Last Thursday I hiked up to the Massachusetts/New York border ridge of the Taconics from a small hollow known as Southeast. First, one must get to Berlin, which is pronounced BER-lin by the locals, not ber-LIN. It is a small little town in a Town of the same name, located at a low point between the peaks to the West and the East, in the valley that State Route 22 runs through going North-South. Berlin seems to be more confined by mountains than some of the other towns along 22 - it seems that the ridges drop and rise more sharply here than elsewhere; especially to the West. Cellphone service is basically non-existant. One winter I recall driving into Berlin from the West, and finding ourselves upon a steep road with an amazing view of the town below.

Southeat Hollow is accessible by a road with the same name, which passes directly South of the "Central School" and runs out Southeast from the center of town. Looking at a map one can see how it loses itself in the mountains, and how it can only be reached through Berlin, not by any other road which might be closer as the crow flies. Passing two roads on the left, Southeast Hollow Road eventually turns to dirt and dead-ends at a farm. In fact there are a few farms along the way, and I was struck by the enviroment - farms and fields nestled at the bottoms of gradually sloping hills and mountains - it made me think of places in Europe which I have heard of but never been too, such as in Switzerland or some other "picturesque" mountain based locale that one wouldn't expect to find in New York State. I was suddenly jealous of the residents.

Just before the farm there is an opening in the woods on the left, fronted by an iron chain. At first I did not recognize this as the start of the trail, and thought it to be the entrance to a farmer's field. Indeed it was the trail and I started up right away. To the North was a stream which paralleled it most of the way up. Climbing I passed through several different clines: a strip of woods between private fields, steady slopes adjacent to the stream, a long stretch of trail flanked by quite small birch trees and primarily of the sweet species, and then into the hardwoods.

By the time I reached an area containing trees of significant size, the trail started some switchbacks. There were many oaks, maples, and beeches, as well as some larger birches. Finally, I reached the intersection of the Taconic Crest Trail, which was apparently also a border point between New York and Massachusetts - a stone column pronounced it as such, but according to my map I should have still been in New York. Here I rested a while, and then continued South on the TCT. Another trail begins where the Southeast Hollow Trail ends, the Mills Hollow Trail heading into Mass, and I took note of it briefly.

I decided to climb the TCT until I reached a peak shown on my map to reach 806 meters. Here the most beautiful section of the hike began. Past one rather steep slope, beech gave way to red/black spruce and floors of ferns - I was nice to see the spruce, as this always reminds me of being in higher elevations. The ferns were in large patches as they were on the last hike to Rounds Mountain. But eventually the patches turned into one giant carpet that stretched out to the edges and found itself below every tree. A little before this point I could see the land slope down on either side, as is common when one starts getting near the top of a significant peak.

Reaching the top was satisfying, and I could see pieces of view between the branches and leaves; however, there was no clear view. According to my map this was another border crossing, and I rested a while on what I believed to be the Massachusetts side. It was prettier here, more open and the trail took an aesthetically pleasing route downwards.

It was a nice trip, nothing spectacular like in the Adirondacks, but pretty and worth taking. Maybe the next time I will hike it again and head North on the TCT, into Massachusetts.