The Boulders(Berkshires)

Decided to get out and do a little late afternoon exploring during the calm before our next storm.  Bright sun and temperatures in the low 40's greeted me as I arrived at the trailhead for The Boulders, located along Gulf Road in the town of Dalton.  The Boulders has always been a long time favorite of locals, and until recently was owned and managed by Crane and Co., a private company. The company donated the land to the Berkshire Natural Resources Council in 2015 and today comprises 645 acres of conserved land.

 This is a very popular area for locals, with abundant trails winding throughout the woods.  I followed an orange trail down to a green trail in a general west-southwest direction, crossing a small, pretty stream on a footbridge.

 Once across the stream I picked up a red marked trail which winds it way west-northwest to a blue trail.  The blue trail carried me up to the summit area of the Boulders, which sits slightly off trail by about 15 yards.

Beyond the summit, the blue trail continues on a very short distance to its terminus.  This is the location of the actual "Boulders" for which the area receives its name. 

 Several car sized(and bigger) boulders are scattered around this spot, and provide some very nice views of the surrounding peaks.  Southeast views.

 Southwest views.

I decided to bushwhack off the top, heading directly back towards the car due to the late hour.  Caught a glimpse back at the setting sun just over the lookout area.

 The bushwhack was pretty straightforward with a few small ups and downs, cutting off over a half mile from the trail.  There are several dark but pretty evergreen forests I passed through along the way.

Hiked about 2.5 miles total on a pleasantly cool late winter day.