496. MA NET - Westfield/West Springfield: Skunk by the Pike

For where to put this next critter, we couldn't help but think of the Mass Pike (different kinds of fumes!;-) The M&M/NET does have to cross the Pike here at the Westfield/ West Springfield border near Bush Notch, and we do recollect once seeing a gecko heading under the "wildflower tunnel" to the south. However, we thought the skunk would rather get quickly up onto the ridge to the north, further away from the traffic noise and fumes...so up, up, up you go!

To reach the starting point for this trail section from "Chipper", head a mile or so west on route 57, north on Longyard Rd/ Pontoosic Rd/route 187, east on route 20 across the Westfield River, north on East Mountain Rd to just under the Mass Pike, and then briefly east on Old Holyoke Rd to the silver gate with the "Closed" sign on it. As you walk past the gate, you should almost immediately see the white blazes of the M&M heading off to the right, but just go a few steps more and you should see the trail taking off up the hill to your left, opposite a yellow "no dumping" sign on a telephone pole on your right.

Scurry up the lightly-used trail at a pretty steady clip for a few minutes, and then, just after the last short steep pitch, the trail starts to level off at a slightly overgrown "T" junction. Going left will get you quickly to an ATV ridge road, but the white-blazed trail curves right following the eastern lip of the ridge until you reach the ridge line at the ATV road further along. ( If you miss this turn on your way back, simply follow the the ATV ridge road until you see a small green sign for "Widow Maker Trail", and you will know that the white blazes are close by to the east.) Continuing north now on the rocky ridge road, you soon fork left with the white blazes, go down a slight dip, then up to a ridge top with an old CAA beacon. Shortly past the unused beacon near the half-mile point, the trail turns right to drop down off the ridge at a tree marked with a white arrow. (There is also a green "private property" sign near here on a tree visible to those heading south.) 7 or 8 steps due south from the white arrow tree is a medium-sized tree that has gray rocks in front and tan rocks in back. Puzzle out which color rocks move so that you can carefully put them back together again after you have finished gently handling this cute striped fellow!

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