Soapstone Mountain in Quabbin

[fishfanatic]

I wanted to post a report on trail conditions for this hike but decided there would not be enough room under the trail conditions section. This is my first posting to the site. This was a family hike with my wife Renee and my 2 daughters, Laura, 9 , and Dani, 7. Renee and I used to backpack some before we had the girls in our lives. We are encouraging the girls to go for hikes and hopefully someday we will backpack with them.

This trip began at gate 37 in Quabbin reservior in Central Massachusetts. I fish there a lot from my boat but rarely walk around there. Laura wanted to climb some rocks for her birthday . It was Sept 18/2004. It was a beautiful sunny warm day 70 deg.,with a stiff northwest wind. We parked at gate 37, then went down the road which was a hill. We came to a fork in 1/4 mile, and we bore right. Our friend Holly had given us directions and said to look for another fork on the right and that would put us on the trail. We crossed the west branch of Fever Brook which was flowing into the Quabbin quite nicely and saw a cart road at a 90 degree right but passed it, looking for another fork. We hiked on this logging road road for about a mile. There had been logging going on the left side. We got to the top of a hill, but we had never seen a fork. Renee and I decided we had missed the fork somehow and returned the way we came. Laura was dissapointed that we couldn't find the trail and we were were all feeling that way. We explored every possible path off the road but they all petered out.

We got back to the cart road by Fever brook and I said "Let's try going this way" Sure enough 100 yards down the trail was a small blue triangle on the left on a tree that said "Soapstone Mt."Our gloomyness lifted and now we were in high spirits after finding the right trail. It was just a small little path into some pine trees. On our right of the cart road was a huge beaver dam, the biggest I'd ever seen. Pointing straight down the cart road another blue triangle said "Soapstone Loop". There used to be a sign accross the cart road on the right but it appeared someone had ripped it down.

We had to crouch, at least I had to, being 6 feet tall, under the pines to start down the trail. After the small section of pines, we came upon a pool all covered with alge, at the bottom of some huge looming rock walls. It was really more of a giant sinkhole. We think it may have been a soapstone quarry as at the base of the walls was the greasy, soft soapstone rock. It appeared that it had been chiseled at.

We went around the pool and proceeded up the trail. It was easy to follow at a moderate pitch. There was one small part of rock that I boosted Dani up. We found a small den under a large piece of ledge that looked perfect for a porkupine hangout. After 20 minutes of climbing we approached the top and sure enough there were some perfect ledges that the girls could climb around on.

The top was cleared off and featured a spetacular view of Quabbin to the south, east, and west . I picked out places I had been in my boat but up there they looked quite different. It took me a while to adjust to the different viewpoint. I located the Pass, Grave's Landing, and the Quabbin lookout tower. Beyond Quabbin I could see 2 peaks of the Holyoke range- what we call "Dinosaur Mountains". There were lots of whitecaps and no boats on the water. They might have closed the boat accesses that day because of the high winds.

We were in good shape being sheltered by trees to the north. We climbed around the ledges and ate some lunch. We discovered another perfect porkupine den and this one had porkupine pellets in it. A young couple appeared and left after a few minutes. We left at 4pm following the trail on the other side of the peak, hoping that it would lead back as the loop trail and connect back to the cart road.

The girls found some boulders to climb on and they sat perched there. We kept going but the trail seemed to head straight north without any sign of becoming a loop. Then another trail crossed that went into state forest - probably the Federated Women's forest area. It had no blue triangle so we kept going until we hit another path that bore off to the right. We were pretty far out into Quabbin now and it was getting late. We had no map, but I don't believe there is a map of these trails. If anyone knows about one, please let me know. I have the Quabbin reservior map that shows the old roads but not the hiking trails. Anyhow, the adults made the decision to track back the way we came. Laura was dissapointed that we couldn't pull off a loop hike, and usually I would want to go ahead and try. I don't know if being a father has made me more wise or more cautious, but this time I totally agreed with Renee to huff it back the way we came. I could envision the 4 of us wandering the night around Quabbin lost of those trails - not something I relished.

So we got to climb Soapstone Mt. again from the other side, which fortunately is not as steep. We crossed over the top and passed the first porkupine lodge and lo and behold, lumbering through the woods was a fat ole' porkypine!. He saw us and picked up his speed to a fast waddle and went around us - and probably headed up the mountain to spend the night in den #2. We laughed and laughed at the hurried waddle of the Prickly Porky.

We got down the trail and checked out the beaver dam but saw no beavers. The girls broke off 2 huge fern fronds and draped theirselves with them, making themselves appear slightly Egyptian. I felt real good at having made some correct decisions - for a change- and got everyone back after a very enjoyable 4 mile hike.

So if anyone knows how this mysterious "Soapstone Loop" loops, I would very much like to know. Also, other suggested hikes around Central Mass that would be 4-5 miles would be appreciated.

 

[Davehiker]

I've never been in gate 37 or been up Soapstone Hill, but I've been in Gate 36 and come down by the State Forest just north of Soapstone Hill. Check this map for a few of the roads/trails. There is a trail that goes almost due south from the picnic area into the gorge east of Soapstone Hill.

I also recommend Michael Tougias' book. He has descriptions of hikes at lots of the gates and some maps.

Dave

 

[fishfanatic]

Hi Fish,
A nice report from a place we don't hear too much about.
Thanks!

Hi Al,

Thanks for the reply. I guess folks do read these things. I didn't know what to expect. Where do you usually hike?

Fish

 

[fishfanatic]

Hi Dave,

Hey thanks for the info!. I bookmarked the topozone map. That would be very useful next time. It sounds like the Soapstone loop would head south to north and connect with the picnic area. With the topo map and compass and some more time, I should be able to figure out the path. "The Gorge" sounds very intriguing.

I went over to Amazon.com to check out the M. Tougias book and bought it.

Thanks,

Fish

 

[Rick]

Having moved to MA recently, I think quabbin is only a short drive from our home near wachusett. It will be wonderful to get away from crowds, break out the GPS & Nat Geo topo and go have some fun. Where exactly is gate 37 please?

 

[Pat T]

Gate 37

The Tougias book has directions to many gates, but not to Gate 37. From his maps, and from looking at the DeLorme map book for Massachusetts, it looks like Gate 37 is reached by traveling west on West St. out of the center of Petersham.

The DeLorme maps do not show all the gates so are somewhat confusing as to how far you can actually drive.

I met someone last winter who frequented the area on his bike. He recommended entering via Gate 40 which is off Route 32A south of Petersham Center.

I'm interested in exploring this area but I do wonder if hunting is allowed.

Pat T

 

[Rick]

Fishfanatic,
EMS Has color maps of Quabbin with all of the forest roads and the numbered gates - They were $5.95. I picked one up and dusted off the boots and GPS and headed up to Soapstone this afternoon, going in through Gate 37, as you did. My plan was to go up the way you did and catch the Road off the summit (as shown on the map)
I absolutely missed the turn to the right after crossing fever brook, even though I was looking for it and ended up walking up the hill as you did. I passed a ranger in a truck, and asked him - he suggested I turn around and take the cutoff that I missed, but we spoke for a minute and I mentioned I would just continue on and take the road.
He explained that just before you head downhill on the road, it is a sharp left and the old tote road is on the right.

I got to the spot (it is marked with a signed "PT-3 (Park Trail 3??) and the old tote road just disappeared as a herd path into a small pine plantation. I turned right and headed in - The herd path is pretty easy to follow as herd paths go, but I lost it after 10 minutes with some blowdown. I decided to make a 90 degree right turn and go up the fall line and head right to the summit of Soapstone, after about 10 minutes of going through the puckerbrush, I came back onto the herd path (as an old road it makes a wide loop) and in a minute wa at the top and intercepted the blue diamond trail.

I turned right and in 10 minutes was at the outcropping of the rocks with the views that you described. Just before the outcropping, I did run into another couple on the trail - They were heading back to the Campgrounds on Federated Womens park area, which is where the blue diamond trail terminates. (I was covered with leaves and sweating bullets when I ran into them and I think they were dumbfounded as to my condition, if they assumed I was walking the ridgeline and not bushwacking.)

I spent an inordinate amount of time enjoying the views you described as well as those dinosaur hump mountains. I headed down past soapstone quarry and the huge beaver dam and came out at the road and reailized my error when I passed through earlier - I was so caught up looking left at the view of the bay, that I didn't see the old road on my right, I was just assuming the turn I needed was where the road curved 100 yards further up.

total mileage was 4.5 miles. I logged the loop on my GPS and also created a waypoint where the herdpath meets the trail at the top of the ridge. I can forward you a map of this route if you'd like
Rick