Mt Prospect near Mt Greylock

[redcloud]

Hi,
I am thinkng on taking up hike up to Mt Prospect soon. I was wondering if any of you have gone up there, and if it is worth the walk.
I see if you take the AT from the reservoir at the base of Greylock to start, and then the Mt Prospect trail veers off at a lookout area part way up. Are their views off of Prospect?
If you go into Bascom Lodge and go into the sitting area and look out across the Hopper you see a rocky smaller peak. Is this Mt Prospect?
Thanks for any answers, Eric

 

[jfb]

I've been up Mt. Prospect many times. First of all, you can't see Mt. Prospect or across the Hopper from Bascom Lodge because the view is to the south and the Hopper is west. I think you're looking at Saddle Ball Mtn. from the Lodge. A great place from which to view Mt. Prospect and the Hopper is on Rt. 7, just north of the Store at Five Corners (intersection of Rt. 43). From that point, Mt. Prospect will be the long ridge to the left of the Mt. Greylock summit.

As far as views, the summit of Mt. Prospect is just a cairn in the woods and has no view at all. The only views are a side path off the trail south of the summit and at the intersection of the Mt. Prospect trail and the A.T.

My favorite hike to Mt. Prospect starts at the Hopper trailhead, follows the Money Brook trail to the south end of the Mt. Prospect trail, traverses over Mt. Prospect to the AT, then follows the AT south back to the Money Brook trail and back to the car. It's about an 8 mile loop. For a longer hike, follow the AT all the way to Greylock and descend the Hopper trail back to the car.

 

[KenC]

Redcloud,

I have done the hike up form the resivour a number of times. It's a nice hike, even has some steeps that remind you of the whites. You can turn it into a number of loops depending on how far you want to go.

Prospect is really more of a ridge. As you climb up from the Rte 2 side you come to a lookout that hase very nice views to the west and the taconics. The true summit of prospect is a bit farther up the path and sadly in the woods. The rocky peak your speaking of is most likely Stoney Ledge. Stoney ledge and Mt Prospect form the valley into the hopper.

A nice loop is up the AT to the overlook, Mt Prospect trail to Mt Prospect then decend it into the Hopper. Pick up Stoney Brook, to the Hopper i think (don't have my map with me). This dumps you near the campground then there are a couple of options to the summit of Greylock. Then pick up the AT northbound and head over mt Fitch. Just an amble on the ridge, open woods in the fall. Then to Mt Williams, decend williams and continue on the AT and it will bring you back to the overlook. From there it's downhill to the car. Around 11-12 miles and close to 4,000 feet believe it or not as you give up a lot of elevation heading down into the hopper.

A shorter nice trip would be up the AT to the lookout, continue on the at, take a trip on the Stoney Brook trail to the Wilbur Crossing Shelter, backtrack and continue on the AT to Mt Williams (slight views to the east). You can turn around and backtrack here or head across the ridge (easy walk) over Mt Fitch (no views) and to Greylock. It's an out and back but still nice.

 

[redcloud]

I've been up Mt. Prospect many times. First of all, you can't see Mt. Prospect or across the Hopper from Bascom Lodge because the view is to the south and the Hopper is west. I think you're looking at Saddle Ball Mtn. from the Lodge.

Hi JFB,
I stand corrected. I know that when you are on the road to the top where the road is slipping off the mountain, you are looking across the hopper. I though the rocky spot that you see from the lodge window was Prospect. It looks like the views from this rocky area back towards Grelock would be good. I just wasn't sure what that spot is called. Someone else said it is "Stony Ledge".
I have done a nice loop up there before. I started from the AT parking area halfway up the mountain road and went up Mt Williams and onto Mt Fitch, then to Mt Greylock. From the top, I went down into the hopper via the hopper trail and joined up to the money brook trail at the bottom which then brings you back to the road near where the AT crosses.
I think is was about 8 miles, but it was harder cause the hike ends all uphill back to where my car was.
Take care, Eric