Sept 2 Mandan Trail

 

A paved Rail Trail traveling from Easthampton MA, through Northampton and beyond, with a spur over to Rt 5 near the Connecticut River. I entered on the spur. The first few miles travel through some suburban spots and some rural terrain. There were many late summer flowers blooming. At the junction with the main trail, I headed south toward Easthampton, through the Williston campus and beyond to the terminus.

  

 Turn back and cover the same trail back to the spur junction before heading north. This is a relatively quiet ride until you reach the outskirts of Northampton. The trail jumps around here as you cross streets, pass the old railroad station (below). There is an old hotel building directly across the street from the former station. Fortunately, the trail crosses the main street of downtown above on a bridge.

Not far from here you have the option of continuing on the Mandan heading out of town in a northwesterly direction or you can hook up with the Norwottuck Trail. It is a bit tricky to make the connection to the latter. You look for a dirt trail crossing a couple of live railroad tracks then down a grassy hill onto a street and somehow you are now on the trail. It it a short distance from here to the Connecticut River. The trail has its own single track bridge crossing. At this point the trail follows alongside Rt 9 to Amherst. That road has quite a bit of traffic on it, particularly this Sunday. It is a few miles from UMASS campus.

For some reason this trail is also referred to as the Spandex Highway. It was stenciled painted in a couple of spots.