I'll preface this by saying the summer environment , dealing with the bugs, was horrific! BUT with a bit of history, the geologic background of Western Massachusetts, and a road trip: we had all the ingredients for another adventure.
Toting along a recent find of a real photo postcard, I descended down into the farthest corner of Hampshire County. My postcard did not identify the site by name, but the location written on the reverse side told me it was Big Rock, sometimes called Great Rock. I've seen this boulder a couple times previously but in my mind the photo just did not seem to match! Upon arrival (and scrambling through bushes) I did quickly confirm this postcard to the site. With foliage in full bloom it was much more challenging to come up with a good photograph as opposed to previous off-season visits.
Since I was already in the area (and dirty and bitten up) I went on over to the local soapstone quarry. A MAJOR operation in its day, this site shipped stone down as far as New York City. Now, just a massive rift in the Earth, it lies abandoned except to those who know where to look.
