Reaching the Highest Point in Connecticut, Standing in Three States

I never really stopped to consider how unusual it is to live in a place where one regularly, sometimes daily, travels through three states. Yesterday, for instance, I woke up in Lakeville, went to the frame shop in Millerton and then later in the day found myself eating dinner in Sheffield. Our part of the world is unique in a lot of ways, but this particular aspect of living in the Northwest Corner was at the forefront of my mind when I set off to do something I had never done before: stand in all three states — Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York — at the same time. 

A local old timer who knows the trails like the back of his hand tipped me off to the idea. Little did I know that while I searched for the tri-state marker, I would also “bag” the highest peak in Connecticut, Mount Frissell. If there is any greatest-hits hike in the area, this one is it. The terrain is steep in parts and rocky, so it’s a perfect outing for adults and slightly older kids who will be jazzed by the idea of logging their name in the registry atop the summit of Mount Frissell and the opportunity to stand in all three states at once. 

The journey starts off from the center of Salisbury with a beautiful drive up Factory Road to Mount Washington Road, the dirt track that leads to the top of Mount Riga, past Riga Lake. Keep going another 3 miles, during which you will pass several marked parking areas. Keep going until you reach a sign on the right for the Mount Frissell Trail, which is guided by two red markers. 

I set off from my car with a canteen of water, a rain jacket, sweater, bug spray, my Swiss Army knife, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a half of a Hershey bar with almonds in my day pack. For some reason, I often start a hike feeling a bit out of sorts, like I’m still carrying the burdens of work and the complexities of human relations. 

But then something magical happens. After about 10 minutes, when my breath takes over and the cool silence of the trail is all there is to absorb, I start to feel better. I notice pockets of wildflowers, silvery lichen and the deep green of moss, enormous speckled mushrooms, a bright orange salamander, the sound of the wind through early autumn leaves. I move beyond myself. 

Though Mount Frissell and the tri-corner marker is the goal, it’s hard not to be amazed by the vista from atop Round Mountain, which is the reward for the first rigorous section of the 3-mile-plus round trip hike. There is a 360-degree view of several mountain ranges with virtually no evidence of human activity. On the way back down, it’s a wonderful spot to enjoy a picnic lunch. 

After Round Mountain, the trail leads to the summit of Frissell, with its surprisingly less awesome view. Nestled under a tree at the summit is a green lock box where fellow hikers log their name and date in a notebook, which I did. While there, I met a guy from South Dakota who told me he’s attempting to summit the highest mountains, or highest points, in all 50 states. I hadn’t ever considered the idea but realized with some pride that I had already started my own list, having climbed Mount Marcy in New York, Mount Washington in New Hampshire and Mount Katahdin in Maine. 

When I reached the tri-corner marker, a stone pillar in the middle of the woods, I immediately hoisted myself up onto the marker and sat there for a bit drinking from my canteen. This would have been a perfect photo opportunity if there had been someone around to take the photo. But you’ll just have to just trust that I was indeed there, at the junction of three states. For a moment I was everywhere and nowhere.