Just as Hurricane Tropical Storm Irene blew through, my friend Ann drove to visit me at the cottage. Wind and rain swirled around her as she slowly made her way through Montreal traffic. She made it in one piece, but she was a little wound up by the endeavor.
The next day was lovely, so we decided to take a hike. We didn’t want it to be an all-day adventure, but we did want to break a sweat. As I perused the mostly outdated brochures that we keep around the cottage, I remembered a hike I had taken last summer that fit the bill perfectly. Located in the tiny town of Baldwin’s Mills, Barnston Pinnacle — or simply “The Pinnacle” as it is now known, tops out at about 665 m (2181 ft). On a clear day, the views from the top are quite spectacular.
When I was about 12, my mother and I climbed Barnston Pinnacle. At that time, the access was through private property but, as a long-time resident of the area, my mother knew the way. Today, the Pinnacle is part of Harold L. Baldwin Park, a 200-acre preserve that was donated by the Baldwin family.
After leaving the car in the designated parking lot beside the church and the general store, Ann and I, plus Nikita the dog, head up the road to the trailhead. The trails are well-established and well-marked. The first half is deceiving for its lack of difficulty while the second half becomes much steeper and stays that way, but overall, it is not really a difficult climb — a gain of about 250 m in elevation takes less than an hour.
After hiking along the wooded path, we emerge at the top where rocking outcroppings provide the perfect setting for a picnic with a great view. Even though it was a little overcast, we could see a number of local ski hills in both Quebec and Vermont — Orford, Owl’s Head and Jay (I think).
The cliffs of the Pinnacle are popular with rock climbers as well as the summer home of peregrine falcons, but it was a quiet, mid-week day and there were no birds, climbers or other hikers while we were there.
Round trip, it took us 2 — 2-1/2 hours with some time at the top to admire the scenery. Just what we needed to get a little exercise. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera at home so I don’t have any photos to share. However, I did find a painting by John Lyman — which is a lovely illustration of Barnston Pinnacle with Lake Lyster at its base.
Barnston Pinnacle, by John Lyman (c. 1948) — owned by the National Gallery of Canada.
The next day was lovely, so we decided to take a hike. We didn’t want it to be an all-day adventure, but we did want to break a sweat. As I perused the mostly outdated brochures that we keep around the cottage, I remembered a hike I had taken last summer that fit the bill perfectly. Located in the tiny town of Baldwin’s Mills, Barnston Pinnacle — or simply “The Pinnacle” as it is now known, tops out at about 665 m (2181 ft). On a clear day, the views from the top are quite spectacular.
When I was about 12, my mother and I climbed Barnston Pinnacle. At that time, the access was through private property but, as a long-time resident of the area, my mother knew the way. Today, the Pinnacle is part of Harold L. Baldwin Park, a 200-acre preserve that was donated by the Baldwin family.
After leaving the car in the designated parking lot beside the church and the general store, Ann and I, plus Nikita the dog, head up the road to the trailhead. The trails are well-established and well-marked. The first half is deceiving for its lack of difficulty while the second half becomes much steeper and stays that way, but overall, it is not really a difficult climb — a gain of about 250 m in elevation takes less than an hour.
After hiking along the wooded path, we emerge at the top where rocking outcroppings provide the perfect setting for a picnic with a great view. Even though it was a little overcast, we could see a number of local ski hills in both Quebec and Vermont — Orford, Owl’s Head and Jay (I think).
The cliffs of the Pinnacle are popular with rock climbers as well as the summer home of peregrine falcons, but it was a quiet, mid-week day and there were no birds, climbers or other hikers while we were there.
Round trip, it took us 2 — 2-1/2 hours with some time at the top to admire the scenery. Just what we needed to get a little exercise. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera at home so I don’t have any photos to share. However, I did find a painting by John Lyman — which is a lovely illustration of Barnston Pinnacle with Lake Lyster at its base.
Barnston Pinnacle, by John Lyman (c. 1948) — owned by the National Gallery of Canada.
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