Archived Edition: October 21, 2003 | Back to Current	Jul 31, 2010

Trail Mix - Hopper Trail to Stony Ledge
Alan Cordova - Staff Writer

Today’s column is for those of you who slept through Mountain Day rather than taking the opportunity to explore Williams’ forested surroundings. To really understand the breathtaking scenery that surrounds campus, one should venture up to Stony Ledge around this time of year and admire the kaleidoscope of colors that adorns Mounts Prospect, Williams, Fitch and Greylock. Hopefully, this article should dispel the final excuses for not hiking up to Stony Ledge: that it is too far away and that the trail is too difficult.

The trailhead is easily accessible from campus. It can be reached by a leisurely five-mile bike ride. Head southbound on Water Street/Rt. 43, past Water Street Books and the Taconic Golf Course. You pass Ide and Gale Roads, which loop back to campus via the Clark Art Institute, and Blair Road, a popular but hilly running route. About a third of a mile after passing Blair Road, Rt. 43 swings to the right. This is Sweets Corner, where the Hopper Brook meets the Green River.

Make a left on Hopper Road, crossing the stone bridge over the Green River. As you follow the road up through rural Williamstown, the Hopper begins to emerge from behind Mount Prospect. Passing numerous farms, including a llama ranch on the right, the paved road turns to dirt. After about a mile and a half, there will be two roads on the left. Be sure to take the second of these (Hopper Road, not Bresett Road). After a half-mile or so, the road ends in a parking lot next to the trailhead.

The Hopper Trail is one of the more historical trails. It was built in 1830 by Williams students as a horse trail when it was learned that President Griffin could no longer hike up Mount Greylock. Today, it is one of the most popular routes up the mountain, providing a short and dramatic ascent.

The Hopper Trail beings on an ancient road that once separated the Haley and Greene farms. Notice the stone walls lining each side of the road. Even if the entire hike is too much, just walking down this road provides a dazzling color display that more than justifies the trip from campus. Just beyond the trailhead, the Haley Farm Trail begins. This trail is shorter and much steeper than the Hopper Trail. After about a quarter-mile, the Hopper Trail branches off from the road, which continues through a backcountry campground and becomes the Money Brook Trail, climbing the divide between Mounts Prospect and Williams until it reaches the Appalachian Trail four miles later.

The Hopper Trail begins slowly, passing over terrain that was extensively farmed throughout the 19th century. The land’s transition from an area of heavy agriculture to a typical New England forest has taken most of the 20th century, but has largely returned the Greylock area to its original state. Passing beyond the confines of the original meadow, the trail enters the forest proper. Notice how everything changes – the variety of flora, light level and soil composition – a reminder that the process of returning to nature is not finished.

The trail begins ascending the steep-sloped ridge whose crest is crowned by Stony Ledge. It crosses several small streams that eventually feed into the Hopper Brook. Looking up, notice how higher leaves have different colors than their lower counterparts, transforming each tree into a spectrum of fall color. After several miles, the trail passes through a patch of red spruce, interspersed with taller birch and somehow able to survive beneath the forest canopy.

Just beyond the red spruce, the trail intersects with Sperry Road at the 2.4-mile mark. Congratulate yourself on having ascended nearly a vertical quarter-mile. Although this seems like an insignificant accomplishment, remember that it only takes 12 vertical quarter-miles to climb Everest!

To continue the climbing analogy, for those continuing up Greylock, the Sperry campground adjacent to the road is the equivalent of Camp Muir on Mt. Rainier: reaching it is a significant accomplishment by itself, but it is only part of the way up the mountain. Intrepid Greylock summiteers should make a left and walk up the road until they come to a sign for the Hopper Trail. 1.5 miles and 1,150 more vertical feet deliver the hiker to the dramatic roof of Massachusetts. However, since the hike’s objective is Stony Ledge, I will reserve description of the summit for a later hike.

From the campground, take a right and walk up the road for another mile. Rounding a corner, the entire Hopper valley opens up below, as almost the entire Greylock massif comes into view. Take a moment here to pause and gaze out on one of New England’s most spectacular vistas. To quote Henry David Thoreau’s 1849 book “A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers,” that with the natural beauty of the Greylock area, students “will remember, no doubt, not only that they went to the college, but that they went to the mountain.”