| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Laura's Tower , MA |
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 | Trails: |
Laurel Hill Park Trails, Mary Flynn Trail, Laura's Tower Trail, Ice Glen Trail, Ice Glen Road, South Street, Route 7, Park Street |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, February 23, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking for at least a half dozen cars at the end of Park St in Sotckbridge. Take care not to block what appears to be a detached garage for a nearby house. A sign asks you not to park in front of it. No parking sign at the end of the private drive off of Ice Glen Rd that would allow you to hike the loop in the reverse direction. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
I don't think there were any. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
I don't recall any blowdowns. There were trail signs at the jcts on the Ice Glen and Laura's Tower side of things I think but not so sure there were on the Laurel Hill side. There was a map showing the colored trails within the park at the rostrum though (purple path to rostrum is Adams Path, blue trail to 905ft hilltop is Summit Path, red trail from rostrum to the Stockbridge town offices is Sedgwick Path). I think Laura's Tower Trail is blazed in yellow, Ice Glen Trail in white, and I don't recall if Mary Flynn Trail was marked. All were pretty easy to follow with the possible exception of Ice Glen Trail through the boulders but I was just able to follow the trail others made. Some of the blazing did seem a bit old. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Dogs are allowed but must be on leash. All trails good for dogs with the possible exception of Ice Glen Trail. With things snow covered, it seemed to me like hiking dogs could certainly do it no problem but maybe I'm wrong. |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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|
 | Comments: |
1st redline of the day as I made the long drive over to do a little hiking and spend the night in the neglected first tab of the MA guidebook. This is a cool little trail system. The marble bench on the top of the 905ft hill was impressive, the rostrum (had no idea what this was) was cool, the views on top of Laura's Tower were solid, and Ice Glen was neat! All trails had seen traffic and were at least semi-packed (including the trail to Beartown from Laura's Tower). If memory serves correctly, spikes were still very useful but perhaps a little less needed than they were yesterday on the eastern side of the state where there was very much so an icy coat over the snow.
I hiked from the parking area north toward the Stockbridge Town offices first (Laurel Hill Park trails), then on my back back did an OAB to the 905ft summit. Note that Gaia shows a loop of sorts over the summit but there isn't one, or, if there is, it's unofficial and a herd path. I then did an OAB along Mary Flynn Trail which was flat and easy (loved the "fencing" here!), then did an OAB to Laura's Tower before hiking the Ice Glen Trail out to the private drive, then walking it, Ice Glen Rd, South St/Rt 7, and Park St to my car. Gaia had me at 5.25mi, 750ft of gain, 2.5hrs. |
|
 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
|
 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-03-07 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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