Sunrise and Sunset from Mt.Race

Mt.Race is one of the better mountains in lower New England. Many people think of southern New England as being spotted with cities and rolling hills, but Mt.Race and it's neighboring mountains show that that's not always true. The Appalachian Trail even traverses Mt.Race, likely for it's amazing views.

The southern ledges of Mt.Race, during an undercast.

We took the Race Brook Falls trail up the mountain. One of the key features of this trail is, of course, Race Brook Falls. Even though there are several different sections of the falls, the upper and lower falls are highlighted along the trail. The lower falls has a side trail leading to it, while the main trail runs directly underneath the upper falls.

The upper falls.

The lower falls.

After the trail passes the upper falls, it curves up the steep slope and soon arrives at the flat top of the plateau, between Mt.Race and Mt.Everett. The trail entered a scenic, old growth forest, where the brook flows through. A few more waterfalls can be found here.

Some more falls on Race Brook.

We continued on the trail, and passed Race Brook Falls Campsite. After arriving at the Appalachian Trail, we headed south to Mt.Race. We planned on camping out to watch the sunrise and sunset, and we were arriving a little late. Once we got to the top of the mountain, we saw the sun just above the Catskill Mountains.

The distant high peaks of the Catskill Mountains.

Looking west, we could see Windham High Peak, the Blackead Range, Stoppel Point, Kaaterskill High Peak, Overlook Mountain, and Slide Mountain, the highest peak of the Catskill Mountains, at 4,180 feet. We could also see Mt.Everett and Mt.Greylock up north.

Mt.Greylock, and some more mountains of the Taconic Range.

To the east, the lower Berkshires could be seen, as well as Bear Mountain, Round Mountain and Mt.Frissell to the south. From this spot, we watched the sunset over Windham High Peak, and other distant mountains. Luckily, the clouds didn't block it.

The distant sunset from Mt.Race.

We stayed overnight, and watched the orange moon as it slowly rose up in the night sky. The night was bright, and the stars were out. We awoke early the next morning to watch the sun rise above the Berkshires. It wasn't as nice as the sunset, but it was still worth it.

The sunrise above the Berkshire Hills.

After watching the sunset, we headed farther south on the Appalachian Trail. Once we passed over the open summit, the trail brought us into the trees, then back out to some big open ledges, with views to the east. If you decide to climb Mt.Race, the trip to these lower ledges is well worth it.

GALLERY

Mt.Everett from the summit of Mt.Race.

A closer look at the Catskill Mountains during the sunset.

The orange moon at night.

The early morning sky looking east.

A closer look at the sunrise above the Berkshire Hills.

Mt.Greylock, at dawn.

The rising sun, as it illuminates the sky.

Mt.Alander from the summit.

Bear Mountain, Gridley Mountain, and Round Mountain from Mt.Race.

Looking south from one of the many ledges present on Mt.Race.

Mountains in Connecticut, as seen from the ledge.

The view from another ledge.

Looking back at Mt.Race. Mt.Greylock can be seen in the distance.

Mt.Race is a great mountain, and well worth the time and effort. I've already climbed the mountain, and most of it's neighboring peaks. I hope to soon have a blog about every peak in the range, and be able to do more exploring in the area. When it comes to mountains in Massachusetts, Mt.Race is high up there.