21 Aug 2007 - Today's our 25TH
Wedding Anniversary and this was the location of our first
date. She was perhaps over-dressed and he had
definitely under-planned for the occasion. The scenery was
beautiful, but walking through the 1981 gypsy moth
caterpillars dropping from the trees in high heels detracted
from the magic. Despite all that, there were many more dates,
a wedding, and 25 anniversaries, so far.
Skinner SP and adjoining Holyoke Range SP are great places to
take in awesome views of the Pioneer Valley, and explore an
extensive network of trails, including the Metacomet-Monnadnock
trail that traverses Western Massachusetts.
There are a number of existing caches in the park and
surrounding area. The 25th Anniversary Cache is an easy cache that
is only about 500 feet from a small parking area outside the main
gate entrance to Skinner SP. The elevation only increases about 50
feet following the yellow-blazed “Two Forest" Trail (TF). So, if
you have any reservations about attempting to find the other caches
in the area, you can count on finding at least this straight
forward and relatively easy traditional cache, then consider which
others you will attempt. We’re confident that this should encourage
folks to visit the area and serve as a gateway/welcome to the
mountain and whet your appetite to explore up further.
The 390-acre Skinner State Park on top of Mount Holyoke offers
breathtaking views of the Connecticut River Valley. The summit is
accessible by road from April through November, and by hiking
trails year-round. The Summit House, a popular mountaintop hotel in
the 1800's, is open for tours and programs on weekends and holidays
from Memorial Day through Columbus Day, offering historical
displays and special events. The park is named after Joseph Allen
Skinner, a wealthy industrialist who donated the hotel and land to
the state in 1940.
There are 20 picnic sites on the grounds, many with fine views
and charcoal grills. Restrooms are available. Hawk watching is
popular in spring and fall. Hang-gliding is allowed by special
permit. Paths from the Summit House connect with marked trails that
traverse the Holyoke Range. Fall foliage viewing is poular in the
park, and the masses of flowering mountain laurel present a lovely
spectacle in June. The park's Friends group offers hikes throughout
the year and hosts a sunset concert series inside the Summit House
each summer, and an annual Mountainfest in the fall. Wheelchair
access at the summit is difficult due to the steep terrain and the
historic nature of the Summit House. Please call the park for more
details.
The mountain formed some 200 million years ago when lava flowed
from the valley floor, cooled and was upended. More recently,
glaciers left their signature, scouring the mountain's jagged edges
smooth in some places, exposing bedrock or leaving till, sand, clay
or muck in others.