Oh, what a marvelous day today and I’ve got so much to “show and tell”.
Restoration has just this month been completed on Skinner Mountain House atop the Holyoke Range. Originally built in 1861, and accessed by a steep tram, the then “Prospect House” was a popular destination.Even Jenny Lind stayed there! Greatly damaged by the hurricane of 1938, it sunk into sad disrepair. It was donated to the State of Massachusetts in 1946. Public outcry about its suggested demolition in 1970 has, at last, led to the restoration that has just been completed this month. So, of course, we had to make the trek.
WOW! what a climb! We earned new hiking badges today, hiking for 2 1/2 hours on steep, fun, trails to the 900 foot elevation of the top. We are proud old geezers just having done it.The photos will speak for themselves.
Once having reached the Summit House, the clouds quickly gathered across the Connecticut River and the valley below us.. We managed to enjoy our brown bag lunches just before the rain pelted us. I really do think it’s time for me to invest in some actual hiking gear!!! It was fun to get totally soaked on the way down, and it made me feel like a kid again…. but some rain gear in the backpack might not be such a bad idea.
So much more I could tell about this great day, but off with me, and thanks for reading this, and love to all of you, Penny







Restoration has just this month been completed on Skinner Mountain House atop the Holyoke Range. Originally built in 1861, and accessed by a steep tram, the then “Prospect House” was a popular destination.Even Jenny Lind stayed there! Greatly damaged by the hurricane of 1938, it sunk into sad disrepair. It was donated to the State of Massachusetts in 1946. Public outcry about its suggested demolition in 1970 has, at last, led to the restoration that has just been completed this month. So, of course, we had to make the trek.
WOW! what a climb! We earned new hiking badges today, hiking for 2 1/2 hours on steep, fun, trails to the 900 foot elevation of the top. We are proud old geezers just having done it.The photos will speak for themselves.
Once having reached the Summit House, the clouds quickly gathered across the Connecticut River and the valley below us.. We managed to enjoy our brown bag lunches just before the rain pelted us. I really do think it’s time for me to invest in some actual hiking gear!!! It was fun to get totally soaked on the way down, and it made me feel like a kid again…. but some rain gear in the backpack might not be such a bad idea.
So much more I could tell about this great day, but off with me, and thanks for reading this, and love to all of you, Penny








Leave a Reply