Taconic Tri-State Trifecta dayhike -- Brace + Mount Frissell (6.4 miles)

*LAST MINUTE hike!! Get ready for the Taconic Trifecta, hiking from Northeast, N.Y. into Connecticut and Massachusetts where we'll bag Frissell, Brace and South Brace Mountains in just a few hours.

I expect to leave from the city on Sunday (5/7) at 7:40 ~ 7:50am and plan to head up to Mount Frissell (2,454 ft.) via South Brace and Brace Mountain (2,311 ft.) in the southern Taconics around 10:00am.

• This hike is 6.4 miles round-tip, with 1,200 feet of elevation gain/loss, for a moderate to strenuous hike with 5 to 7 westerly viewpoints of the Catskills, before we touch foot in Massachusetts and Connecticut briefly to bag Mt. Frissell!
• From the Quarry Hill Trailhead (Quarry Hill Road, Northeast, NY), we'll trek up the white-blazed trail connector to the South Taconics trail, where we'll make a left on towards the ridge before ascending to first S. Brace summit (2,200 ft.) and due north to Brace Mountain.
• Half-way through the day we'll have lunch/snacks and take a break either at one of the vistas near Frissell or by the junction of the So. Taconics trail and Frissell trail (red).
• We'll keep a collective pace and allow for quite a few break spots and photos, but this is certainly more of a moderate or intermediate rated hike. If you have not been periodically doing hikes like Breakneck, Beacon, Harriman or the Hudson Highlands, you might winded just on the first portion of this hike which frontloads quite a lot of elevation in less than one-mile. However, we're not a fast-paced group, and are fairly easy-going regarding taking breaks and enjoying nature.
• You know your own body. Bring enough water, electrolytes and/or sports beverage for a 4-hour workout, or a 7-mile walk, as well as lunch or any snacks for salts, sweets or crunchiness throughout the afternoon. As is the case with any hikes at or above 750 feet elevation, I advise hiking boots, trail shoots or anything with ankle support and doesn't rub your toes when hiking down as well as uphill! Only you can prevent rolling an ankle by NOT wearing sneakers on a Hudson Valley or upstate NY dayhike!
• If you use Avenza, Gaia or another GPS trekking or hiking app, this hike can be followed by pulling up the New York-New Jersey Trail Commission (NYNJTC) South Taconic Map #107, which covers everything east of Copake and Ancram, NY in Taconic State Park, encompassing Mount Washington State Forest and Bash Bish Falls State Park in the lower Taconics.
• By joining this hike, you agree to not hold NYC Backwoods group liable for lack of preparation or inability to stay with the group during a spring dayhike of under 7 miles.

*The trailhead is located on Quarry Hill Road, Northeast, NY, with GPS coordinates: 42.032378, -73.504759
*You'll know you missed the trailhead parking if you pass a creek or come to a cul-de-sac, at the end of Quarry Hill Road. The parking area is very small so be advised of limited parking. In the event there's no parking, we can drive 30 minutes into Connecticut and do the hike in a shortened loop format (5 miles) from the Mt. Washington side.

*Afterwards we'll grab lunch and a drink at Roe Jan Brewing (Anthony Street) in Hillsdale, NY, a woman-owned brewery with quite good gastropub food and ample outdoor seating and picnic area.