The trail leads from the crusher scales around the north base of Notch Mountain and thence up the power line to the crest of the ridge. The path lies on conglomerate below the lava sheet through most of the distance and returns to the lava only where it bends eastward along the crest line. Faulting east of Notch Mountain has moved the base of the lava southward until it abuts on the sandstone above the lava occurring west of the fracture. Thus, the entire backslope of the Range along the power line is coarse sandstone, whereas in the woods to the east it is vesicular basaltic lava. Many small but abrupt descents occur along the path as it follows the ridge eastward. Each of them marks the position of a minor fault, along which the eastern side has been pushed down and southward under the western side. However, the elevation of the trail increases gradually to the summit of Mount Norwottock, which is almost as high as the uplands bordering the valley. If one can momentarily overlook the lowland excavated on the incoherent Triassic sandstones, the regional surface seems to slope gently upward to the east, the north and the west. Far to the east Mount Wachusett rises above the general level, and there in the northeast is Monadnock’s sharp cone. On the western skyline Mount Greylock’s summit, with the fire tower at the north end, attains prominence as Massachusett’s highest peak. The long ridge of Glastenbury and the point of Bald Mountain are clearly visible in the northwest. Far to the south stretches the lowland, and on a clear day Hartford’s towers stand sharp and clear against the sky. The north face of the Range is a sheer 250-foot cliff. The south side is a half-mile-long, 20-degree slope. Eastward the crest terminates in a precipitous drop, and the trail winds down the corner between the north face and the cliffs at the east end. It crosses the contact between the lava flow and the red Triassic conglomerate about 150 feet below the summit. The conglomerate beds are separated by shaly sandstones, many of which have weathered out to make rock shelters; these are the so-called “Horse Sheds” and are said to have been used during Shays’ Rebellion. The great cliff at the east end of Norwottock was caused by the rapid erosion of the sandstones below the lava sheet, which has receded steadily westward as it was undermined. Recession started at a fault plane about halfway between Norwottock and Hilliard Knob, for here displacement pushed the lava down and southward on the east side until the subjacent sandstone was exposed west of the fault. Exposure led to erosion and to recession of the lava cap.