Jerimoth Hill Trip Report
State Route 101, 03/21/11
Although the smallest of the states, Rhode Island does not have the lowest of the highpoints (that distinction belongs to Florida's Britton Hill). At 812 ft. above sea level, Jerimoth Hill caps the Ocean State with a small gneiss outcrop in a fir forest. Long one of the most challenging of the State Highpoints to attain (due to access restrictions across the private property next to the site), ownership in past years changed to allow year-round excursions. My own happened as a side-trip to a business meeting in Boston in March 2011.
After an early morning flight out of Austin, it was snowing by the time I arrived in Boston, and while waiting for the rental car shuttle, I was glad I'd packed an extra sweater. After picking up my car and orienting myself a little better, I hit the road, planning to swing down toward Providence, Rhode Island, and then across on Rt. 101 to the highpoint. Traffic was relatively light, but the snow was coming down in big, thick flakes, and by the time I got to the Providence belt route, at least an inch had accumulated on the ground.
I got off the interstate on US-6 (the same highway which goes past Nevada's Boundary Peak), and after about 20 minutes had crossed to the other side of the state, and the location of Jerimoth Hill. The spot was signed, and a parking area across the street was well situated for my excursion. The trailhead had a map placed by the Highpointers Club, and the route to the actual summit was well marked and maintained. The snow had let up by this point, but it was still cold, as I left outlines of my shoes on the trail.
The summit itself was relatively nondescript, but very pretty with the coating of white. I spent a few minutes taking pictures, and then walked back to the highway and my car. From there is was a quick trip back, this time up through Connecticut with enough time to spare to grab a bite to eat before my evening meetings. Although a long time in coming, my conquest of Jerimoth Hill was complete.