Notchview
Encyclopedia
Notchview, located in Windsor, Massachusetts
in the Berkshire County, United States
, is a 3100 acres (12.5 km²) property currently managed by the Trustees of Reservations.
, part of Vermont's Green Mountains
. Judge's Hill the highest point on the reservation at 2297 feet (700.1 m). With the exception of some southerly facing fields, most of the Reservation is covered with a red spruce
and northern hardwood forest
. Areas with poor drainage contain a spruce
and fir tree mix that lends a Boreal forest
appearance.
Under management of the Trustees of Reservations, during the winter months Notchview is now a primary Nordic Skiing
center, with a 40-kilometer trail system (25 km groomed) for classical and (12 km) for skating. There are 11 km of beginnger trails, 18 km intermediate, and 11.2 advanced. Snowshoeing is also allowed on the property, with 3.7 km of trail dedicated to this sport. Notchview is one of the locations of the Bill Koch
Youth Ski League, the youth division of NENSA. Notchview was the host of the Bill Koch League Festival in 2001, 2005, and 2009, in partnership with TD Banknorth
Notchview is open year-round, with summer and autumn activities of hiking and bird-watching. A ski lodge and office accommodates skiers, with hot drinks and restrooms available. Small 3 walled shelters have been constructed in some of the fields as a picnic location or to provide a wind barrier for resting skiers.
Windsor, Massachusetts
Windsor is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 875 at the 2000 census.-History:...
in the Berkshire County, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, is a 3100 acres (12.5 km²) property currently managed by the Trustees of Reservations.
History
Early 19th century farmers made attempts to cultivate the region, but rocky soils and a short growing season soon forced them to farm elsewhere. By the year 1900, these farms were bought up and became larger private estates. Lt. Col. Arthur D. Budd merged these holdings into the 3000 acres (12.1 km²) Notch View Farm, which he bequeathed to The Trustees of Reservations in 1965. In 1993, an additional 93 acres (376,358 m²) from the Smithers Woodland Preserve were added to the reservation.Land
Notchview is a part of the Hoosac RangeHoosac Range
The Hoosac Range is part of both the Berkshires of western Massachusetts and the southern Green Mountains of Vermont; it is part of the greater Appalachian Mountain chain...
, part of Vermont's Green Mountains
Green Mountains
The Green Mountains are a mountain range in the U.S. state of Vermont. The range extends approximately .-Peaks:The most notable mountains in the range include:*Mount Mansfield, , the highest point in Vermont*Killington Peak, *Mount Ellen,...
. Judge's Hill the highest point on the reservation at 2297 feet (700.1 m). With the exception of some southerly facing fields, most of the Reservation is covered with a red spruce
Red Spruce
Picea rubens is a species of spruce native to eastern North America, ranging from eastern Quebec to Nova Scotia, and from New England south in the Adirondack Mountains and Appalachians to western North Carolina.-Physical description:...
and northern hardwood forest
Northern hardwood forest
The northern hardwood forest is a general type of North American forest ecosystem found over much of southeastern and south central Canada, extending south into the United States in northern New England and New York, and west along the Great Lakes to Minnesota and western Ontario...
. Areas with poor drainage contain a spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
and fir tree mix that lends a Boreal forest
Taiga
Taiga , also known as the boreal forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests.Taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome. In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States and is known as the Northwoods...
appearance.
Recreation
Nordic skiing
Nordic skiing is a winter sport that encompasses all types of skiing where the heel of the boot cannot be fixed to the ski, as opposed to Alpine skiing....
center, with a 40-kilometer trail system (25 km groomed) for classical and (12 km) for skating. There are 11 km of beginnger trails, 18 km intermediate, and 11.2 advanced. Snowshoeing is also allowed on the property, with 3.7 km of trail dedicated to this sport. Notchview is one of the locations of the Bill Koch
Bill Koch (skier)
Bill Koch is an American ski racer and the first world-class cross-country skier from the United States.A native of Brattleboro, Vermont, he is a graduate of the nearby The Putney School in Putney, Vermont. He originally competed in the NIS in the Nordic combined, but later switched to cross...
Youth Ski League, the youth division of NENSA. Notchview was the host of the Bill Koch League Festival in 2001, 2005, and 2009, in partnership with TD Banknorth
TD Banknorth
TD Banknorth, formerly just Banknorth, was a wholly owned subsidiary of the Toronto-Dominion Bank which conducted banking and insurance activities, primarily serving the northeastern area of the United States, headquartered in Portland, Maine...
Notchview is open year-round, with summer and autumn activities of hiking and bird-watching. A ski lodge and office accommodates skiers, with hot drinks and restrooms available. Small 3 walled shelters have been constructed in some of the fields as a picnic location or to provide a wind barrier for resting skiers.