Mt. Frissell from Brace Mountain

Standing on the summit of Bear Mountain (2,316 ft.) in Salisbury, Connecticut, I can’t help but feel a twinge of pity for the poor saps who hauled the heavy bronze plaque to the top of the peak. Put firmly in place at the base of an 8-foot stone pyramid in 1885, the sign boldly proclaims Bear Mountain’s significance as the highest point in the Yankee state. The beautiful panoramic views that look down upon the bucolic farms of rural Salisbury do nothing to contradict this statement. It’s easy to feel on top of the world on Bear since you are in fact, standing atop the highest peak in the state.

But cartography can be a tricky mistress. More precise surveys would later reveal that the true highest point lay less than four miles away on the southern slope of nearby Mount Frissell (2,453 ft.), whose tree-covered summit tops out in neighboring Massachusetts. 64 vertical feet separate the summit of Bear and the unspectacular patch of mountain laurel that guards the 3-inch pin designating Frissell’s shoulder as Connecticut’s high ground.

So for all of you that have hiked Bear Mountain and boasted you’ve conquered the highest peak, I’ll forgive you. It’s an honest mistake. Bear Mountain resides on the mythic Appalachian Trail and therefore sees considerably more traffic than Frissell, whose red-blazed trail is a diversion from the far less popular but equally beautiful South Taconic Trail. No one has yet put an asterisk on the plaque on Bear and I wouldn’t expect one anytime soon.

Just because its greatest prize is tough to pinpoint does not mean we should discount Frissell--it is in fact an excellent day hike. I’ll give Bear points for the superb 360 degree summit view, but Frissell is a fine hike that gives trekkers a more rugged climb than Bear with just as many scenic vistas.

The red-blazed northern Mount Frissell trail begins in Massachusetts and offers the awesomely campy triple treat of passing a bi-point (CT/Mass at the beginning), high-point (Frissell’s shoulder), and tri-point (NY/Mass/CT.) The Mount Riga Road that leads to the trailhead cannot be accessed from the Connecticut side in the winter, an omission most guidebooks seem to casually forget. In order to reach the trailhead, you’ll have to drive farther north into Massachusetts and navigate the rural roads to link up to the Riga Road (see trailhead information below for directions). Luckily, these roads remain open to the trailhead, where a gate bars entrance into Connecticut until the spring thaw.

One of these altimeters has to be right!

Despite the fact I had been romping around the thin-air backcountry of Colorado prior to my winter ascent of Frissell, I found this short 3-mile trail doing wonders to amp up my heart rate due to the steep terrain. Peril in short spurts can be found in abundance. A dozen or so icy spots offer wonderful locations to sprain an ankle or face-plant into various thorny bushes. You won’t need crampons, but if there’s snow, snowshoes with a good biting cleat will be helpful. The total elevation gain is roughly 600 ft.

Following red blazed marks, the trail climbs steeply to a broad shoulder below Frissell that offers spectacular views of the Berkshires to the north and south. Because you’re hiking in New England, don’t expect any of those sissy, knee-saving, lung-friendly switchbacks. The trail continues straight up to the wooded top of Frissell, where a summit register box engraved with the latin phrase “Optime Ambulate” (good walk) hangs from a gnarled tree.

You’ll need to go up and over the summit and begin descending about a quarter of a mile before reaching the small green survey pin that marks Connecticut’s highest point. The pin will be just off trail to the right (southwest) if you are descending. The area around the pin is cleared out a little and has a small rock cairn. Take pictures to show your friends the true highpoint and then continue down for another half-mile. You’ll scramble down a few mellow rock ledges. As the trail descends to a flat section, you’ll be treated to a small tunnel of trees I whimsically call the “royal archway”. This very cool corridor leads down to the fabled tri-point marker. This stone monument is the exact point on the map where New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts meet.

Standing on top of the Yankee world

If merely bagging the highpoint was your goal, you could turn around now but I would highly suggest following the trail a bit farther. It is only a mile from the top of Frissell to the end of the red-blazed trail. Red blazes will merge with the white-blazed South Taconic trail. A mere quarter-mile walk north brings you to the summit of Brace Mountain. Make the short trek and you will be rewarded with a great view of Frissell’s hump to the southeast. The views from Brace look over the country side of New York and are every bit as breathtaking as those from the top of Bear Peak. On a clear day, one can see the Catskills to the northwest and the Berkshires directly north.

The South Taconic trail continues on for another 2.3 miles downhill to a parking lot in a small community on the New York side of things. This is a worthwhile trail that passes an impressive waterfall en route to the second access point to Frissell. This trail is less steep than the northern approach and is a better ascent route for casual hikers and those not looking to blow a ventricle scrambling up the steeper north face. If you have a car you’d rather not take on unplowed dirt roads, this is a safe and easy road to reach. It’s paved and plowed, though the official parking area is rather small.

Frissell is a great hike in any season and I’ve been fortunate to visit the ol’ green pin five times to date. In contrast to the towering uber-cairn that misidentifies Bear Mountains’s claim, the understated green pin captures the simple New England tendency to let the surrounding nature be your reward. In many ways, the unpretentious little marker is a fitting emblem of the Yankee spirit. Away from the crowds and well-worn trails, you’ll find the remote tone of Frissell a fitting reward for a well earned day in the scenic hills of New England.

TRAILHEAD INFORMATION/HIKING FROM THE WEST

There are two main trailheads you can use to access the Connecticut highpoint, one that starts in Massachusetts (northern approach via red blazed Frissell trail) and one that starts in New York (western approach via South Taconic Trail to Mt. Frissell trail.) You can link the trails together for a great one-way hike (5.1 miles) if you don’t mind shuttling people back and forth. More experienced hikers will have no problem going to the end of the trails and retracing their steps back to their cars; it’s a 10.2 mile loop. To simply reach the highpoint and turnaround, both routes are roughly 6 miles round trip.

Northern trail (red blazed trail) from Massachusetts

Follow Rt 23/41 through South Egremont, where Rt 41 branches off to the right (south). Almost immediately, the Mount Washington Road (clearly signed) branches off to the right. After 8 miles a road branches off to the right going to Bish Bash Falls and Copake Falls (again, clearly signed). Continue straight ahead past it. After about a mile the Mt. Washington State Forest Headquarters is reached, it has a large parking lot and is the trailhead for the Brace Mountain Trail.

The Mount Frissell trailhead is further south (about 2.5 miles) just beyond the state line. The Jeep Road starts about 1.2 miles south of the state border.

Northern trail (red blazed trail) from Connecticut

NOTE: This road is unplowed and closed in winter.

Take Factory Street (also known as Washinee Street) about 0.1 miles south of the junction of Rts 41 and 44 in Salisbury. After about half a mile bear left on the Mount Riga Road, following it for about three miles. Then turn right onto the Mount Washington Road. Follow that road for 3.3 miles to the state line for the Mount Frissell Trail, or 2.1 miles to the jeep road.

Western trail via South Taconic Trail (white blaze) in New York

Drive on NY 22 either 5.5 miles north of the traffic light in Millerton, or 7.5 miles south from the intersection with Rt 344 to Copake Falls. Then go east on White House Crossing Street and drive to its end. Here take a left on Rudd Pond Road, and after 0.3 miles take a right onto Deer Run Road into a residential development (Rudd Farms). Take a left on to Quarry Hill Road and follow it to a small parking area at the edge of the woods. The trailhead can hold about three cars, otherwise park on the side of the road.

This trail starts at the Rudd Pond Farms residential development in New York State. The South Taconic Trail starts gently going eastwards along the side of a field. It soon starts to climb steeply, over very rough terrain, and there are some scrambles up ledges. Reaching the ridge, it goes north over Brace Mountain (highpoint of Dutchess County, NY), to its junction with the Mt. Frissell Trail. That trail passes by the tri-state point, then the highpoint of CT, and then climbs to the summit on an open slope with great views. The round trip distance to the summit of Mount Frissell is 6.6 miles with about 1,500 feet of elevation gain, book time is 4:00.