Walking up Mount Wachusett (Princeton, MA)

Views of Boston (35 miles away), cars, birders, picnic tables, a pond (rumor has it it's usually stocked with koi), and port-a-toilets greet you when you reach the summit of Mt. Wachusett. It's a very easy walk, easily done in sneakers. We walked through a birch forest, then a conifer forest, then a mixed deciduous forest (with maple trees). Despite the time of year, very few trees were in fall colors; as in the Boston area, most trees' leaves are simply turning brown, crinkling up and falling off. The result, no doubt, of the warm nights and lack of rain.

We saw a turkey vulture and red-tailed hawk soaring at the summit. Several birders with their scopes identified the bird sitting on the fire tower as a red-tailed hawk. It's no surprise that Mt. Wachusett is an official hawk watch site.

AMC Narraganset Chapter's Linda Pease, who was the kayaking guide at the Squam Lakes weekend, led the hike today with Yvonne Federowicz and Mike.

~6 miles; ~900 ft. elevation gain
Summits: Mt. Wachusett = 2,006 feet
Route: Stage Coach Trail (from Westminster Road) and Harrington Trail to the summit; then a figure eight loop via Old Indian Head, West Side, Semuhenna, Harrington, Jack Frost, High Meadow and Echo Lake trails back to the trailhead.