Scott's Tower

I walked up to Scott's Tower yesterday afternoon. It was a cloudy, damp day but it had been many years since I had seen the tower and I've been planning an afternoon for this walk for a couple of weeks. To visit the tower you take Rt 202 in Holyoke to Community Field Rd, then you have to cut through Community Field Park. It's such a shame that such a beautiful park has been all but abandoned. As you walk up the old road to the top you will see signs all over of the picnic spots that people enjoyed for so many years. The metal frames of picnic tables are everywhere, most of them in great shape with the exception of needing the wood tops and benches replaced. Too bad. To get to the tower go around the gate in Community Field under I91, follow the old park road, at the first fork in the road go left, at the second fork in the road go left again, at this point you will start to see the tower in the distance looming like a giant ruin. Graffiti is everywhere, which gives it a kind of sad overtone, but I was really impressed by how solid the building is. There is hardly a loose rock to be found. It's encouraging to think that with a just a major cleanup the area could really be looking great again. Be warned though, if you go up the tower then be very careful of the missing step about halfway up. At the top you will get an awesome 360 degree view, even on a cloudy day like when I went.