This past weekend my friends and I drove to Taconic State Park in New York for our first major hike of the year. We took the South Taconic Trail, which brought us along the top of Brace Mountain and then over to Mount Frissel, Connecticut’s highest point.
It was a steep climb when we first started off but the views were rewarding. From the top of Brace Mountain we could see clear across the Hudson Valley and even as far as the Catskill Mountains. At the top we came across three paragliders who were having a bit of trouble due to the strong winds. We stuck around about 20 minutes or so to watch a launch only to see the guy spin upside down and then crash into the bushes – a firm reminder why I avoid doing that sort of thing.
From the top of Brace Mountain we continued on for about another 2.5 miles along the ridgeline towards Mt. Frissell, the highest point in Connecticut. The peak of Mt. Frissell is actually in Massachusetts, but the south slop lies across the Connecticut line and is slightly higher than Bear Mountain, the highest peak in the state.
It wasn’t the most enjoyable part of the hike. Along the way the trail dipped down a bit and suddenly we were walking through a foot of melting snow. We made a quick stop at the tri-state marker and at the CT high point before eating a late lunch and heading back towards Brace Mountain for a few more great views of the Hudson Valley.
