PDA

View Full Version : Mt. Tom, MA

Bittersweet
05-20-2007, 02:24 PM
Just rode to the top of Mt. Tom in Holyoke, MA for the first time. I can see it from my house but just hadn't gotten over there yet. Rain stopped, clouds cleared and I headed out. Wow, it is good and steep once you take the left after the power substation/transformer/whatevermajig. A good test piece and importantly humbling. Beautiful view of the Pioneer Valley if anyone is so inclined :) to give it a go.
39cross
05-20-2007, 03:48 PM
Sounds cool. I haven't ridden up Mt. Tom, but I rode up to the top of Mt. Holyoke in Skinner Park last summer. It was short but steep.
Climb01742
05-20-2007, 04:09 PM
Sounds cool. I haven't ridden up Mt. Tom, but I rode up to the top of Mt. Holyoke in Skinner Park last summer. It was short but steep.

+1 on mt holyoke. where is mt tom?

ps: rained all day here...again...just cleared 30 minutes ago. this morning's ride was darn wet. :crap:
benb
05-20-2007, 04:13 PM
Six hours in the rain this week. Yuck.

Excuse me while I go clean the sand out of my teeth.
39cross
05-20-2007, 06:04 PM
+1 on mt holyoke. where is mt tom?

ps: rained all day here...again...just cleared 30 minutes ago. this morning's ride was darn wet. :crap:
Mt. Tom is in Easthampton on the other side of the river.

The sun was just out 30 mins. ago, now it looks like rain again. This has been a trainer weekend for me.
Bittersweet
05-20-2007, 07:25 PM
Mt. Tom is almost directly across the river from Mt Holyoke. I ride Mt Holyoke a couple times a week as it is a 14 mile out and back from my house to the top and back. I've looked at Mt. Tom for the last four years across the river from my house but it is an old ski area and has lots of closed signs and I just hadn't gotten it done. My assessment is that Mt. Tom is way, way, more difficult than Mt Holyoke but access is just as easy as Mt. Holyoke. You can map the two against each other with the link:

http://www.northeastcycling.com/gpx_loader.html

Choose Mt Holyoke and Mt Tom or any other that suits your fancy.

Mt. Tom is very narrow because it is a paved service road for all the radio towers etc on the top and not meant to have two way traffic. The steep bit also has no switch backs which I found daunting as it seems to go up steeply forever.