facility. Hawaii Route 8930 and what was known as "North-South Road" were built to facilitate the developing areas of Kapolei on western O'ahu. According to hawaiihighways.com the first stage of Hawaii Route 8930 was completed from Kapolei Parkway north to Farrington Highway as a four-lane highway during November...

Madera County Road 607 and the Stockton-Los Angeles Road

Madera County Road 607 is an approximately seven-mile rural unsurfaced highway which spans from Road 600 near Raymond west to Road 29. Road 607 west from Raymond Road Cemetery (established in 1905) is part of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road corridor surveyed in 1853. The corridor lies in the gap between Fresno Crossing at the Fresno River west to Newton's Crossing at the Chowchilla River. The Buchanan Copper Mine would be along what is now Road 607 in the namesake Buchanan Hollow during July 1863. The Buchanan Mine is thought to have once had a population of between 1,000-1,500 residents by the early 1870s. Copper prices would decline in the decade after the Civil War and much of the activity at Buchanan shifted towards cattle ranching. The last businesses in the community would shutter during World War II and it is now a true ghost town. Part 1; the history of Madera County Road 607 and the Stockton-Los Angeles Road What is now Road 607 was a component of the larger Sto...

Old US Route 60/70 through Hell (Chuckwall Valley Road and Ragsdale Road)

Back in 2016 I explored some of the derelict roadways of the Sonoran Desert of Riverside County which were part of US Route 60/70; Chuckwalla Valley Road and Ragsdale Road. US 60 and US 70 were not part of the original run of US Routes in California. According to USends.com US 60 was extended into California by 1932. US 60 doesn't appear on the California State Highway Map until the 1934 edition. USends.com on US 60 endpoints 1934 State Highway Map Conversely US 70 was extended into California by 1934, it first appears on the 1936 State Highway Map. USends.com on US 70 endpoints 1936 State Highway Map When US 60 and US 70 were extended into California they both utilized what was Legislative Route Number 64 from the Arizona State Line west to Coachella Valley. LRN 64 was part of the 1919 Third State Highway Bond Act routes. The original definition of LRN 64 routed between Mecca in Blythe and wasn't extended to the Arizona State Line until 1931 acc...

Gribblenation

Search This Blog