Tully Mountain
| Tully Mountain | |
|---|---|
 Southeast View from Tully Mountain | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,163 ft (354 m) |
| Prominence | 499 ft (152 m) |
| Coordinates | 42°38′52″N 72°14′58″W / 42.64778°N 72.24944°W |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Location | Orange, Massachusetts |
| Parent range | Central Massachusetts highlands |
| Geology | |
| Rock age | 200 million years |
| Mountain type(s) | Metamorphic rock; monadnock |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Tully Trail |
Tully Mountain, 1,163 ft (354 m), is a prominent, steep-sided monadnock located in north central Massachusetts in the town of Orange. An exposed east facing ledge on the summit provides views of the Millers River valley, Mount Monadnock, Mount Wachusett, and the Wapack Range. The 22-mile (35 km) Tully Trail traverses the mountain.[1]
There exists a Tully Mountain (Ireland) that, at 1168 feet above sea level, is almost identical in elevation to the Tully Mountain in Massachusetts.
The mountain drains into the Tully River, then into the Millers River, then to the Connecticut River and Long Island Sound.[2]
The mountaintop is forested, except for a rocky outcropping (a monadnock) that faces due northeast; the rocky ledge of Tully Mountain is visible from surrounding small towns and is a defining characteristic of this small mountain. The form of the mountain is known as "ramp and pluck", as taught by science teacher Robert Coyle, Athol High School. The rocky vantage point is the "practical" summit of the mountain, as the geological summit is wooded, unmarked, and without views. The vista, looking afar from the steep ledge, features Mount Monadnock (Jaffrey, NH, approx 20 miles NE); to the left/north of Mount Monadnock is Mount Kearsarge (Merrimack County, New Hampshire); the tallest mountain in the distant southeast is Mount Wachusett; also visible is the church steeple of Royalston, MA, and three bodies of water: Tully Lake (due east, with views of automobile traffic across the dam), Packard Pond (including its private beach), and the lily-padded Tully Pond (south east). On a clear day, when trees are leafless, looking due south-southwest, some claim to see the Quabbin Reservoir between the distant hills. With spyglass magnification of 15x or more, the distant Quabbin Reservoir Observation Tower (approx. 25 miles south) is visible when peering far right (over the ascent from the cemetery). Visible in the near southern view is the town of Athol, Massachusetts, with its uptown (spires include the Congregational church and the Athol Historical Society; the Main Street coming directly toward the viewer), downtown (Starretts and Union Twist Drill smokestacks), the former Athol High/Junior High, now senior citizen building and various steeples of downtown churches, such as the Athol-Orange Baptist Church with the large brick casket factory behind.
The mountain actually has twin "peaks" topographically, having a smaller 856-ft elevation to its south, near Tully Pond, and is sometimes referred to as Little Tully Mountain.[3] Little Tully Mountain is clearly visible from Tully Mountain, but is seldom climbed as it is forested.
Access to hike up the mountaintop of Tully Mountain is typically by one of three routes: (a) from a pathway starting at the Tully town cemetery, just south of Tully mountain, on a route that traverses Little Tully Mountain, or (b) from a small dirt parking area adjacent to the bridge over the Tully River, just west of the mountain, on Tully Road; this pathway follows a wide cart-path around the base of the mountain for about 1/4 mile, and then ascends along a yellow blazed trail, or (c) from a defined parking area at the terminus of Mountain Road near the base of the mountain on the side of the open rocky face, allowing a nice pathway ascent and views of your parked vehicle from the observation point. There is signage on the Tully trail indicating that Royalston Falls is approximately 10 miles, by foot, from Tully Mountain. Although there are blue and yellow blazes, There are no defined trailhead signs, and there is no fee. Total hiking time one-way to the vista is approximately 20-30 minutes, making this a common destination for hikers of all ages, active families, and teenagers looking for a spot to do what teenagers do.
References
- ^ Massachusetts Trail Guide, 8th edition. (2004). Boston: Appalachian Mountain Club.
- ^ DeLorme Topo 6.0 (2006). Mapping software. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme.
- ^ http://peakery.com/little-tully-mountain-massachusetts/
External links
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/massachusetts/tully-mountain-trail