Mt. Watatic 7/7/06

[TDawg]

Got up too late to go to the Whites, so decided on a relatively short hike up this small, but beautiful northern Worcester County mountain in Ashburnham/Ashby, MA, just a dozen miles from the NH border.

I took the Wapack trail from MA Rt. 119, views were great south into Massachusetts including Mt. Wachusett, and north and northeast to the Wapack Range and Mt. Monadnock.

Summit views are great but I thought the views from the eastern knob are arguably better than from the actual summit because it opens up the view to the Wapack Range of southern NH. The summit has a nice granite memorial to the folks who saved the mountain from evil developers.

When were the towers on the summit taken down? (two seperate footprints)

Pictures are here....Enjoy

 

[TDawg]

Took the scenic route home past Wachusett. Originally I had planned on hiking Wachusett as well but in my hurry out forgot bug spray, and they were getting bad so I just took my time getting down Rt. 140 on home to Westborough.

I had been by the rock countless times going skiing/snowboarding at Wachusett, never stopped, but always wondered what it was about. It was actually really interesting stopping because I knew very little about King Philips War of 1675-76, and a ministers wife's ransom, who had been captive with the indians for months, was negotiated on the rock outcropping. ( I like history )

And the memorial didn't have a date on it, so I don't know how old. (I'm sure someone does) And I really liked it as well.

 

[Pat T]

There was a fire tower on Watatic and there was also a ski lift. These may be the two "towers" you were asking about. I'm not sure when either of these were dismanted but you can find information about the ski area at this web site http://www.nelsap.org/ma/watatic.html which deals with old ski areas in NE and NY. They skied there into the 80s. The ski lodge burned down some time in the late 80s, after the ski area closed. The old ski trails are getting pretty overgrown.

While much of Watatic is in Worcester County, I believe the Middlesex County high point is on the Wapack Trail, on Nutting Hill which is north of Watatic.

Pat T

 

[TDawg]

While much of Watatic is in Worcester County, I believe the Middlesex County high point is on the Wapack Trail, on Nutting Hill which is north of Watatic.

Pat T

Which reminds me I failed to mention I took the loop over Nutting Hill and back via the State Line Tr. According to that map (which was on the Wapack Tr.), Nutting Hill is still in Worcester County.

Also, here and here are pictures of the two separate footings. One is directly on the summit (second pic) and one a little bit to the south (first pic, maybe remnants of a lift? looks like a tower footing).

 

[Pat T]

Yes, I think you are correct about the tower (at the top of the mtn.) and the ski lift. The Middlesex County highpoint is not at the top of Nutting Hill (which is still in Worcester County) but off in the woods to the east.

It's a great place to hike.

Pat T

 

[smitty77]

I don't remember that monument when I was there last year.

It must be fairly recent, because I was up there in the fall of 2004 and found a concrete footing with two PVC pipes cast in the middle, which puzzeled me to no end. Looking at TDawg's photo, what I saw was the footing for the monument. The pvc pipes must have been used to create pockets to accomodate support rods for the monument stone.

The "shelter" photo was great. It was still standing when I was up there, but didn't look like it would keep you dry by any means.

As for the footings, are they really to the south of the summit, or did you mean north? If they are to the south I don't think they would be part of the ski area. Maybe an earlier fire tower than the summit one? I'll have to check with Max to see if he has any more info. He used to ski and hike that mountain regularly back in the day. About 15 years ago the tower at the top of the lift was still standing, and there was some evidence of recent work done to improve the footings. I think this was from the latest and last attempt to reopen the ski area in the late 80s. Also at that time some of the buildings at the base were still standing and you could drive right up to them. The buildings have since been destroyed by fire and the old base road blocked by a huge mound of dirt.

Smitty

 

[TDawg]

As for the footings, are they really to the south of the summit, or did you mean north? If they are to the south I don't think they would be part of the ski area. Maybe an earlier fire tower than the summit one?
Smitty

Actually, double checking the map picture, the first footing encounteres was about 30 yards WEST of the summit right on the trail. I just got mixed up a bit because the trail approaches from the southern side.

 

[brianW]

The first picture is the footings of the fire tower. It was pulled down just before Thanksgiving in either 96 or 97 (I believe 96) It was in disrepair and someone fell from it a few months before it was taken down. I rember bieng up on top a Thanksgiving morning seeing the remains on the ground and telling another hiker I rember seeing it up Sunday, his reply was "it was standing yesterday morning when I was up"

The second picture is from a ski lift, this sits right on the summit. As for the memorial the I believ it was placed up there last fall. The first time I noticed it was in November.

A great route for a hike is up the Mid-State/Wapack trail (or you may rember it being called Blueberry Ledge Trail) to the summit then down Wapack over Nutting Hill to the NH/MA state line then back down the State line Trail.

It was fairly easy to follow the old ski trails about ten years ago but the are growing fast. Old ski lift equipment can be found in the area. When I was up there last (middle of June) an older couple drove their suv up the road. I wish they would block it off. -brianW

 

[arm]

Mount Watatic is the first mountain i ever climbed, in the mid 80's

earliest picture i have of the monument is from mid-october 2004 ... july 2002 date on the monument might stand for when local folks pulled together to get the state to buy Watatic back from a telecommunications company who had bought this land a few years before

search around, you might find stories about how the telecommunications company had planned to close the summit, until hiking folks convinced them to keep it free

Watatic's east peak is one of my favorite places to hang out

in may 2002 i hiked up State Line Trail, over Nutting Hill toward Watatic ... on the way, i spotted a small trail sign in the woods that said "lookout" ... figuring it might lead to a view (outlook), i followed it

turned out to be a cross-country ski trail ... which led to other ski trails, until i reached a house, owned by a family who bought the land a few years before ... nice folks who invited me back to snowshoe or ski their trails any time ... they handed me a trail map and said they maintain these trails in Winter

the "shelter" just south of Watatic's summit fell in november 2004

we used to climb the fire tower, just west of the true summit ... stairs were missing from the first level so you had to climb the frame and scurry over to the stairs ... stairs up high were rotting, and it was sketchy climbing up there in high winds ... here's a picture, from the east peak

 

[smitty77]

Thanks for all of the info Brian and Arm. I must have been up there just before the monument was placed and the shelter collapse....

Does anyone know if you can still hike the "Telephone Line" trail from further east on 119? A local journalist hiked it with his kids a few months ago and wrote an article in the apaper about it, but I thought someone told me it was officially closed. It's very rare to see cars at the old turnout/parking area on the side of the road, but I see tons at the "new" parking area. Can anyone shed some light on this?

Also, when I was up there last I saw a gravel road had been built almost to the summit. Was this leftover from the ski area, or was it constucted in hopes of transporting a cell tower to the summit? Is this the road you mentioned Brian?

 

[arm]

found a few emails regarding the telecommunications company buying, then selling, Mount Watatic:

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Sent: Wednesday, March 22, 2000

MT. WATATIC SOLD TO CELL TOWER COMPANY!

Mt. Watatic, a small hill (1832') in Ashburnham, MA on Rte 119 (along the NH border) was sold a few weeks ago to a telecommunications company. There is intent to put a communications tower on the top. The property (including Watatic) is now off limits to hikers (No Tresspassing signs have gone up).

I'm very sorry to see this happen, as Watatic has been a favorite "quick" hike of mine with rewarding views for little effort. I ran a few night hikes there with GONewEngland last year - and every hike was most enjoyable. It's just a great place for sunsets and moonlit hikes, plus it's a significant point in the local trail systems.

A town meeting is scheduled soon to cover zoning and "proper use" of the land as well as how communications tower must look, etc.

If you're an Ashburnham, MA resident, I urge you to make your opinions known. I do hope that a compromise can be reached where Watatic is preserved for hikers *and* where the needs of the land owners can be met as well - to benefit everyone.

One Ashburnham resident's perspective:
http://www.net1plus.com/users/tdriskell/watatic.html

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Sent: Wednesday, April 05, 2000

WATATIC UPDATE
When we last left Mt. Watatic, it had been purchased by a telecommunications company and fenced off. A communications tower was slated for the summit, but the towns of Ashby and Ashburnham were getting ready to fight the tower.

The town selectman have passed a restriction prohibiting communications towers within 1000' of a wildlife sanctuary, putting Watatic off limits. The State may opt to take the land by eminent domain, thus preserving the peak for recreational use. Further, a local individual has offered to reimburse the State the $700,000 cost of the land should the State take it over.

No, it's not over yet, but decisions seem to have come down in favor of those who wish to keep Watatic the way it is.

It's great that we may preserve one of the few relatively undisturbed peaks left in that area of Mass, and you'll see me there for some moonlight hikes. But - as someone reminded me when I first broke this story - one has to balance this and remember that a legal land owner's rights may be taken away - no discussion, no compromise, here's your money back, end of story. I guess it's up to each of us to decide what's right or fair in this and other similar cases.

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Sent: Wednesday, June 12, 2002

State environmental officials have reached a $2.5 million agreement to buy the upper slopes of Mount Watatic from a telecommunications company that had sought to install a cell phone tower on the wild peak after paying $700,000 for 280 acres there in January 2000. - AP

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[smitty77]

Thanks for all of the info Arm. This "mountain" holds a special place in my heart because it was one of the first I ever hiked. I grew up in Leominster, had relatives in Fitchburg and Ashby, and spent many summer days at my grandparent's church camp in Ashburnham on lake Winikeag. In short, I'm pretty familiar with the area. I've only been up the mountain a dozen times or so, but have driven past it probably 100 or more. Even now, as I look toward the rounded summit as I cruise the highway, I can't help but think that it still looks odd without the fire tower.

 

[hikerfast]

i grew up in fitchburg area and have had many a good hike on watatic and the wapack in my hiking experience. i remember climbing up watatic ski slopes at a cub scout jamboree when i was a runt. its pretty wild that you can hike 9 miles without crossing a road that close to metro boston.

 

[Dugan]

maybe we can talk a few friends into a Wapack through-hike this fall ?

Some of us talked about it for this spring, but events conspired such that fall works better - Rocksnrolls, Lattinhill, Jade, Unadogger...

 

[jjo]

When we lived in Shrewsbury, Mass, I hiked those same hills many times. They were easy to get to on a short day. I've done the trails around Redemption rock, Wachuset, etc. Nice country for Mass. Liked your pics and Tr as well as your Bonds report...Thanks

 

[Raymond]

Yes, it was 1996 when the fire tower was taken down. It was there on August 23rd of that year, gone on New Year’s Eve. I didn’t even realize it was missing until after I’d gone down, so I went back up on New Year’s Day to make sure.

When my son and I were up there last year, there were a couple guys on ATVs driving around the summit.

 

[brianW]

Smitty, Arm
I am the same with Watatic. Has one of the first peaks I did and have climbed it at least a 100 times. The power line (or telephone line) trail has parking along the road and the hiking is fine. There was an old sign that stated it was closed way up in a tree but I don't think it is there anymore.

During my college years I would go over there after tests to chill and when I tranfered to UMass I drove the hour each weekend to do an ecology project.

I always referred to Watatic as "My favorite little mountain in the world" and it was my last hike before we moved to Georgia in June. -brianW