The most popular drive from Greenfield is westward over the Mohawk
Trail, but the eastward continuation of this highway to Orange, combined
with the Daniel Shays Highway to Pelham, offers almost equal attractions
and should not be missed.
_Mohawk Trail, Adams, Plainfield, and South Deerfield_
The Mohawk Trail (State Highway 2) heads west from the center of
Greenfield and crosses the Green River (0.6) before climbing out of the
valley. A lookout (2.1) affords an excellent view of the north end of
the Connecticut Lowland, and the observation tower on Shelburne Summit
(3.2), situated on a shelf cut out of black Ordovician slate (see pp. 35
-37), provides a broader sweep of central New England scenery. Beyond,
the upland is gently rolling, trenched by one deep valley at Shelburne
Center (6.8). The descent into this valley (5.6) offers a glimpse to the
south across the Deerfield River gorge, but the road soon rises again,
hovering 300 feet above the sharply incised stream. The Sweetheart
Teahouse (9.9) makes use of one of the ideal sites overlooking the gorge
and river. The highway to Colrain (10.2) continues straight ahead, but
the Trail turns left across the Deerfield River (10.6) and then right in
Shelburne Falls. The road left leads to Conway and South Deerfield.
Thick, almost horizontal bands of gray granite gneiss are exposed in the
road cuts (11.6) along the south bank of the Deerfield River, but the
entrenched stream has left so little room for the highway that the
latter soon crosses to the relatively low and more hospitable north bank
(11.9). For many miles the road follows the stream so closely that
spring floods occasionally cover its surface with ice cakes. The drive
along this stretch to the next bridge (21.0) contains the most restful
scenery on the trip, though the flat open valley is hemmed in by abrupt
slopes which rise for 800 feet. Nor does the flatness of the valley
harmonize with the mountain-structure of the platy Goshen schist, which
stands on edge all along the roadside. Davis Brook (18.7) crosses the
route, and the road beside it leads up to the Davis Mine, which once did
a thriving business extracting iron pyrites for the manufacture of
sulphuric acid.
Once more the highway crosses the Deerfield River (21.0) and enters
Mohawk Park, which invites the motorist to linger. A mile farther on
(22.0) the road leaves the Deerfield River (22.0) and follows the narrow
gorge of Cold River, which seems scarcely wide enough to accommodate it.
A shady picnic ground and auto camp (23.6) lie just below the narrowest
and deepest part of the gorge (24.5), where the crowding summits seem to
tower high above the puny cars.
The road crosses to the north bank of Cold River (25.8) and climbs a
shelf cut into green volcanic schists (25.8 to 27.6). Leaving the gorge
(26.6), it ascends to the upland (29.0), while in view below is the
laborious route of the Boston and Maine Railroad along the Deerfield and
thence through the east portal of the Hoosac Tunnel near Zoar.
A lookout (29.4) affords a memorable view of the sharp V-shaped gorge of
the Deerfield River cut deep into the highland surface, which stretches
unbroken to the horizon, with only a few divides rising to greater
elevations in the west and northeast. A set of broad rock benches, about
200 feet lower than the upland, forms a strath terrace (see pp. 46-47)
which closely follows the river's course. Great landslide scars, caused
by the heavy rains accompanying the 1938 hurricane, mar the valley walls
far to the north and again eastward from Zoar.
The road to Zoar (30.2) turns right a short distance east of the
Whitcomb Summit (30.6), where lookout towers at an elevation of 2,240
feet enhance the excellence of the view westward across other straths to
Mount Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts. From these same
vantage points, one may survey the deceptively smooth slope of the New
England upland eastward down the course of the Deerfield towards the
Atlantic coast.
[Illustration: Pl. 10. _View of the Deerfield gorge from the east
summit of the Mohawk Trail._
_The high level flat to the extreme right and extreme left is the New
England peneplain. The terrace bordering the steep walls of the gorge is
a strath._]
The road crosses a series of strath heads, which drain into the Cold
River, and ascends to the west summit (33.2). At first it seems possible
to throw a stone into North Adams, so abrupt is the western slope. The
city lies deep in a limestone valley, and beyond it the Taconic ranges
rise steeply west of Williamstown, over six miles away.
On the long descent into the valley, the roadway is cut into
albite-biotite schists with horizontal cleavage. Above and below the
sharp hairpin turn (35.2), there is a beautiful view to the south along
the strike of the limestone trench and along the route (State Highway 8)
which is to be followed from North Adams (37.8) to Adams. Not far south
of North Adams the road passes the west portal of the Hoosac Tunnel
(39.4). Boulders on the mountainside east of the highway are glacial
erratics which were left above the level of the valley trains and above
the surface of glacial Lake Bascom. The limestone which outcrops on the
slopes of Mount Greylock west of the road is used for lime (41.6), and
the quarries provide ideal exposures for a study of the rock. The
burning plant (42.2) is at the roadside. The road branches in the center
of Adams (43.6), one route (State Highway 116) continuing ahead to Savoy
and Plainfield, the other veering right to Mount Greylock, Dalton, and
Pittsfield.
The Savoy road follows a broad valley eastward into the hills. A
perceptible steepening of the slope occurs where it crosses from the
dolomitic limestone below, to the albite-biotite schist above, at a
thrust fault (47.5). Hard white Cheshire quartzite (48.2) and arenaceous
limestone (49.0 to 49.6) overlie the schist and outcrop by the roadside,
and in places the arenaceous limestone has weathered to a white
glistening sand.
The road soon drops into a wide and open valley (50.1) which seems to
slope interminably southeastward; this is the head of the Westfield
drainage, and it has occupied this position in the Westfield system far
back in geologic time (see p. 14). The little village of Savoy (51.8)
nestles near the eastern edge of the valley, and once beyond the
settlement, the highway tops a divide (52.7) comprised of rolling hills.
It skirts Plainfield Pond (56.0 to 56.4) and then comes out upon a
panorama of the upland which embraces the entire Westfield basin (57.5).
This section is underlain by the Savoy schist, which is characterized by
its many large red garnets. At the hilltop (59.7) in Plainfield the road
forks, the route to the right descending to the Berkshire Trail and the
road ahead proceeding to Ashfield. This portion of the New England
upland lies so far back from the main streams that the small tributaries
have not yet cut deeply into its gently rolling surface, and no hint of
hidden valleys can be detected in the peaceful landscape.
The Ashfield road traverses woodland country that is almost flat. The
stream valleys are broad and are rarely more than a hundred feet below
divides. Even Swift River (63.9), which crosses the road about two miles
above the end of its entrenched gorge, has not deepened its valley,
despite the long span of years since New England was raised to its
present elevation (see p. 47). Past the alternate road to Cummington
(64.0), the route continues across the flat country above Ashfield; but
where the road to Goshen turns south (66.4), deep dissection of the New
England upland begins. An opening in the trees (66.6 to 67.1) discloses
the valleys along the South River in the vicinity of South Ashfield, as
well as the level skyline in the highlands east of the Connecticut
Valley. The road drops into the South River valley at Ashfield (68.2),
where a choice of routes to Greenfield is presented. The road that
follows the South River to Conway (75.4) is the more interesting.
The river is joined by a tributary from the north at South Ashfield
(69.9), and the streams occupy deep but open valleys. Kame terraces
flank the rivers and are a source of gravel for road ballast. The old
dam (73.9) near Conway is a picturesque spot, and the deep, shady pool
below is not neglected by anglers. Glacial erratics (see pp. 8-9) dot
the hill slopes, but ledges are rare and consist of the locally named
Conway schist where the rock does appear at the surface. The road
branches again at Conway: the left fork goes north along the dissected
brink of the Deerfield gorge to Shelburne Falls, but our choice falls
upon the eastward route to South Deerfield.
The highway climbs through a cut (75.8) in contorted, gneissic Conway
schist, which seems to be lined with twisted white quartz veins from
this point to the margin of the Connecticut Valley. The road levels off
just before it reaches the New England upland, and then it drops through
rolling hill country to the shaded valley of Mill Brook (77.4), which it
follows to the edge of the lowland (80.1). Rocky ledges are common along
this swiftly flowing stream. A good view of the Pocumtuck Hills appears
on the left (79.7), with the flat plain of the old Deerfield delta
stretching to their base. The road crosses this plain and enters South
Deerfield (81.8).
The tour turns north on Federal Highway 5, which is built on the
deposits spread in glacial Lake Hadley by the Deerfield River from its
mouth eastward to the foot of the Pocumtuck Hills of Triassic
conglomerate. Bloody Brook (82.2) drains this part of the plain. North
of the road which goes through the notch between the Sugarloafs (82.6),
the delta deposits continue as a terrace along the base of the Pocumtuck
Hills as far as Cheapside. But the Deerfield has excavated its
post-glacial delta, and the roadway descends to the meander-cut
floodplain (84.4 to 88.1), though it rises over one of the meander
scarps (85.1). Remnants of the Deerfield delta form a terrace due west
across the valley and on the margin of the hills. The entire lowland
north of the meander-cut terrace was inundated in 1936, and the water
level may still be identified by debris on the railroad embankment on
the right. Old Deerfield (86.1) itself is on a meander-scarp terrace,
and the 1936 flood line is well marked along it. After the road crosses
the Deerfield River (88.3), it leaves the floodplain as it climbs to the
center of Greenfield (89.8).
_Greenfield, Orange, Pelham, Amherst, and Deerfield_
Route 2 also leads eastward from Greenfield to the French King Bridge
and Millers Falls. The highway out from Greenfield turns north (0.3)
along the west front of the trap ridge, near the summit of which several
individual lava flows are represented by separate sets of columns
superimposed one upon the other (see p. 26). The underlying bedded
sandstones outcrop in the lower wooded slopes. A road branches right
(1.7) to Turners Falls and crosses the lava ridge, but the main highway
continues straight to a sharp curve near Falls River (3.4).
Pillow-shaped masses of lava characterize the bottom of the lava flow
and lie above conglomerate in the bluff to the right. The valley of
Falls River is a fault zone slicing across the lava sheet, which
reappears at the lookout-parking place at Turners Falls (3.5). The
extent to which the waterfall has receded (see pp. 58-59) may be judged
from the length of the gorge.
The route continues left past the bridge entrance (3.6). Ripple-marked
red shales--once Triassic muds in which stray dinosaurs left their
tracks--outcrop by the roadside (4.6 to 5.7), and coarse conglomerate
beds (5.9) overlie the shales and dip steeply towards the river.
Somewhat farther east a broad sand plain (6.0 to 6.8) of glacial outwash
(see p. 59), which ends at the French King gorge, buries the Triassic
bedrock, but once again conglomerate appears and forms the west wall of
the gorge. Pre-Triassic crystalline rocks (6.9) likewise outcrop on the
western cliffs, and form a narrow ridge between the present course of
the river and the pre-glacial channel, which lies below the glacial
delta (7.0 to 7.9) of Millers River.
The road to Northfield turns left (7.9) and another (8.7) leads right to
Millers Falls, but Route 2 continues east, climbing high above the river
(9.9), which flows through a narrow gorge. Gneiss with horizontal
banding outcrops (11.2) in mesa-like hills north of the highway, which
descends to a point (12.5) that was 5.5 feet under water during the 1936
flood. The road continues near the water's edge for almost half a mile,
and the narrow gorge through gneiss ends at Erving (13.8). Here the
valley widens out into a hilly lowland which has been developed on
schist with occasional bands of gneiss. The road follows the north bank
of the river across this lowland to Orange (17.9). Route 2 continues to
Athol where the Daniel Shays highway enters from the south, but an
alternate route, which turns right in the center of Orange and crosses
Millers River (18.0), provides a preferable short-cut to the Daniel
Shays Highway (21.8). This section of road is lined with stone fences
which memorialize the combined labors of the great Ice Sheet and the
early settlers.
Route 32 from Petersham and Worcester enters from the left (22.7) just
before the highway dips into the creek bottom at the edge of the Quabbin
basin. Thence it ascends to the New England upland level, where a
lookout (25.5) affords an expansive view to the east and north, with
Mount Monadnock rising prominently on the distant skyline. New Salem
(25.8) is on the hilltop. Hornblende schist outcrops at intervals across
the broad ridge, and especially near the descent (28.4) southwestward to
another stream (30.3) which empties into the Quabbin Reservoir. Once
again the highway climbs rather steadily for three and one-half miles,
passing the Shutesbury road (31.0) on the right, until it reaches
another lookout (34.6) from which the trenched New England upland
spreads out to the east. Pelham gneiss is the main rock on the broad
ridge west of the Quabbin basin, especially in the vicinity of Pelham
(35.2), which gave the rock its name.
The tour turns east to Amherst (41.7), following a section which has
been described elsewhere (see pp. 78-79). The principal sights include
the panorama of the Connecticut Lowland and the ice-margin lake
deposits. The drive from Amherst to Northampton (see pp. 78-79) and from
Northampton to South Deerfield (see pp. 87-88) on Federal Highway 5 has
likewise been covered in other tours, but some new features may be seen
along the shorter route from Amherst to Sunderland.
The Sunderland road turns right at the north end of the Amherst common.
It descends, first, from Amherst Island, in glacial Lake Hadley, to the
old beach at Massachusetts State College (42.6), and then from the beach
to the lake bottom (43.2) north of the campus. The route takes the left
fork in North Amherst (44.2), traverses part of the old lake bed, swings
west around the Long Plain delta (45.5), and crosses its entrenched
brook (46.1). Most of the stream's water seeps through the delta sands
and gravels, and emerges in springs at the Fish Hatchery (46.3). Gravel
pits across the road furnish an excellent section of the fore-set and
top-set beds of the delta. The road right (46.8) goes to the delta top
east of Mount Toby, Montague and Turners Falls, but the main highway
continues north.
The road turns left and then right (47.2), cutting through a beach bar
in glacial Lake Hadley, and passing a sand dune area (47.6) which
developed from the sandy braids in the channel of the Connecticut when
it first established its course on the lake bed (see pp. 4-6). The route
drops down from a terrace (47.9) to the highest floodplain level of the
Connecticut. Swales (48.3 and 48.5) on this flat represent former river
channels, and the scalloped embankment to the east records the lateral
swing and undercutting of the meandering river. The North Hadley road
(48.7) enters from the south along a low ridge between two swales, and
after the sharp right turn into Sunderland (49.2), the road divides, one
fork going north to Montague, the other west across the Sunderland
Bridge to South Deerfield.
The Sunderland Bridge (49.4 to 49.6) offers a good view downstream along
the natural levees (see p. 2) and westward to the cliffs of Mount
Sugarloaf (see pp. 56-58). The road rises above the floodplain (49.9)
and passes the Sugarloaf trail (50.0) on the right. A right turn into
Federal Highway 5 at South Deerfield (51.0) brings the motorist back to
a section of country already described in connection with the Mohawk
Trail tour (see pp. 95-96), and another eight miles of driving brings
him to Greenfield (59.1).
_Greenfield, Turners Falls, Montague, North Amherst_
A variant of the drive east from Greenfield is available in the route
that turns right across the Turners Falls Bridge (3.6 to 3.8) and
follows the east side of the Connecticut Valley southward. The road
turns left in the center of Turners Falls (4.2) and climbs the
embankment which the river excavated in the old lake beds. On the sand
plain above (4.9), the left fork goes to Millers Falls and the right, to
Montague. The Montague road skirts the west side of a low line of hills
which terminate at a depression (8.6) on the pre-glacial course of the
Connecticut. The road goes over Saw Mill River (9.4), in the bed of
which Triassic conglomerate is exposed. Conglomerate also appears in the
hills directly south, but the older crystalline rocks crop out in an
exhumed ridge to the southwest and in the highlands eastward. The
conglomerates form the south end of a Triassic basin extending from
Mount Hermon and Northfield farther up the valley (see p. 26). Beyond
Montague (9.7) Triassic conglomerate appears along the roadside (10.1)
as far as the forks to Sunderland and Millers Falls (10.8).
The Millers Falls road follows the foot of a terrace which rises to the
old delta level, and at the next fork (11.0), the route keeps right and
continues southward to North Amherst. The delta of the glacial stream
buried many ice cakes which left numerous kettle holes (11.0 to 11.5)
when they melted. The stratification of the deposits is displayed in the
many road cuts. The route crosses the Central Vermont Railroad (11.5)
and follows an old outwash plain southward past the road to Roaring
Brook (13.1) (see p. 54). The tour continues through a narrow stretch in
which crystalline rocks predominate, as far as the Long Plain delta
(15.6). Mount Toby rises steeply on the west side of the railroad. A
third of the way up the mountainside can be seen (13.9) a conspicuous
bench, which consists of an exhumed remnant of the ancient, sloping
granite mountain front on which the Triassic sediments were laid (see
pp. 20-21). The bench level drops northward to the railroad at Roaring
Brook, and southward it crosses the road (14.9). The conglomerate east
of the road (14.9 to 15.3) fills an old mountain valley. A road east
(15.3) goes to Leverett, and the lead vein is located just south of it
at the hilltop.
The route skirts the margin of the crystalline rocks and crosses the
railroad again (15.6). Just beyond the road to Leverett station (16.1)
the motorist may exercise the option of returning to the Sunderland road
(17.3) by going right across the Long Plain delta and thence to
Greenfield (29.6) via South Deerfield (see p. 95). Or he may extend his
trip by taking the left fork of the Mount Toby road, which follows the
boundary between the Long Plain delta and the glaciated eastern
highlands. Boulders and bare ledges feature in the landscape to the
east, whereas the flat delta and the level beach margin (17.9) lie to
the west. Beyond the limits of the delta lies a series of bare ledges of
gneiss. After crossing Factory Hollow Brook (19.1), the route joins the
Sunderland road (19.2) at the center of North Amherst, returning to
Greenfield (34.1) by way of Sunderland and South Deerfield, as before
(see p. 98).
_Greenfield, Turners Falls, Montague, Sunderland_
The Sunderland road (10.8) just beyond Montague turns right and climbs
the terrace along the floodplain of Saw Mill River. The plain is the
delta which this stream built into Lake Hadley. A few rock ridges
project above it; buried ice has melted to form kettle holes (11.4) (see
pp. 7-8); and post-glacial streams have cut valleys in it; yet it
preserves its deltaic form to the old lake margin (11.6). Low shed-like
cliffs occur east of the road (11.9); the overhanging rock is Toby
conglomerate, and the excavated shelter is a gray shale which was laid
in a Triassic lake bed (see pp. 22 and 68). These cliffs recede from the
highway and end (12.3) at the Sunderland Caves (see p. 55). The route
continues downhill and joins the river road on the floodplain of the
Connecticut (14).
The road rises over a promontory (14.1) formed by the resistant
Deerfield lava sheet (see p. 26) and then descends to the river
floodplain and meander-cut terraces (see p. 22), which cross to the east
side of the highway and continue south beyond Sunderland (15.5). In
Sunderland junction is made with the longer tour through Amherst (see p.
98), and the return to Greenfield may be made by that route (25.4).