Headed just over the state line east into the Berkshires this afternoon to explore Misery Mountain's 2656 foot south summit. To get to the summit, I would be bushwhacking west through both the Hancock Wildlife Management Area as well as the E. Howe Forbush Sanctuary from Route 43 in the town of Hancock. A small, unmarked woods road would be my starting point for the day, elevation 1210 feet.
Instead of just sticking to woods roads, I decided to explore some of the terrain, heading over to a drainage at the far south end of public land.
Near the stream, I found the remains of a stone wall, likely marking an old boundary line.
The woods were almost 100 percent hardwoods and very open and easy to negotiate. As I hit 2300 feet, I began to see a little snow scattered about on the ground, with screened views SE back towards Jiminy Peak's ski slopes.
From 2400 feet and above the snow began to not only stick to the ground, but the trees as well.
Way up high on the ridge, over 2500 feet, I picked up a solid woods road heading towards the summit.
While plugging along slowly ascending NW, I spotted a small, almost unnoticeable wetland just a few yards into the woods so I decided to check it out. Seemed so out of place, but was so pretty blanketed in a soft coating of white.
Back on the woods road it lead me right up to the 2656 foot nondescript summit. Although wooded, there was a biting wintry wind cutting through the bare trees that kept me from lingering.
The screened summit "view" through the trees to the NE
Basically took the same route down, descending to the SE on various woods roads. Back below 2300 feet all the snow vanished, and I was able to catch some more filtered views east over the Route 22 valley towards Brodie Mountain's south ridge.
The final descent down a good woods road, with Brodie looming above.
Hiked just a touch over 4 miles RT(all bushwhack) with 1500 feet of ascent. Today's route below. Red=Ascent Blue=Descent
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