When Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote about the forest, it was usually a dark, ominous place, with witches, demons and Indians lurking behind every tree. Even during the daylight hours, the woods were nearly pitch dark and oppressive.
Strange things happen in Hawthorne's forests. Young Goodman Browne took the path to the woods, met the devil and lost Faith. He emerged from one night in the woods a suspicious and bitter man.
Hester Prynne found both joy and torment in the forest, and earned a Scarlet Letter for life. She "straggled onward into the mystery of the primeval forest. This hemmed it in so narrowly, and stood so black and dense on either side, and disclosed such imperfect glimpses of the sky above, that, to Hester's mind, it imaged not amiss the moral wilderness in which she had so long been wandering"
That was Hawthorne's world, where witches and devils were more real than they are today. The dark forest was the perfect analogy for the dark reaches of men's hearts. I'm almost envious that our world doesn't seem as mysterious; it's a little safer but colder.
The reason I'm rambling on about Hawthorne is that one of my favorite Berkshire trails is called the Hawthorne Trail. Yet it's about the most pleasant and unforboding walk you could imagine. I've hiked it many times and have yet to meet the devil.
This could be because it's not actually named after the esteemed author. After I had hiked the trail for years, thinking literature all the while, a park ranger told me that the area was once entirely covered by Hawthorne bushes, thus the name. Oh, well, Hawthorne did hike in the region so it could have been named after him. But it wasn't.
Whatever the reason behind the name, the Hawthorne Trail is part of the Pittsfield State Forest network of trails. I can't think of a nicer weekend hiking spot than this beautiful park in the Capitol of the Berkshires. It offers 30 miles of hiking trails, from pleasant strolls to outright uphill humps.
Tranquility trail, a paved three-quarter mile trek, is ideal for people who use wheelchairs (it's shorter than the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, but quieter). The park features family camping sites and more secluded plots near the park entrance and facilities. The campsites higher up the mountain offer pond views and outstanding vistas.
Balance Rock serves as a cornerstone for the northeast section of the State Forest — Melville expounded on Balance Rock in Pierre, although the author made it much bigger and eerier than it actually is.
The main entrance to the Pittsfield State Forest is located off Cascade Street. From West Housatonic Street, take a left onto Church Street and then another left onto Cascade. Follow to the end and bear right for the State Forest.
The Pittsfield State Forest also features some of the best-named trails in the county, in addition to the Hawthorne Trail, which is not actually named after Nathaniel Hawthorne. There is the Shadow Trail, which runs parallel to Ghost Trail. There's also the Brickhouse Mountain Trail and Taconic Skyline Trail, the Honwee Loop and Lulu Brook trail. There's also the Churchill Brook Trail (named after Winston?).
Back to the Hawthorne Trail. The trailhead is located just off the parking lot to the left of the main entrance. You start on the paved Tranquility Trail and pick up Hawthorne on the right after a few minutes.
The trail rises gradually, turning up Pine Mountain. It's a somewhat challenging hike, but the incline is gradual enough to stay pleasant. The actual Hawthorne Trail is only a few miles, but I usually continue on to the Pine Mountain Trail all the way to Tilden Swamp. (One nice feature about the State Forest is that the trails are well marked, so you can alter your route without getting hopelessly lost.)
The trail takes you between two mountains, with ever changing views through the trees. The Hawthorne/Pine Mountain hike meets all my standards: It's a good workout, traverses several types of forest, takes you through wetlands, hills and rocky areas and has outstanding rewards. If you're feeling ambitious, you can hike past the pond to the top of Berry Mountain, for a great view.
Being in the center of the county, the State Forest draws quite a few campers during the warm months, but you can still enjoy seclusion, particularly on the more challenging routes. I've hiked the State Forest and the Hawthorne Trail during all seasons and have never been disappointed.
I do think, however, that we should name a trail after Nathaniel Hawthorne. It should be the most dark, foreboding and ominous trail in the county. A trail that leads to a clearing where witches and devils would dance. Any ideas?
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Clarksburg Looking to Repair School Front Entrance
By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Plans for renovating the bathrooms are on hold, which means the summer camp will again take place at the elementary school.
Assistant Superintendent Tara Barnes informed the School Committee on Thursday that Tom Bona, who's been volunteering as lead on school repairs, said the work to bring the bathrooms up to Americans With Disabilities Act compliance couldn't be scheduled in time.
"I think the concern was, as it kind of pushed towards the end of the school year, that there wasn't enough time to post and hire a contractor to meet the timeline," said Superintendent John Franzoni, participating via Zoom.
He said the Berkshire Regional Planning Board considered the school could use the $30,000 in ADA grant money toward the purchase of the equipment and then schedule the work for summer 2027.
The town is expected to move forward with repairs to the front entrance. The concrete pad has cracked and heaved and poses a hazard.
"I think it's important to prioritize that entrance way, which is in pretty bad shape, and the town has already followed through to get some bids," Franzoni said. "We got good communication from [Road Foreman] Kyle Hurlbut today about how much he was recommending to the town to request through the stabilization, I think, was $19,500 to cover the high end of the bids and any kind of contingencies."
The town had agreed to use any funds leftover from the school roof project to put toward other repairs and renovations at the school. Town meeting last year authorized a debt exclusion to borrow $500,000 toward the project. The roof came in around $400,000.
The fund had grown immensely over the past 25 years, raising some $1.75 million during that period. But the 1960s would see the fund grow even more in both fundraising and the agencies it supported. click for more
As a long line of officials grabbed their shovels for the ceremonial dirt toss, the old school was being taken apart behind them and forms for the footings for the new school were being installed across the way.
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The board of trustees on Thursday voted 8-2 to offer the 13th presidency of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts to a Pennsylvania higher education executive. click for more
