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Mohawk Trail, Massachusetts

October 14, 2006


Year after year, residents of New England endure an invasion of tourists to see the foliage during the early weeks of October. The leaf-peepers come from everywhere and clog the roads with slow-moving vehicles. This year we decided to join the morass and see the fall colors for ourselves.

Early morning mist.
Early morning mist.

Pumpkin patch.
Pumpkin patch.

The Burkeville covered bridge.
The Burkeville covered bridge.

A church in Bolton.
A church in Bolton.

Apple picking time.
Apple picking time.

A typical country scene.
A typical country scene.

Autumnal Colors

State Route 2 runs the length of Massachusetts from Boston to the Berkshires. The western portion, just below the southern border of Vermont and New Hampshire, traces an old Indian footpath and is known as the Mohawk Trail. The trail was a primary trade route between the Indian tribes of Upstate New York and those settled along the Atlantic coast. The English colonists in Massachusetts and the Dutch settlers in New York communicated with one another by using Mohawk messengers along the trail. As both European powers were eager to expand their land holdings, they seized the opportunity as Mohawk warriors used the path to attack tribes to the east, most notably the annihilation of the Pocumtucks. The late 17th century saw Metacomet use the trail to move his unified Indian army for attacks on English settlements during King Philip’s War. The route was to be used one hundred years later by a younger Benedict Arnold to recruit additional forces for an assault on the British at Fort Ticonderoga.

Today, only a small stretch of the old Indian footpath still exists and can be hiked in the Mohawk Trail State Forest. The tourists now come to drive the scenic byway between Orange and Williamstown to admire the white-steepled churches dotted among the oranges, reds, and browns of the turning leaves. We started out early on our drive to beat the traffic and were fortunate to experience the serenity of area as the low clouds began to lift. We pushed on through the small towns and made obligatory stops at historic Deerfield and French King Bridge. As the lunch hour struck, we espied the Smoking Hippo where we dined on spicy BBQ (and I mean spicy) and the fine products of the Berkshire Brewing Co. while surrounded by the turning leaves.

We continued down Route 2 towards the orchards of Bolton and Berlin where families were out in droves to pick apples, sample cider, and find that perfect Halloween pumpkin. We discovered the birthplace of Johnny Appleseed, the legendary name of John Chapman who spread apple cultivation throughout the American Midwest. Continuing on Route 2, we would have passed by Concord and Lexington and ultimately reached Boston. Instead, we stopped short of Walden Pond where Thoreau spurned the modern conveniences of the 19th century to live in wooded solitude.

A church along the trail.
A church along the trail.

Johnny Appleseed marker.
Johnny Appleseed marker.

Deerfield's historic district
Deerfield's historic district.

An historic house in Deerfield.
An historic house in Deerfield.

From French King Bridge
From French King Bridge.

Stone railroad bridge
Stone railroad bridge.

Fall foliage
Fall foliage.

A church in Lancaster.
A church in Lancaster.

Picking the right pumpkin.
Picking the right pumpkin.

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