Great seeing you at the Annual Meeting!

The Friends of the Wapack (FoW) is proud to announce the completion of a long-anticipated archival project preserving the history of one of New England’s oldest hiking trails. With the collection now fully digitized, it will be permanently housed at the Monadnock Center for History and Culture, ensuring public access for generations to come. The Wapack Trail, a 21.5-mile route from Mt. Watatic in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, to North Pack Monadnock in Greenfield, New Hampshire, was completed in 1923 and remains a beloved destination for hikers and nature lovers. Since the 1980s, the Friends of the Wapack’s historical collection has been…

The 70s were a prime time to ski the trail. While perhaps it was not as nice as the 30s, when the range was clear, it was a decade with a lot of snow, and with three cross country ski areas that provided easy access to the higher terrain. Our favorite trip was to start at the Temple Mountain ski area, where we paid $1 in the early 70s, which went up to $3 as time went on, for a single ride up the west T-bar. From there, it was easy to access the Wapack Trail at the summit and…

President’s Note With the snow mostly gone around our house, and a few signs of new growth, it seems like Spring. However, the warmth of the nearby wood stove reminds me that we are not quite done with cold weather. For those that were able, hiking on the Wapack was enjoyable this winter. Mike reports that so far, the trail is in good shape. There has not been much ice; that can be particularly damaging. In late February I joined Matt Hillman from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and some of his staff at the Wapack National Wildlife Refuge…