MOUNT FRISSELL (SOUTH SLOPE) - 2,380 FT.
Highest Point in Connecticut
May 30, 2004 (My 21st Highpoint)
Connecticut's highpoint was the first of the five highpoints I did on a four day trip
through New England. After spending the night at a rest stop near the meeting of I-84 and
the Taconic State Parkway in New York, I took the Taconic State Parkway north to US-44 and
proceeded to Salisbury and then followed the directions in the Holmes books (Washinee Street
to Mount Riga Road to Mount Washington Road). Note that the latter two roads are very
narrow in that two cars barely have room to pass by each other (they probably can't at
certain points). Note that on Mount Riga Road you will encounter a sign that says "No
Trespassing" but highpointers have permission to travel on it (as I understand it). I did
see a deer on the drive, but that was it as far as wildlife.
I left my car in the small AMC parking area just south of the Mount Frissell Trailhead.
Both of the highpointing books I have (Holmes and Winger) list this hike as a Class 2 hike,
since there are several areas in which the trail is no longer "hands-in-pocket". I imagine
that these parts could get tricky in wet or icy weather, but I didn't have this problem.
The summit area is not obvious. This is due to the fact that (a) the highpoint is on a slope
(the south slope) of Mount Frissell whose summit is located in Massachusetts and (b) on the
Mount Frissell trail you will encounter at least two other rock cairns before arriving at the
real Connecticut highpoint. One of these I believe is Round Mountain but I don't know the
purpose of the other cairn. I took a few pictures at the summit stayed for about 7 minutes
and returned to my car. The roundtrip took me one hour and twenty minutes. After this
highpoint, I proceeded north on Mount Washington Road to Mount Greylock, Massachusetts.
I could not have asked for a better day weather-wise as it was in the mid-60s and clear.
Don't cross me. I could whoop you.
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