Mount Wachusett
Encyclopedia
Mount Wachusett is located in the towns of Princeton
and Westminster
in Worcester County, Massachusetts
. It is the highest point in Massachusetts east of the Connecticut River
. The mountain is named after a Native American
term meaning "near the mountain" or "mountain place". The mountain is a popular hiking
and skiing
destination (see Wachusett Mountain Ski Area
). An automobile road, open spring to fall, ascends the summit. Views from the top of Mount Wachusett include Mount Monadnock
to the north and (on clear days) Boston
to the east. The mountain is traversed by the 92 mi (148.1 km) Midstate Trail. It is also home to the Wachusett Mountain State Reservation
.
A band of old growth forest
along rock ledges 500 feet (152.4 m) below the summit supports trees from 150 to 370 years old. Covering 220 acres (89 ha), it is the largest known old growth forest
east of the Connecticut River
in Massachusetts.
monadnock
: a single mountain on a relatively flat landscape. Glacial activity that shaped the mountain can be seen at Balance Rock on the northeast side of the mountain: two large boulders were stacked one on top of each other by moving glaciers thousands of years ago.
Wachusett Mountain is bordered to the south by Little Wachusett Mountain and Brown Hill, to the north by Church Rock, to the east by Pine Hill, and to the northeast by the Crow Hills
. The nearest mountain of comparable size is Mount Watatic
, 1,832 feet (558 m), 12 mi (19.3 km) to the north on the New Hampshire
border in Ashburnham, Massachusetts
.
The west side of Wachusett Mountain drains into the east branch of the Ware River
, thence into the Chicopee River
, the Connecticut River
, and Long Island Sound
. The south side drains into the Quinapoxet River
, the Nashua River
, thence the Merrimack River
and the Atlantic Ocean
. The east side drains into the Stillwater River, thence the Nashua River. The north side drains into the Nasua River through a series of small reservoirs.
Stands of old growth hardwood forest on Mount Wachusett became the object of a 2003 court ruling in favor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in joint contract with the ski area regarding plans for a ski slope expansion into an environmental buffer zone around the old growth stand. The old growth forest contains trees over 350 years old; the buffer zone contained mature trees about half that age. The Sierra Club
and other conservation organizations criticized the ruling and two members of Earth First!
staged a sit-in
protest by climbing into the crowns of several of the trees in the area slated to be clear cut. As of 2007 wording on the website of the Wachusett Mountain Ski Area included strong language prohibiting skiers and snow boarders from entering the old growth area: "Anyone found entering old growth areas will have their lift ticket revoked. Subsequent offenses will be subject to fines."
, Wachusett Mountain State Reservation
, Wachusett Brewing Company
, and the USS Wachusett
. It is also the title of Henry David Thoreau
's A Walk to Wachusett
, which describes the transcendentalist author's experiences on the summit.
Princeton, Massachusetts
Princeton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States.It is bordered on the east by Sterling and Leominster, on the north by Westminster, on the northwest by Hubbardston, on the southwest by Rutland, and on the southeast by Holden....
and Westminster
Westminster, Massachusetts
Westminster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 7,277.- History :Westminster was first settled in 1737, and was officially incorporated in 1759....
in Worcester County, Massachusetts
Worcester County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:In 1990 Worcester County had a population of 709,705.As of the census of 2000, there were 750,963 people, 283,927 households, and 192,502 families residing in the county. The population density was 496 people per square mile . There were 298,159 housing units at an average density...
. It is the highest point in Massachusetts east of the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
. The mountain is named after a Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
term meaning "near the mountain" or "mountain place". The mountain is a popular hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
and skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
destination (see Wachusett Mountain Ski Area
Wachusett Mountain (ski area)
Wachusett Mountain is a ski resort in located on Mount Wachusett in the towns of Princeton and Westminster in Worcester County, Massachusetts...
). An automobile road, open spring to fall, ascends the summit. Views from the top of Mount Wachusett include Mount Monadnock
Mount Monadnock
Mount Monadnock, or Grand Monadnock, is the most prominent New England mountain peak south of the White Mountains and east of the Massachusetts Berkshires, and is the highest point in Cheshire County, New Hampshire...
to the north and (on clear days) Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
to the east. The mountain is traversed by the 92 mi (148.1 km) Midstate Trail. It is also home to the Wachusett Mountain State Reservation
Wachusett Mountain State Reservation
Wachusett Mountain State Reservation is a protected area located on Mount Wachusett in Massachusetts.-External links:*...
.
A band of old growth forest
Old growth forest
An old-growth forest is a forest that has attained great age , and thereby exhibits unique ecological features. An old growth forest has also usually reached a climax community...
along rock ledges 500 feet (152.4 m) below the summit supports trees from 150 to 370 years old. Covering 220 acres (89 ha), it is the largest known old growth forest
Old growth forest
An old-growth forest is a forest that has attained great age , and thereby exhibits unique ecological features. An old growth forest has also usually reached a climax community...
east of the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
in Massachusetts.
Geography
Wachusett Mountain is a glaciatedGlacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
monadnock
Monadnock
A monadnock or inselberg is an isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding plain...
: a single mountain on a relatively flat landscape. Glacial activity that shaped the mountain can be seen at Balance Rock on the northeast side of the mountain: two large boulders were stacked one on top of each other by moving glaciers thousands of years ago.
Wachusett Mountain is bordered to the south by Little Wachusett Mountain and Brown Hill, to the north by Church Rock, to the east by Pine Hill, and to the northeast by the Crow Hills
Crow Hills
The Crow Hills, located in Massachusetts' Leominster State Forest 2.5 miles northeast of Mount Wachusett, are a single monadnock with a twin summit, and , and a high eastern cliff. The hills are a popular rock climbing, bouldering, and hiking destination. The Midstate Trail traverses the hills....
. The nearest mountain of comparable size is Mount Watatic
Mount Watatic
Mount Watatic is a monadnock located on the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border, at the southern end of the Wapack Range of mountains. It lies within Ashburnham, Massachusetts, Ashby, Massachusetts, and New Ipswich, New Hampshire; the Wapack Trail and the Midstate Trail both cross the mountain...
, 1,832 feet (558 m), 12 mi (19.3 km) to the north on the New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
border in Ashburnham, Massachusetts
Ashburnham, Massachusetts
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,546 people, 1,929 households, and 1,541 families residing in the town. The population density was 143.4 people per square mile . There were 2,204 housing units at an average density of 57.0 per square mile...
.
The west side of Wachusett Mountain drains into the east branch of the Ware River
Ware River
The Ware River is a river in central Massachusetts. It has two forks, the longest of which begins near Hubbardston, Massachusetts...
, thence into the Chicopee River
Chicopee River
The Chicopee River is an tributary of the Connecticut River in Metropolitan Springfield, Massachusetts, known for fast-moving water and its extraordinarily large basin: the Connecticut River's largest tributary basin...
, the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
, and Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
. The south side drains into the Quinapoxet River
Quinapoxet River
The Quinapoxet River is part of the Nashua River watershed in northern Massachusetts in the United States. It is part of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority water system supplying drinking water to the greater Boston area....
, the Nashua River
Nashua River
The Nashua River, long, is a tributary of the Merrimack River in Massachusetts and New Hampshire in the United States. It is formed in eastern Worcester County, Massachusetts, by junction of its north and south branches near Lancaster, and flows generally north-northeast past Groton to join the...
, thence the Merrimack River
Merrimack River
The Merrimack River is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport...
and the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. The east side drains into the Stillwater River, thence the Nashua River. The north side drains into the Nasua River through a series of small reservoirs.
Ski Area
Wachusett Mountain is home to a 22-trail ski area serviced by 2 high speed quads, 2 fixed-grip triples and 3 magic carpet lifts. It features approximately 1000 feet (304.8 m) of vertical, a 50000 square feet (4,645.2 m²) base lodge, 100% snowmaking and night skiing on 18 trails. The mountain also maintains a terrain park and a jump called the Main Event. Due to its location, it is a popular skiing destination for residents of nearby Worcester and Boston. The ski area is located within the boundaries of the Wachusett Mountain State Reservation on a 450 acres (1.8 km²) lease parcel on the northern slopes of the mountain.Stands of old growth hardwood forest on Mount Wachusett became the object of a 2003 court ruling in favor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in joint contract with the ski area regarding plans for a ski slope expansion into an environmental buffer zone around the old growth stand. The old growth forest contains trees over 350 years old; the buffer zone contained mature trees about half that age. The Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
and other conservation organizations criticized the ruling and two members of Earth First!
Earth First!
Earth First! is a radical environmental advocacy group that emerged in the Southwestern United States in 1979. It was co-founded on April 4th, 1980 by Dave Foreman, Mike Roselle, Howie Wolke, and less directly, Bart Koehler and Ron Kezar....
staged a sit-in
Sit-in
A sit-in or sit-down is a form of protest that involves occupying seats or sitting down on the floor of an establishment.-Process:In a sit-in, protesters remain until they are evicted, usually by force, or arrested, or until their requests have been met...
protest by climbing into the crowns of several of the trees in the area slated to be clear cut. As of 2007 wording on the website of the Wachusett Mountain Ski Area included strong language prohibiting skiers and snow boarders from entering the old growth area: "Anyone found entering old growth areas will have their lift ticket revoked. Subsequent offenses will be subject to fines."
See also
The name Wachusett has been adopted for the names of institutions, businesses, structures, geographic features, and other miscellaneous uses, for instance, Wachusett ReservoirWachusett Reservoir
The Wachusett Reservoir is the second largest body of water in the state of Massachusetts. It is located in central Massachusetts, northeast of Worcester. It is part of the water supply system for metropolitan Boston maintained by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority . It has an aggregate...
, Wachusett Mountain State Reservation
Wachusett Mountain State Reservation
Wachusett Mountain State Reservation is a protected area located on Mount Wachusett in Massachusetts.-External links:*...
, Wachusett Brewing Company
Wachusett Brewing Company
Wachusett Brewing Company is a microbrewery and craft brewery in Westminster, Massachusetts.Founded in 1993, by former attendees of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Wachusett Brewing Company is Worcester County's first and only brewery and was well-accepted by the town of Westminster. One of the...
, and the USS Wachusett
USS Wachusett
USS Wachusett has been the name of more than one United States Navy ship, and may refer to:*USS Wachusett , a sloop-of-war in commission from 1862 to 1868, from 1871 to 1874, and from 1879 to 1885...
. It is also the title of Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau was an American author, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, and leading transcendentalist...
's A Walk to Wachusett
A Walk to Wachusett
A Walk to Wachusett is an essay penned by Henry David Thoreau accounting an excursion he took with a companion, Richard Fuller, from Concord, Massachusetts to the summit of Mount Wachusett located in Princeton, Massachusetts. Their journey, by foot, began on July 19, 1842...
, which describes the transcendentalist author's experiences on the summit.