hamsinn
New member
My girlfriend and I backpacked the Taconic Crest Trail (TCT) over Labor Day weekend (Sept. 4 – 7). We had read a few trip reports and called the NYS Ranger (very helpful guy), so we knew what to expect in terms of water availability (very limited) and the best areas to camp. A few weeks prior, we mailed away for the new 2014 TCT map published by the Taconic Hiking Club, which was very helpful.
On the way to the trailhead we dropped water caches at Petersburg Pass and at the top of Robinson Hollow. High temps were in the mid-80’s the entire weekend, and it was very dry up on the crest, so the water drops were necessary. We hiked north, starting at Route 20 in Pittsfield. We enjoyed the 7-mile section to Berry Pond. The trail was in good shape, most of the elevation gain was gradual, and you pass an attractive small pond (Twin Pond) and beaver pond/wetland with an enormous beaver lodge in the middle. Note: We did lose the trail briefly at Twin Pond. It is easy to follow a dirt road straight past the pond. The TCT makes a sharp left that can be easy to miss. Fortunately, the Hiking Club trail description references the left and we were back on track in 10 minutes.
We had reserved a site at Berry Pond’s upper “rustic” campground. It was one of two “walk in” sites (#1, recommended). We had dinner at the overlook. Note that there is no drinking water at the upper campground (the lower area with water is a 2-mile downhill walk). A ranger we met recommended filtering below the pond outlet, but it wasn’t running during the dry spell. Summer thru hikers might be wise to cache water here. We ended up getting a ride down the mountain, filling our canteens, and riding back up.
On Day 2, we did 10 or so miles, dropping down to Hancock and back up on the crest to camp just past the Robinson Hollow intersection. The long descent off the ridge was nice, passing through impressive high-canopied forests. As others have noted, the road walk through farm and field to Route 43 was very scenic. The trail is on the road for about a mile and a half, passing through farm fields, across a busy road, and then back up a hill. Once you leave the paved road, you follow an old dirt road / Jeep trail for a short while then turn right – the trail becomes very steep for a short section, possibly the steepest portion of the whole TCT, but then becomes more gradual again.
Day 3 was our longest at 14 miles, and was fairly challenging with lots of ascents and descents. We saw a bear cub scooting up a tree near the summit of Berlin Mountain. It couldn’t have been more than 10-15 feet off the trail. Where was Momma Bear? A bit too close for our comfort. It was pretty clear that very few hikers approach Berlin from the south, so we likely startled the bear(s?). Needless to say our heart rates were elevated for a hour or so after the encounter. The view from Berlin wasn’t quite the 360 degree view promised by the trail guide, but still quite impressive.
The trail from Berlin to Petersburg pass is in pretty rough shape in spots. We agreed that the final steep drop to the parking lot was the worst section of the TCT – very steep, loose shale rock and dust. Unforgiving on the knees and patience of a backpacker. After crossing Petersburg Pass, you enter a large forest tract owned by Williams College, which was very pretty but doesn’t allow camping. After about an hour, we reentered New York State Forest and found a nice campsite in the trees near the White Rocks overlooks.
Day 4 was shorter in miles, but tough on the knees. We made the quick side trip to Snow Hole, which was cool (pun intended). The Vermont view was nice, but after climbing up and over what seemed like a never-ending procession of small peaks and dips in 85-degree heat, we were ready to finish. The final descent to Route 346 was long and steep. We did enjoy one particularly steep section that passes through a very high-canopied forest. The parking lot at the end is easy to miss from the road (our ride drove past it accidentally), but the short distance back to Albany (and hot showers) was nice.
Our Final Thoughts: Overall, we liked the TCT, but we’re not in a rush to ever do it again. We liked the fact that few people thru hike the trail. With the exception of campers at Berry Pond, we saw no other hikers on the trail until Berlin Mountain (nearly 2/3 of the trail’s length). We walked on miles of ATV trails and heard two ATVers in the distance, but it was neat to be out by ourselves in out-of-the-way spots you wouldn’t hike to otherwise. We hiked through old apple orchards, fern-filled clearings, and cool saddles where old roads used to meet. We hiked through dwarf ridge-top beech forests (maybe 20 feet high) and cathedral-like hardwood glades. We likely would have never camped at Berry Pond unless hiking the TCT, but really enjoyed our time there. We both thought the TCT would be a great fall hike, especially after some leaf drop to open up the filtered views, which are numerous.
With all that said, portions of the TCT were in rough shape, especially for the backpacker carrying 35 pounds. We definitely couldn't have completed the trail without trekking poles. We hiked during a dry spell, so the ATV trail walking was OK and actually (at times) a relief from steeper or narrow, less maintained sections. Be warned though, if it was wet, several of the ATV trail sections would have been very muddy and filled with standing water, and the hills would be really tough for backpackers – lots of slipping and sliding on loose shale and dirt. We found ample flat areas for camping, but since you can only camp on NYS land, you need to plan out camping areas in advance.
With the addition of a few designated camping spots and a few trail reroutes off of ATV trails, the TCT could be improved. Of course, it’s tough to construct new trails given the thin strips of public land and easements the TCT passes through, and hard for trail advocates to justify the expense when some sections of the trail see little hiker traffic. Overall, we enjoyed escaping into the trees for a few days on this less well-known trail and had a great mini-adventure.
On the way to the trailhead we dropped water caches at Petersburg Pass and at the top of Robinson Hollow. High temps were in the mid-80’s the entire weekend, and it was very dry up on the crest, so the water drops were necessary. We hiked north, starting at Route 20 in Pittsfield. We enjoyed the 7-mile section to Berry Pond. The trail was in good shape, most of the elevation gain was gradual, and you pass an attractive small pond (Twin Pond) and beaver pond/wetland with an enormous beaver lodge in the middle. Note: We did lose the trail briefly at Twin Pond. It is easy to follow a dirt road straight past the pond. The TCT makes a sharp left that can be easy to miss. Fortunately, the Hiking Club trail description references the left and we were back on track in 10 minutes.
We had reserved a site at Berry Pond’s upper “rustic” campground. It was one of two “walk in” sites (#1, recommended). We had dinner at the overlook. Note that there is no drinking water at the upper campground (the lower area with water is a 2-mile downhill walk). A ranger we met recommended filtering below the pond outlet, but it wasn’t running during the dry spell. Summer thru hikers might be wise to cache water here. We ended up getting a ride down the mountain, filling our canteens, and riding back up.
On Day 2, we did 10 or so miles, dropping down to Hancock and back up on the crest to camp just past the Robinson Hollow intersection. The long descent off the ridge was nice, passing through impressive high-canopied forests. As others have noted, the road walk through farm and field to Route 43 was very scenic. The trail is on the road for about a mile and a half, passing through farm fields, across a busy road, and then back up a hill. Once you leave the paved road, you follow an old dirt road / Jeep trail for a short while then turn right – the trail becomes very steep for a short section, possibly the steepest portion of the whole TCT, but then becomes more gradual again.
Day 3 was our longest at 14 miles, and was fairly challenging with lots of ascents and descents. We saw a bear cub scooting up a tree near the summit of Berlin Mountain. It couldn’t have been more than 10-15 feet off the trail. Where was Momma Bear? A bit too close for our comfort. It was pretty clear that very few hikers approach Berlin from the south, so we likely startled the bear(s?). Needless to say our heart rates were elevated for a hour or so after the encounter. The view from Berlin wasn’t quite the 360 degree view promised by the trail guide, but still quite impressive.
The trail from Berlin to Petersburg pass is in pretty rough shape in spots. We agreed that the final steep drop to the parking lot was the worst section of the TCT – very steep, loose shale rock and dust. Unforgiving on the knees and patience of a backpacker. After crossing Petersburg Pass, you enter a large forest tract owned by Williams College, which was very pretty but doesn’t allow camping. After about an hour, we reentered New York State Forest and found a nice campsite in the trees near the White Rocks overlooks.
Day 4 was shorter in miles, but tough on the knees. We made the quick side trip to Snow Hole, which was cool (pun intended). The Vermont view was nice, but after climbing up and over what seemed like a never-ending procession of small peaks and dips in 85-degree heat, we were ready to finish. The final descent to Route 346 was long and steep. We did enjoy one particularly steep section that passes through a very high-canopied forest. The parking lot at the end is easy to miss from the road (our ride drove past it accidentally), but the short distance back to Albany (and hot showers) was nice.
Our Final Thoughts: Overall, we liked the TCT, but we’re not in a rush to ever do it again. We liked the fact that few people thru hike the trail. With the exception of campers at Berry Pond, we saw no other hikers on the trail until Berlin Mountain (nearly 2/3 of the trail’s length). We walked on miles of ATV trails and heard two ATVers in the distance, but it was neat to be out by ourselves in out-of-the-way spots you wouldn’t hike to otherwise. We hiked through old apple orchards, fern-filled clearings, and cool saddles where old roads used to meet. We hiked through dwarf ridge-top beech forests (maybe 20 feet high) and cathedral-like hardwood glades. We likely would have never camped at Berry Pond unless hiking the TCT, but really enjoyed our time there. We both thought the TCT would be a great fall hike, especially after some leaf drop to open up the filtered views, which are numerous.
With all that said, portions of the TCT were in rough shape, especially for the backpacker carrying 35 pounds. We definitely couldn't have completed the trail without trekking poles. We hiked during a dry spell, so the ATV trail walking was OK and actually (at times) a relief from steeper or narrow, less maintained sections. Be warned though, if it was wet, several of the ATV trail sections would have been very muddy and filled with standing water, and the hills would be really tough for backpackers – lots of slipping and sliding on loose shale and dirt. We found ample flat areas for camping, but since you can only camp on NYS land, you need to plan out camping areas in advance.
With the addition of a few designated camping spots and a few trail reroutes off of ATV trails, the TCT could be improved. Of course, it’s tough to construct new trails given the thin strips of public land and easements the TCT passes through, and hard for trail advocates to justify the expense when some sections of the trail see little hiker traffic. Overall, we enjoyed escaping into the trees for a few days on this less well-known trail and had a great mini-adventure.
