Spectacular Video of Mount Greylock From 1976

Growing up in Berkshire County, one tradition I took part in for many years in a row was the Mount Greylock ramble. My father would wake me up at about 5 a.m. on Columbus Day each year, and we would round up three or four of my friends, park at the bottom of one of the trails, and start our journey up the trail.

Get our free mobile app

It was a fun time. We had our backpacks stored with our lunches, extra clothing, and thermoses. To be honest, I don't think we even carried a first aid kit. Things were certainly different back then.

When we all arrived at the summit, we would make a whole day out of it. We didn't just get to the top and turn right around and head back down the trail. No, we would enter the War Memorial Tower, take in the views, hang out in Bascom Lodge, and explore nature in general. When we reached the summit early in the morning, we usually didn't head back down the trail until about 3 p.m. or so. It was an event for us, and I really cherish those memories as my father passed away in 1996.

Mount Greylock Video Circa 1976

When I was participating in the ramble, it was the late 80s/early-mid 90s. Today, I present to you some really cool nostalgia. I found a video on YouTube of three young men, plus the videographer, hiking and exploring Mount Greylock around 1976. This is a fun video to watch, and you can tell that the gentlemen are really enjoying themselves. Before we get to the video, here's the description of it from YouTube user fnsimms.

Super 8 film I shot around 1976. With Jon Simms, Dave Vitale, and Steve Carlic. It was a nice spring day in the '70's down in the valley, and it didn't really occur to us there might be a foot+ of ice and snow at the summit. So we were a bit underdressed/undershod. The descent is not shown in the film, but it was memorable in that Steve got the urge to go 'tree-to-tree', crashing through the woods off-trail, only to take a header over an unseen barbed-wire fence. The rest of the evening was spent in the Pittsfield ER, getting him patched up...

I don't know about you, but that video really made my day. This is local nostalgia at its best. Wouldn't you agree? Poor Steve.

LOOK: Here's What Daily Life Looked Like in the 1970s, One Photo at a Time

From neighborhood bike rides to washing the car, these photos capture daily life in the 1970s in all its comfortable, lived-in charm.

Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz

LOOK: 79 Photos That Prove the '70s Had Style All Its Own

These photos capture the '70s exactly as they were — everyday outfits worn to school, around town, and to family gatherings, with just enough high-fashion flair mixed in to remind you how stylish the decade could be.

Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz