Mount Equinox 4-1-06

Vital Stats
Peak:	Mount Equinox
Peak altitude:	3860'
Base altitude:	900'
Difference from base:	2960'
Cumulative gain:	2960'
Total time (Approx):	1:55
Total vertical gain:	2960'
Total distance:	5 ot 6 mi RT
Trip Difficulty	S5D3V5(18) Very Difficult

 

Trail(s) Taken

Burr Burton Trail (AKA Blue Blaze Tr)

Suicide hike. It was raining, actually pouring. I resolved to hike Mount Equinox despite the lurid forecast. Equinox is sort of a crown jewel of sorts in my hiking portfolio. Not only is it the tallest mountain in the Taconic range (3840) and the home of the WEQX transmitter (one of my favorite radio stations which with its altitude manages a footprint the size of a typical 30,000W Boston FM station while only having an output of 1200W.) but it has a vertical prominence of over 3000 feet. The hike itself was 2905 vertical, making it the most I have done yet. It beats Greylock by 600 feet. Nothing else near WMASS has that much vertical prominence. The hike was not hard, it was nowhere near as steep as Greylock. However I got completely drenched from the waist up. Despite it being very mild down at the based (57 degrees) it was in the 30s (estimate) at the top and windy. I took one summit photo and didn't hang around because not only because the fact I was soaked and freezing, but because there was virtually no view. As you can see from my summit thumbs up

Click Here for the Hike Map

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