Micro_jaunt: Pizza and Deer
10 AM Saturday, August 31
We started at a little-known trail maintained by the Berkshire Natural Resources Council called Steepletop. The reserve consists of 2, 2.2 mile loops and is the BNRC’s largest, accessible only by a narrow dirt road that winds through old forest and past historic houses, a few country estates, and some mysterious driveways that lead to private homes hidden far from view. The area is fascinating for its suggestion of early colonial history interspersed with forest-conscious living the Berkshires is so well known for. It’s roads like this one — with modernity implied only by the utility poles that punctuate the scraggly hemlock-hewn slopes — that beckoned me from the East Village 4 years ago.
Steepletop’s trails circumnavigate two marshy areas that are teaming with the type of life that thrives in marshes — birds, frogs, turtles, very tall reeds topped with puffy shedding pouches of seeds for which there is likely a more formal name. During rainy times the trail can get quite muddy, and in early spring waterproof boots are required.
This was a late summer jaunt and so our standard hiking shoes sufficed. We marched down the wide grassy path toward Louise Lane. A large portion of this trail runs over an old logging trail, so the path is wide and seemingly well-suited for cross country skiing or snowshoeing (several printed signs made it clear that snowmobiles are not welcome). On each side of the trail are the Berkshire’s usual assortment of very old hemlocks, white pine, beech, maple, and oak trees. Part of the trail winds through very old growth forest and the entire reserve is nested deep in a heavily wooded section of New Marlborough, accessible only by dirt roads and sometimes hard to get to in winter. Large and very old rock walls divide sections of the land into what were once farms hosting mostly livestock.
At the junction with Louise Lane, we took a left to start the loop. First thing we noticed was a fresh pile of bear scat. This nature preserve gets very little foot traffic from humans, and judging by the diversity of poop on the trail, coyotes, otters, and deer are also a part of this seemingly untouched landscape. The few times I have been to Steepletop, I have not seen another soul except for the ones I brought with me, so for a quiet, secluded hike, this one hits all of the marks.
The trail makes a gentle ascent, over a bridge and a brook flowing out of a small pond, and then eventually slightly downhill. After a right turn and a stretch of straight grass, we again make another right into a swamp and over a series of narrow wooden boardwalks that keep your feet dry while giving you maximum contact with the biodiversity of the marshes.
Once back at the car we charted our course for lunch, about 15 minutes away in Great Barrington, at that pizza place in the alley off Railroad Street we’ve been meaning to try.
12:30 PM
Uva Pizza e Vino at 20 Railroad St Great Barrington
I spent most of my adult life in NYC and have eaten my fair share of pizza in a variety of shapes, sizes, and origins. Uva pizza is baked in a beautifully tiled stone oven, fired by wood. Eating inside offers you a view of this stunning hearth, which is mesmerizing in and of itself, and the birthplace of some of the best pizza you will ever eat. Selected wine offerings pair nicely with the rich selection of gourmet pizzas.
