Who needs smartphones; Battery dies on my first visit to Kenneth Dubuque Forest, Hawley MA (6/23/23)

Inside the Beehive kiln

Admittedly, not great to have your phone die if you’re out on a new trail… without a map. Ah well, it was fine (don’t call myself a guide for nothing!). Pierce and I went out last weekend to try a flattish 11-mile loop at Kenneth Dubuque Memorial State Forest in Hawley, MA, a remote spot in the northern Berkshires, just a bit south of Charlemont/Berkshire East ski area.

We planned to do “Hawley Trail” (from alltrails), 11.4 miles, not too much climbing. Perfect. Well, we didn’t end up doing it as they had it. We digressed even before my phone died (alltrails has its pluses… and its minuses). There’s an impressive network of trails in there, honestly we just scratched the surface. Definitely psyched to return soon to explore more of it. Lots of small ridges, notched stream beds, bogs, ponds…

One of the bogs…

Anyways, I’m learning more directly these days how important “content” is. Used too much of my battery trying to capture nature (what a foolish thing, right?), so we were out there, not even halfway, and all I had was memory. Long story short: straight a bit, left (some confusion here), a right, a right again (onto a long, very windy bike trail), and (3 hours later) kicked back out on to the dirt road nearly where were started. No problem.

windy, switchback trail, really lost track of time in here.

Of course everything is for the best, and it was a good experience and good lesson in the end. Slightly careless to be sure, but I was reminded that we can (and should be able to) get by without the phones. We’ve got what it takes inside us. (I feel the holy spirit inside, see the light that freedom gives/I believe it's in the reach of every man who lives. -Bob Dylan, “Crossing the Rubicon”)

Oh, and the only good pic I got was thankfully at the start. The historic Beehive charcoal kiln is very cool to check out—esp. from the inside. Built in 1870, 25’ high, 25’ diameter, the oldest of its type remaining in New England (info here)—very close to the parking lot which is next to the Hawley fire dept.

Lovely day. Pretty sure I’ll be back again sooner rather than later.

Until next time…

-TDG