October has got to be my favorite month. Its cool, crisp days seem tailor-made to enjoying the outdoors.
So far, the month’s adventures have included a walk through the woods of Highland Park with my 21-month-old son, River, a trip to the Highlands of Conway disc golf course, my first hike up Mount Sugarloaf and a sunset stroll up the paved path to Poet’s Seat Tower.
Hiking with River was nice. We usually just take our walks downtown, but the turning leaves were calling, so we headed for the woods. His jogging stroller was well-suited to the tough terrain, with its three big wheels rolling over the roots and rocks with relative ease.
It was wonderful to watch him discover the forest, pointing out squirrels and watching wide-eyed as they scurried up trees, looking up at the leaves in search of the birds he heard, and stopping to smell wildflowers and pick up leaves when I let him out of the stroller to stretch his legs.
Though I didn’t take him to see the view from Sachem Head above us, I’m sure we’ll make a trek to the top of the hill once he’s a little more steady on his feet. For now, it’s still nice to stick to the low road and look at the leaves from below.
My hike up Sugarloaf with my friend Kelly was anything but the low road. After a relaxing drive taking in the foliage along River Road, it was time to climb.
The hike provided spectacular views to the east, toward Sunderland, which was bathed in the golden-hour light of the soon-to-set sun. It also provided that wobbly-kneed feeling that those of us who don’t like heights get when we look out over a sheer 500-foot drop just feet from the trail’s edge, with a stiff wind, to boot.
It was a good workout, too. After warming up on the slower-sloping trails at the mountain’s base, things took a steeper turn. It wasn’t so strenuous to necessitate a break midway up, but it was enough of a climb that I was glad when it was over. Though the view was familiar from my many drives to the summit, it never gets old looking out over the bend of the Connecticut as it winds its way through the farmland, especially in October, when foliage is at its peak.
The walk back down the winding mountain road was quite a bit quicker than the walk up. We jogged downhill for much of it, as the steep decline made it harder to maintain a walking pace.
Disc golf was a more leisurely outing. Kelly and I only played through the first nine of 18 holes, because we had to get back to Greenfield. But the half-course excursion still treated us to a good hike and a nice view down the swath cut by the nearby high-tension lines. The game was also a great way to break up the hike, forcing us to stop and take in our immediate surroundings at every throw.
The only problem was that my discs kept disappearing — two were yellow and one red, so they blended in with the freshly fallen leaves. Kelly was wiser in her selection — her pink, blue and purple discs stood out. It was also a bit tough to find the course — though it’s right off Shelburne Falls Road, its sign is so small we drove past and wound up in the center of town.
Now that I know where to go, I can’t wait to return and see what the back nine has to offer.
The sunset I took in at Poet’s Seat was lackluster in itself, but its golden light illuminated the already-brilliant colors of the leaves. Not bad for a solo excursion before supper, especially on an unusually warm Wednesday in the middle of fall. I stuck around long enough for the sun to dip below the mountains, hiked down, and made a bee-line for my favorite pizza place.
While fall will soon give way to winter, I plan on enjoying it to the last. See you on the trail.