by Rajesh Khare

For a fun hike, Mount Wachusett is the Goldilocks of mountains - not too difficult for beginners and not too easy for experienced hikers. Less than 35 minutes from India Center, at 2006 feet of elevation, Wachusett offers panoramic views to Boston in the East, Mount Monadnock to the North and Mount Greylock to the West.

Around 35 to 40 intrepid hikers, including several young kids, met at the trailhead near the Wachusett Mountain Ski Area. At 70 F and sunny, it felt like the perfect weather for a hike. We took the Balance Rock trail which led to a set of photogenic glacial boulders stacked on top of each other. Then we followed the Old Indian Trail to the summit. Along the way, we crossed some ski slopes, saw many families and hikers with dogs and finally climbed up a steep section towards the end. The view at the top was spectacular! We had lunch and snacks by a beautiful pond near the summit, took pictures and then hiked back down the same path to the parking lot with plenty of time to spare for the rest of the day. In the end many people asked about the next hike, so we hope to have a larger group on the next hike we organize.

Thanks to all of you who were able to join and make this a memorable event. For everybody else, we hope to see you at the next outdoor activity!

Photos courtesy: Rajesh Khare, Sakshi