the Way of the Turtle

WANDERING AROUND WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
The French King Bridge
Ice Glen
Saturday, February 2, 2008

Since I was looking at a 2+ hour drive home from Northfield, I decided to stop along the way and see some sights. Ice Glen was an easy choice - I've wanted to go back there since Ann and I visited it last winter, and it's only a short distance from the Lee exit of the Massachusetts Turnpike. The French King Bridge was a late addition to my itinerary - I drove across it on my way to Northfield, and decided I had to stop on the way home and see what the deal was with this fancy bridge out in the middle of nowhere.

The French King Bridge

Massachusetts Highway Dept info page

The French King Bridge is crosses the Connecticut River and is named after nearby French King Rock. The bridge was first built in 1932 and that year won an award as the most beautiful steel bridge of its class from the American Institute of Steel Construction. The bridge was rebuilt in 1992 and bears a plaque identifying it as "A SPECIAL PLACE designated by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs because it exemplifies the unique qualities of the Commonwealth."

Admittedly, the view from the bridge is pretty nice, and probably would be even better on a sunny day. As I was walking out on the snow-covered sidewalk, I spotted a deer on the hillside down below, presumably searching for food.

A little bit further down Route 2, I pulled off to check out the view of another bridge, this one with a dam, across the river at Turner's Falls. I thought about going into town and seeing if I could walk out on that one too, but in the end decided it was too much work for what looked like a pretty utilitarian structure. Maybe the view is nicer when there's more water going over the falls and dam...

Ice Glen

Last winter Ann and I visited Ice Glen (and also hiked up to Laura's Tower) in Stockbridge. I found the glen fascinating... huge trees all around and boulders everywhere. In the end we only went a little ways into the Glen because Ann hadn't really dressed for scrambling over boulders, and I've wanted to go back to go through the whole thing ever since, so I decided to give it a try today.

No great surprise, I found the trails covered with some snow and lots of ice... actually, in most places the snow was under the ice. My screw shoes gave me pretty good footing, so I was definitely glad I'd brought them. I briefly explored the area near the suspension bridge across the Housatonic River, then hiked up the hill into the woods until the trails diverged - left for the Tower, right for Ice Glen.

The hike into the Glen is pretty easy after that first half mile or so uphill, and the woods were very quiet and pretty. Someone had gone through with snowshoes after the snowfall, so I had a fairly clear track to follow through the boulders. Unfortunately, a little ways in the snowshoe track took a fallen tree up over one of the rocks, and I wisely chose not to risk that... I don't have the greatest balance in the world, and it was a fairly long fall from the tree to the ice covered rocks underneath it. I tried climbing up to one side of the Glen (which is where I suspect the trail actually goes - I remember it winding up and down when we were able to see the blazes last winter) but with everything covered in ice I only got a little ways before it became clear that I wasn't going any further unless I wanted to risk life and limb (and I didn't!) Even then I had to slide on my backside to get back down safely.

So a somewhat disappointing trek... I considered hiking up to the tower, but my legs were tired from the snowshoe race up and down Northfield Mountain this morning, and no doubt the tower would be encased in ice too and not safe to climb. After returning to the car I drove down the road to check out the access to the far end of the Glen, but it comes out on private property and there really wasn't anyplace to park so that I could hike in and maybe see a little bit more. Clearly another trip is in order!

JMH