North Conway Weekend - Day 1

It was snowing in the morning so I did some work around the house.  My friend (Jim F) had mentioned that he and his wife had some extra beds at the Red Jacket Resort in North Conway and suggested that I come to visit them for the weekend.  I was excited for this opportunity but the weather continued to downgrade.  We texted for several hours, trying to make definite plans, but I decided to stay put until the snow started to let up (1430).  By then, I was packed and ready to go!  I used I-89, US-4, NH-104, NH-25, NH-113 and some back roads to reach NH-16.  It snowed all the way, with heavier accumulations in the Danbury and Conway areas.  For only the second time in recent memory, I drove around the north end of Lake Winnipesaukee.  I made it to North Conway by about 1700 and tried to reach Our Lady of the Mountains (so I could join Jim and Cathy at Mass).  Unfortunately, the traffic in the downtown section was so bad that I couldn't move for 20+ minutes.  I escaped this traffic jam (talking to Mollie for a little bit of it) and went back to the Red Jacket.  Since I really hadn't gotten any exercise all day, I walked around in the buildings (mostly exploring) and tried to get my bearings.  Jim and Cathy returned by 1800 and I met them in the lobby.  After checking me into a room, I went with them to their townhome (very nice) and we chatted for a little while.  We discussed dinner and I suggested we go to the Resort restaurant (Champney's) for the Prime Rib Buffet.  This turned out to be a great idea and we had lots of good food and conversation.  We were finished by 1930 and went back to the townhome.  Cathy and Jim and I watched some Olympic skiing events (Mikayla Shiffren was competing) and enjoyed some drinks.  I was tired by about 2200 and went to bed.  This should be a great weekend!

Grantham, NH (USA)

After feeling like Winter was almost over when I went skiing yesterday, I tried to squeeze in a bit more of the season at the Eastman Cross Country Center this afternoon (break from work in the middle of the day)...  It was pretty difficult!  Encountered lots of ice and exposed grass/pavement, even close to the Center - the groomers have apparently given up on retaining the tracks.  Managed to get about 1.5 hours of exercise (1335 to 1505) but skiing the green circle trails didn’t feel as fun as they did last week.  With 40+ degrees and rain coming in the next 72 hours, we might be seeing the end of the ski season...  Oh well - I had a pretty good time at Eastman this year!

Grantham, NH (USA)

Brrr - it’s cold!  Fortunately, by waiting until after work (1430), I got a bit better temps.  With gas prices rising a lot recently, I found a good price in Grantham (1445) before I headed over to the Eastman Cross Country Center (arrived 1500).  I was then was able to get almost two hours of exercise at Eastman Cross Country Center.  Logged one hour skiing (despite poor grooming) on the northern end of Sunrise Crest Trail and another hour on the Heath Forest Trails (completed another Snowshoe Challenge).  Headed home at 1745 (getting dark), quickly changed and then met my friend (Joe C) at SNAX for Tuesday Night Trivia (1900-2130).  We had fun, but I kept thinking about how I'll really need to cross my fingers for another few days out on the cross country trails before the season is officially over...

Grantham, NH (USA)

I went to Mass (0800) this morning - it was very cold again (glad I dressed warmly).  I then drove to Eastman for some more cross country skiing.  When I arrived (0915), temps were still in the teens and all the trails were almost solid ice.  What a difference 24 hours makes!  I was layered up ok, as I usually am for a ski day, but my normal gloves weren’t thick enough to protect my finger tips.  So, unlike previous visits, I had to interrupt my ski and return to my car for something warmer.  Another challenge: without recent grooming, the tracks were difficult to use.  Even with these obstacles, however, I ultimately stuck to my original plan of staying on the trails for two hours.  After getting warmed up on the green (beginner) trails I usually use, I ventured away from the Cross Country Center to explore some blue (intermediate) trails to the west.  This required me to navigate some tricky hills and cross several roads.  Sadly, I found conditions on Croydon Run and Longwood Loop to be even worse than I’d seen on the Lazy Loop.  As a result, I did a LOT of walking - mostly so I wouldn’t careen into the trees but also because of my unfamiliarity with the new trails.  At one point, the grooming machine came by; when I saw how little effect it had on the track quality, I decided to walk over (by gravel road) to the northern end of the Croyden Connector and use that familiar trail to get back to my “normal” routine.  This proved to be a good decision and I spent the rest of my time skiing on better quality tracks.  Didn’t see any other skiers until just before I reached my car again (1115) - felt like the place was open just for me!  With the sap starting to run from nearby maple tree farms yesterday, it seems like I may not get a lot more chances to ski this season.  No matter - trying out more trails this year has really boosted my confidence!  

Waterville Valley, NH (USA)

Last year, I didn't follow my normal routine of hiking through the winter. I suppose it is understandable, since the temperatures in New Hampshire are much more brutal than those to the south.  However, I never felt like I found my trail legs in 2021 - mostly, I believe, because I spent three straight months cross country skiing and walking on flat rail trails.  Determined not to repeat the same mistake, I've been watching the weather in the WMNF very carefully (including checking conditions at the Summit of Mount Washington), hoping that I'd get an earlier start in 2022.  Today, everything came into place: warmer temperatures, no precipitation, day off from work and I found an achievable "Kick Off" hike destination: Mount Tecumseh (4003').  Left house at 0830 (later than I'd wanted) and used I-89, US-4, NH-118, NH-25, US-3, I-93 and NH-49 to reach the Waterville Valley Ski Resort by 1000 (1.5 hour drive).  It took a while to locate a parking spot (very busy) but, after I was all geared up (it felt strange!), I started up the mountain.  There were other folks who had the same idea but it was nothing like the lines that I saw for each of the chairlifts - the craziness of the downhill skiing scene reminded me of videos I've seen when Black Friday Sales begin (wow).  I didn't need a hat or gloves for most of the hike but my microspikes were a must.  Other people chose snowshoes but I never felt the need for them (lucky that was the case because I left them in the car).  For most of the ascent, I was in my own little world, sometimes seeing a hiker or two above or below me.  The trail was very peaceful, overall.  This was good, because I needed to concentrate to get my climbing rhythm back after several months of walking and skiing.  The temps were much warmer than I'd expected (mid 40s) and, even though I was only wearing two top layers, I was sweating all the way.  About a quarter mile from the top, I had a choice of trails to take to get to the view and I ended up choosing the wrong one.  There were enough clues that I should have gone left - mostly unbroken trail, steep ascents in places - but the book I bought (for conquering the 48 mountains above 4000 feet) had suggested it.  After getting submerged in snow drifts a few times, I encountered a snowshoer coming down on her rear end - at that point, I decided to turn around and use the other option.  This turned out to be very wise (MUCH easier) and I was very pleased to soon be standing on top of Tecumseh!  It was much colder and windier up there than I'd seen all day but the views were spectacular - practically all of the high peaks of the White Mountain range were visible.  I only stayed for a short time because I still had the descent and drive home to complete.  Thus began an even harder part of the day - walking downhill on a sledding hill.  It was literally that because lots of people brought their little sleds with them and smoothed out the footing area until it was almost impossible to get a firm step planted.  The snow actually started balling up on the soles of my boots - hard to walk!  Somehow, I made it down without falling into a deep drift on the side of the trail - my poles went almost to the handles into the snow.  Stopped in a few places on the way down to watch skiers on the Waterville slopes - the trail paralleled their trails for most of the hike.  Was glad to reach my car (1400) after hiking (with my mistake) over six miles in less than three hours.  Drove home via NH-49, I-93, US-3 and got on NH-25.  Used this last road to reach Wentworth and then took NH-25A to Orford.  Crossed Connecticut River (into Fairlee) and then used I-91 to get back to Hanover (arrived at at around 1545).  Not a bad start to my 2022 hiking season - hope I can get some other days just as good as this by the time the AT sections are hikeable! NH 4000 Footer #11 of 48

Dorchester, NH (USA)

After figuring out that I’d only skied on the edge of the huge Green Woodlands property (Dorchester, NH) when I visited in December, I obviously wanted to return to explore further.  This morning, the temps were in the high 20s when I woke up (heat wave!) and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity!  I left the house just after sunrise, drove through Etna and Lyme and soon found myself on the icy Dorchester Road. My goal, the parking lot on the west end of the trail complex, turned out to be easy to find because the road ended for all car traffic (just over five miles from the Dartmouth Ski-way).  From there, all the dirt roads (which looked like they were mainly used for fish camp traffic in the warmer weather) were all carefully groomed for skiing.  There was plenty of ice and lots of rolling hills but I was able to easily navigate deep into the woods.  The complex had great signage, some privies and several awesome views (including some of pretty powder-covered Smarts Mountain). I also located the warming house, a “borrow skis” barn and some pleasant sitting spots (with Adirondack chairs).  There were some really long stretches where I was able to speed along the tracks, using a combination of my normal diagonal stride and some fun roller coaster hills. Even after braving some really long downhills with tricky turns, I managed to complete my whole ski day without falling (although I did take off my skis in some “intermediate” areas).  The parking lot was empty when I arrived just before 0800; other than two or three other people that I encountered, I was alone most of the ski. Just as I wrapped up at around 1000, however, a huge crowd of people showed up, filling the lot - glad I was leaving!  My decision to return to Green Woodlands this morning (before work) was the best idea I’ve had in a while - although I spent almost two hours (4ish miles) skiing around on the trails closest to my car, I’ve still barely scratched the surface of fully exploring this massive ski area.  G-W is a definite “must visit” for anyone who loves X-C skiing!

Grantham, NH (USA)

With some snow accumulation last night and temps in the mid 30s by noon today, I eagerly headed over to Eastman after finishing work (1530).  Feeling confident that my skiing has been improving, I decided it was time to check out a blue square (intermediate) trail that was located closer to Eastman Lake.  Some of the resident trail coordinators had walked the trail with me early in the season (very little snow) and pointed out areas where they decided I’d be able to safely navigate.  Turns out that they were right!  The atmosphere was tremendously different than the comfort of the green circle (beginner) trails near the Center.  They did have groomed tracks but it felt much more “wild.”  Not only were there some steep hills on the narrow trails but the wet snow was unfamiliar.  As a result, I had to use my brain a lot more, using strategic falls, ski-off transits and risk assessments to get the most out of these trails.  The Brook Trail (loop) portion closely followed a pretty creek and, at times, I had four choices: (1) ski well, (2) hit the deck, (3) hit tree, (4) hit water.  Fortunately, I made good choices all day and actually enjoyed myself.  Best part was when I found a long fairway with rolling hills (Sunrise Crest) - I was able to practice my diagonal stride, ride the “coaster” back down and then do it all again.  There was useful daylight until 1700 so I skied until I’d seen everything nearby.  Didn’t see any other skiers and most trails looked relatively unused.  Will definitely return to this more remote area of the Eastman trail system!

Grantham, NH (USA)

Got to spend three more hours outside at Eastman today!  Part 1: snowshoed the trails at Heath Forest and completed another Challenge punch card.  Part 2: I skied all the trails (some big hills) at John’s Glen, including the rather treacherous Balsam Loops.  The sun was shining and there was very little wind.  However, everything was frozen solid from over 24 hours of extreme cold.  By attending Mass first (0800), I was able to get started outdoors with temps close to 0 F (rose to 10 F by the end).  I kept warm with four layers and continuous movement.  By the time I finished (just after noon), crowds of people began to arrive and I was glad to head home.  New motto: “The Cold Bird gets the Solitude”...

Grantham, NH (USA)

After running errands in West Lebanon, I went skiing at Eastman Cross Country Center.  They had over 12 inches of new snow!  Spent two hours (4ish miles) on the courses near the Center.  Temps were in high single digits and low teens and it was sunny and windy.  Had the place to myself until the start of the “Nordic Nibbles” - after that the trails got trashed with walkers and snowshoers...  Plus, my eyelashes froze!  Still glad to have spent the time outdoors!

Hanover, NH (USA)

I recently discovered that the Hanover Conservancy was looking for someone to adopt a trail system on the Greensboro Ridge Natural Area.  Since it was very close to my condo, it seemed silly not to volunteer to become a caretaker.  Today (after work), I took my first hike on the three trail system and explored all of them: Oli’s Eagle (blue blaze), Greensboro Highlands (orange blaze) and Silent Brook (unblazed).  Altogether, there are about 1.5 miles of trail and I enjoyed walking along the snowy tracks, especially where they traversed some of the Velvet Rocks. Temps were in the high 30s and I barely had enough daylight to finish walking the network.  Bonus: I got to touch my toe on the AT at the north end of the circuit where “my” trails intersect!  I may not be an official ATC Trail Runner but I’m proud to be responsible for maintaining a feeder to the “Big Daddy” of trails.