Once again I left for Appalachia with an agenda far too ambitious for me in my current state, and once again I ended up having a very good time doing something else 
A few years ago I did the Brookside Trail, and enjoyed it very much. As I pointed out a few days ago, inertia is a terrible thing, and I must have gone up the Valley Way a couple of dozen times since without ever repeating the Brookside. So one definite thing on today's agenda was to go to the hut by Valley Way, Brookside, Lower Bruin and back to Valley Way.
I remembered right, the Brookside Trail is delightful! Much of it is close to the brook, and even when it rises quite high on the valley wall you can still hear the brook. The footing is good, and the RMC has done an incredible amount of work on it to make sure it stays good. The Lower Bruin is much rougher, but short. The distance is, best I can tell, identical to that on the valley Way. Try it on your next trip to the hut!!!
Reaching the hut I found the weather cold and windy, plus I was a bit tired. I believe the cold and wind were really excuses; I had all the required gear, and temps in the mid-thirties with winds around 20 mph would not have deterred me had I felt in better shape.
I decided to return the way I had come. A few minutes after passing the junction with the Kelton Trail I regretted not having taken it; lunch on Dome Rock would have been nice. Since I hate going back I shrugged my shoulders and continued.
The Brookside Trail is lovely, but has no views, and so I reached its bottom with my lunch uneaten. Since I had not really hiked that much I decided to go the the first viewpoint on the Inlook Trail for lunch.
The problem is that, as you go up that trail, each viewpoint is better than the previous one (I had done it a week or so ago). It is really a wonderful trail; first you see Madison, then JQ Adams appears, then you get the main summit of Adams. As you get higher you start seeing the upper rim of King Ravine, then Sam Adams appears. So, in spite of the steepness of the trail (850 feet in 0.7 miles to its top) I decided to go to the top. Great lunch spot at Dome Rock, with views to the north.
Since I had only done the part of the Kelton Trail between the Inlook Trail and the Brookside Trail it made sense to take the other part of the Kelton Trail down to the Howker Ridge Trail, and return to Appalachia by the Sylvan Way and Maple Walk, about half a mile more descending the Inlook trail and taking the Valley Way. There are two viewpoints on that trail; the upper one (the Overlook) has excellent views, the lower one (Kelton Crag) has at best limited views.
I accomplished much less, in terms of distance and elevation gain, than I had hoped. On the other hand, I had a great time. I, for one, am not complaining!!!!
A few years ago I did the Brookside Trail, and enjoyed it very much. As I pointed out a few days ago, inertia is a terrible thing, and I must have gone up the Valley Way a couple of dozen times since without ever repeating the Brookside. So one definite thing on today's agenda was to go to the hut by Valley Way, Brookside, Lower Bruin and back to Valley Way.
I remembered right, the Brookside Trail is delightful! Much of it is close to the brook, and even when it rises quite high on the valley wall you can still hear the brook. The footing is good, and the RMC has done an incredible amount of work on it to make sure it stays good. The Lower Bruin is much rougher, but short. The distance is, best I can tell, identical to that on the valley Way. Try it on your next trip to the hut!!!
Reaching the hut I found the weather cold and windy, plus I was a bit tired. I believe the cold and wind were really excuses; I had all the required gear, and temps in the mid-thirties with winds around 20 mph would not have deterred me had I felt in better shape.
I decided to return the way I had come. A few minutes after passing the junction with the Kelton Trail I regretted not having taken it; lunch on Dome Rock would have been nice. Since I hate going back I shrugged my shoulders and continued.
The Brookside Trail is lovely, but has no views, and so I reached its bottom with my lunch uneaten. Since I had not really hiked that much I decided to go the the first viewpoint on the Inlook Trail for lunch.
The problem is that, as you go up that trail, each viewpoint is better than the previous one (I had done it a week or so ago). It is really a wonderful trail; first you see Madison, then JQ Adams appears, then you get the main summit of Adams. As you get higher you start seeing the upper rim of King Ravine, then Sam Adams appears. So, in spite of the steepness of the trail (850 feet in 0.7 miles to its top) I decided to go to the top. Great lunch spot at Dome Rock, with views to the north.
Since I had only done the part of the Kelton Trail between the Inlook Trail and the Brookside Trail it made sense to take the other part of the Kelton Trail down to the Howker Ridge Trail, and return to Appalachia by the Sylvan Way and Maple Walk, about half a mile more descending the Inlook trail and taking the Valley Way. There are two viewpoints on that trail; the upper one (the Overlook) has excellent views, the lower one (Kelton Crag) has at best limited views.
I accomplished much less, in terms of distance and elevation gain, than I had hoped. On the other hand, I had a great time. I, for one, am not complaining!!!!
