another continuation of my try to visit all 44 of the
municipal tripoints of berkshire county massachusetts
that began with message 17364 & has continued
sporadically
is picking up again now where it last left off about a
month ago
with 21 down & 8 elusive
& 15 still untried

this county is quite special in being one of only 9 in
the usa with more than 1 tristate point
& in many ways the loveliest one at that
but it is perhaps uniquely special for being the only
county anywhere with all its internal tripoints
supposedly directly marked
even if under water

or at least they were all reportedly marked as of the
publication in 1915 of the most recent local official
border bible

& that fact
if indeed it is & remains a fact
poses a possibly unique opportunity for attaining not
only a preciously rare sort of completion but even a
semblance of perfection
provided all 44 markers can ultimately be found

on my first pass thru the full ensemble i am just
using usgs topos without any navigational hardware but
i plan to come back after the toughest nuts with a gps
receiver if necessary

reference map
http://www.berkshireweb.com/themap/index.html

the 15 untried virgins that are lined up for the long
weekend are listed with some annotations below
tho in no particular order yet

chdawi
cheshire dalton windsor
http://topozone.com/map.asp?z=18&n=4711207&e=656047&s=25&size=l&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25
looks like a high dry approach route of under a mile
from north street
with the 645m knolltop available for topographic
navigation
as well as for setting a final course of 550 feet due
west of it

chdala
cheshire dalton lanesborough
http://topozone.com/map.asp?z=18&n=4708424&e=649522&s=50&size=l&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25
best access looks to be by about a mile bushwhack from
brough road
possibly with a chla lead line
but just navigating topographically also looks doable
with possible backup help from the appalachian trail

halapi
hancock lanesborough pittsfield
http://topozone.com/map.asp?z=18&n=4707185&e=638725&s=25&size=l&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25
appears to have several possible entrees if straight
up the hill is a bust

halane
hancock lanesborough new ashford
http://topozone.com/map.asp?z=18&n=4716399&e=643230&s=25&size=l&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25
with help from the ridge line jeep trail & ski lifts
etc

chlane
cheshire lanesborough new ashford
approach
http://topozone.com/map.asp?z=18&n=4713677&e=645647&s=100&size=l&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25
detail
http://topozone.com/map.asp?z=18&n=4715635&e=647569&s=25&size=l&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25
looks like a 240 foot cake walk

adchne
adams cheshire new ashford
http://topozone.com/map.asp?z=18&n=4718179&e=648756&s=48&size=l&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25
for old adams road trail
http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/trails/Mt.Grey-Summer.gif
looks best to enter under jones nose & use the trails
& at length the topography

adchsa
adams cheshire savoy
showing the approach & also the continuation to chsawi
http://topozone.com/map.asp?z=18&n=4715866&e=654134&s=100&size=l&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25
via burlingame & or white road
http://topozone.com/map.asp?z=18&n=4717583&e=656818&s=24&size=l&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25
it looks like a pleasant ramble thru fields & woods

chsawi
cheshire savoy windsor
http://topozone.com/map.asp?z=18&n=4713621.0001058&e=657186.000015631&datum=nad83
offering at least 2 different ways to climb a hill

adflsa
adams florida savoy
below
&
adflno
adams florida & north adams
above
being situated only 1825 feet apart
are the nearest neighbors of all the 44 tripoints
http://topozone.com/map.asp?z=18&n=4724080&e=659135&s=25&size=l&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25
& look makeable on a single try via old roads & hiking
trails
http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/trails/savoy-summer.gif

clflno
clarksburg florida north adams
http://topozone.com/map.asp?z=18&n=4729823&e=658671&s=24&size=l&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25
looks like a 988 foot bushwhack while climbing 200
vertical feet

clnowi
clarksburg north adams williamstown
http://topozone.com/map.asp?z=18&n=4730027&e=650205&s=25&size=l&u=6&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25
is the northernmost of the 44 berkshire tripoints
& looks like nearly half a mile of uphill bushwhacking
with considerable help from utility clearcuts

adnowi
adams north adams williamstown
http://topozone.com/map.asp?z=18&n=4724675&e=650151&s=24&size=l&u=6&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25
looks like money brook trail toward the falls will be
a help
but still leaves about 1000 feet of uncertainty for
the approach
http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/trails/Mt.Grey-Summer.gif
trail map for this & the following point

adnewi
adams new ashford williamstown
http://topozone.com/map.asp?z=18&n=4721185&e=649934&s=24&size=l&u=6&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25
for which cheshire harbor trail looks like a good way
down

& hanewi
hancock new ashford williamstown
http://topozone.com/map.asp?z=18&n=4721334&e=641762&s=25&size=l&u=6&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25
looks like the better part of a mile back of beyond
& a fitting grand finale for the primary sweep of 44

but before proceeding with the above 15 that remain
untried
there is of course still hapiri
hancock pittsfield richmond
to return to again for about her 5th retry
since another month of drought has probably reduced
the water level there to a nearly historic low
so if the marker isnt visible now it may never be
findable
& perfection thus never attainable
but i wont flash the topo again since you probably
know it cold by now & cant wait to get started & back
in play

kibitzing or any other form of participation is
encouraged

the weather & forecast are looking perfect

beeps

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