1.6 Miles|
One of two classical-skiing loop trails at Notchview (Circuit is the other), Mixed Wood circumnavigates Sawmill Field and even encompasses with its 1.6-mile loop much of Colonel Budd's Black Forest plantation of Norway spruce. To enjoy the ride to its fullest, start at the high point, approximately where Mixed Wood crosses the upper leg of Circuit Trail. Be patient. The best downhill running comes after you cross the lower leg of Circuit. You'll pay for your sport (after all, it is a loop trail) but you can beg off the upslope climb by hanging a right at the bottom of the run. Intersection 7 on your map and the trail post. That takes you back to the Visitor Center. Still, the climb back up around the eastern
side of Sawmill Field is not arduous. For a short distance at
the bottom of the field, Mixed Wood joins a skating loop before
heading north into a wood of largely beech growth. From Black
Forest to open stands of beech (the Massachusetts state tree)
is what gives Mixed Wood its name. Here the terrain is similar
to that of nearby Whitestone, which Mixed Wood roughly parallels. Carry on until Mixed Wood crosses Minor Trail and returns you to the starting junction at Circuit Trail. |
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Mixed
Wood is the best ride of the Inner Trails.