Tyringham Cobble/ Appalachian Trail(Town of Tyringham, Berkshires)

Back from a nice vacation getaway, I headed into the southern Berkshires this afternoon to do a little hiking in bucolic Tyringham.  Conditions were nearly perfect as I parked at the Trustees of Reservations Tyringham Cobble Trailhead along Jerusalem Road(Elevation 995 feet) and headed through the open meadows on the mowed Cobble Loop Trail.

The Cobble Trail Loop, circles north below the summit, with a nice view of the peak directly above.

Old stone walls lace the woods here. 

Arriving at view #1- a cleared view northeast.

View #2 sits just off the summit, and is usually the best view over the Tryingham village.  Unfortunately, summer growth has infringed on the vista.

A short descent brings you to View #3, which is a unique vista to the east.

At a trail junction below the view, I stayed on the Appalachian Trail, which continues SE, dropping down to a scenic crossing of Jerusalem Road.

Crossing over an unnamed tributary of Hop Brook, which had a mere trickle in it-but even that was nice to see amidst our drought.

The AT soon emerges in a gigantic meadow, with wildflowers all around.  This is the valley of Hop Brook, and a long boardwalk passes through this scenic stretch, with mountain views all around.

Spotted this bear scat on the boardwalk near Hop Brook, and it was LOADED with berries.  As I soon found out, there were a ton of blueberries near the north end of the boardwalk, right beside the Main Road crossing.

 

Crossing over Hop Brook, with a view south towards the unnamed hills of Tyringham.

From Main Road, I turned back, retracing my steps on the AT back over Jerusalem Road to the junction with the Cobble Loop Trail.  Once on the Cobble Loop Trail, it was an easy walk back to the car, passing by "Rabbit Rock"-a large sandstone outcrop-along the way.

Evening shadows are sneaking up quickly this time of year, a reminder of the fleeting daylight that comes with the approaching autumn days.  Hiked about 4.5 miles total, with 500 feet of climbing and only saw one other person all day.