Grantham, NH (USA)

After several days with sub-zero temps, I decided I wanted to try some more cross country skiing - I arrived at Eastman at around 1130 and got started (shooting for 1.5 hours).  Unfortunately, I discovered quickly that the trails across the course had turned into a skating rink!  These was completely different conditions than the last time I visited - I was disappointed to find that my skiing V didn’t work very well when I couldn’t plant a ski... The temps during my visit were in the mid teens but the bright sun made me forget the cold.  I actually felt very warm (even in the extremities) after about 20 minutes on the course.  I tried to do a similar amount of skiing as I normally have - using most of the same trails but also trying out a new, longer one.  Along the way, I encountered my ski instructure (Maureen) for the first time in about a month and talked to a friendly French-Canadian (ex-pat) who told me about his "sharp" skis, made especially for icy conditions.  Every minute and mile I skiied provided the reward of additional bricks in my wall of confidence.  Unlike the previous visit, however, the ice caused me to lose my balance and footing many, many times (fell twice) - neither my body or pride were injured, though.  Somehow, I put in 1.5 hours of X-C skiing (my longest stint yet).  Felt pretty good when I left for home (1315) - I'm hoping the incoming snow storm will make the trails even better for next time!

Canaan, NH (USA)

With temps starting in the single digits (high was 15) and a High School X-C Ski Race at Eastman, it was tough to feel motivated for outdoor activities.  Still, it was sunny and dry - seemed like a bad idea to waste a Saturday...  At 1130, I drove (using US-4) to the northeastern side of Enfield and found a parking lot for the NRT on Hardy Street (right near the Canaan town line).  For the next 2.5 hours (1200 to 1430), I walked east on the rail trail, braving the freezing conditions.  I wasn’t the only idiot out for a stroll but the three walkers I encountered were within the first 100 yards of what turned out to be a seven mile walk (3.5 in each direction).  Otherwise, the only other humans I saw were on skimobiles - at least 30 passed me!  Most of them slowed down when they passed but sped up soon afterwards, blowing snow in the air so thick they disappeared.  The trail was mostly packed snow and, though I brought spikes, I was able to walk just fine in my old hiking boots.  My phone didn’t like the cold and, despite being fully charged when I left my car, gave me a low battery warning after 15 minutes outside.  I was able to wrap it up in an extra pair of gloves I had and the minimal charge lasted until the end of the walk.  The NRT paralleled a meandering stream that I later learned was called Indian River (it flows into the Mascoma) and I saw lots of places where animals had walked across the snow-covered ice to get a drink of water where the water still flowed.  I glimpsed (tough with trees and flat land) a few views of snow-capped mountain(s) to the northeast - at least one of the peaks was Cardigan but I’m not sure about the other.  They looked pretty cold but I still wished I could see the view from up there...  My backtrack started at Potato Road, on the edge of Canaan Village, and I realized on the way back that I felt quite warm, despite the conditions.  Was really glad to get in such a nice walk (probably the longest distance since November - it was also nice to remind myself that I can hike in almost any weather.  Maybe now I should try something a bit steeper...

Grantham, NH (USA)

While I was walking near the Dartmouth X-C course last night, I got a good look at 10 different people as they circuited the trails.  It occurred to me then that I needed to make an improvement on my skate skiing steps and balance and I was itching to get on the course to see if I could mimic their technique.  I got permission for a late start for work and headed over to the Eastman X-C Center to get an hour on the trails.  I started at 0930 and, within only a few minutes, I could feel a big difference in my whole skiing approach. Instead of stepping and pushing with only my poles, I got a “flying V” going with my feet (little steps and push off).  As I’d suspected, the motion was bit similar to skating.  Armed with some newfound confidence, I tackled some bigger hills and a long (for me) circuit on one of the trails.  My legs and arms were almost in constant motion - the kind of workout I’ve been wanting.  What a huge technique breakthrough!  In an hour (done by 1030 after close to two miles), I went from “why am I always having to learn this again?” to “The rest of the winter is going to be fun!”  Can't wait to build on this success - looking forward to many more "work breaks"!

Boscawen, NH (USA)

Hoping to escape the single digit temps and stiff wind in Grafton County, I left the condo today at around 1100 and drove south on I-89.  It was a beautiful day!  Everyone from Massachusetts must have thought the same thing, though, because the roads were full of cars with plates from the Bay State - at least they were headed south!  I got off the interstate at the exit for NH-11 and followed it to US-4 - my goal was to locate the southern end of the Northern Rail Trail.  I knew where the place was, generally, but I also hoped to find other parking spots along the way - I was successful in this secondary goal and noted that the trail mostly followed US-4, just like it did farther west.  The most interesting place I passed, Potter Place, looked like a major trailhead for the NRT - but I didn't stop until I arrived in Boscawen.  I found a trail parking lot but it wasn't at the terminus - I got back in my car and drove farther south on US-4 until I found River Road (the map showed it paralleled the NRT).  From there, I was able to find the end of the trail - but there was no parking there!  So I backtracked to town and parked at the first lot I'd seen (near Jamie Welch Memorial Field).  I decided to walk south (1230) towards the terminus - the distance looked to be about two miles.  There was almost no snow but I did encounter treacherous ice at times.  The sun was shining brightly and the temps were in the 20s - the wind was very strong, though, and was biting cold at times!  As usual, though, the less than pleasant weather cut down on the crowds (I only saw one person on the outbound leg)...  I got some good views of the Merrimack River, which paralleled the trail for a lot of the rail trail. It was swollen with huge patches of ice - basically, little ice rinks were floating downriver.  While remnants of the old rail-bed continue for another 80 miles to Boston, the NRT ended abruptly on River Road (as I'd seen previously).  I noticed that there was a fundraiser flyer posted on the sign there that talked about extending the trail to the Hannah Dunstan Memorial (0.5 miles further south) - I took a copy so I could learn more about the project and then headed back towards my car.  On the way, I met a wildlife photographer who was hoping to catch a glimpse of a resident pair of bald eagles nearby (no luck).  I encountered a few more people out for a stroll before I was done with the NRT but didn't talk to them.  Before getting back in my car, I explored the Jamie Welch Park and found a boat launch area.  Got back in my car at about 1400 and decided to check out the Hannah Dunstan Memorial - it was at the end of a crumbling road near the river and it was clear that any improvement to the area would be welcome.  I went back to Bosawen and headed west again, following US-4 until I got close to a landmark that I'd noticed on the way down: Daniel Webster Birthplace.  This turned out to be only a few miles from civilization (off of the aptly named "Currier & Ives Byway") but there wasn't much in the way of historical interpretive information there.  Still, the scenery and historic buildings were nice and I was the only visitor - shouldn't complain!  I took my time on the way back (US-4, NH-11) so I could locate more lakes and state parks to visit.  Was back on I-89 before long and made good time back to Lebanon (arrived home by 1600).  Overall, it was a good day - I got some exercise (despite the elements), learned some history and got even more ideas for outdoor summer fun!

Grantham, NH (USA)

After five days of “dusting” snows, I figured that the Eastman X-C trails were finally worth a return visit.  I got started from home by 1015 and was on the course by 1100.  The last time I was there, the groomed trails were covered in ice - today, the powdery coating was perfect for practice!  There was a stiff wind and the temps were in the (very) low double digits but this resulted in keeping the crowds away. Of course, maybe everyone else was sane and I was the crazy one...  Put in about an hour on the trails near the clubhouse and started to feel like I was getting the hang of things.  Headed for home just after noon.  Hoping I can get back again before I get too many cobwebs!

Fairlee, VT (USA)

Since last summer, I’ve been wanting to check out kayak launch spots on Lake Morey, located near I-91 on the Vermont side of the Connecticut River.  With no precipitation forecasted for Hanover (and a Federal Holiday from work), I thought today would be a good day for a Recce trip to Fairlee, where the lake is located.  As I got off the Interstate, I encountered snow - lots of it, with accumulation!  Despite this, I drove around the edge of the lake (counterclockwise) to get a feel for the neighborhood - it reminded me a bit of Sunapee because there was almost no public water access.  After I’d almost completed a full circuit of the lake, I discovered the VT Fish & Wildlife boat launch (southwest corner).  Even better, I also found a hiking trailhead.  Like many of the little towns in the Upper Valley, they had a huge complex of multi-use trails that crossed a large area known as the “Fairlee Forest”.  Before departing on a hike, though, I checked out the launch and took a walk out on the lake (0945).  There were many more areas where there was water (with no ice) than made me feel comfortable but I headed out towards the ice fishermen that I could (barely) see.  The visibility was low and I wasn’t wearing spikes so I soon headed back to the car.  Instead of leaving, I put on the spikes and headed up a large hill on the Cross-Rivendell Trail.  The steepness, icy conditions and lack of heavy foot traffic made the climb pretty challenging but I was rewarded with views of the lake.  I tried to visit Glen Falls but found the trail even more treacherous.  Instead, I followed C-R to the Echo Mountain Road - this was a bit easier.  There were plenty of good blazes to help me navigate but the signs didn’t make me feel like I’d see very much if I kept going.  So, despite not hiking a lot of distance, I started my backtrack at about the end of my first mile.  It stopped snowing and the sun came out for a bit - this highlighted some of the tracks of many different animals.  I didn’t see any people all day and was glad.  Used a modified route to return and it was a bit easier.  Wished I’d brought my trekking poles...  At the car again, I decided to take one more stroll on the lake and ended up meeting a nice fisherman who had just finished a successful morning (several perch).  He told me more about the area and the kinds of conditions normally found nearby.  I was done with my excursion by 1145 and headed back home.  It was a great way to pass another wintry day and now I know where to launch my kayak, come Spring...

Enfield, NH (USA)

After work (1530), Mollie and I drove to Enfield so we could take a walk together on the Northern Rail Trail.  We parked at Mascoma Beach and noticed that there were people skating, playing hockey, skiing and fishing on the lake.  We ended up walking on the ice on Lake Mascoma and talking with several people who were enjoying the wintery outdoors - some of them told us about their winter gear (Nordic skates, a Kickspark ice sled and special microspikes) and shared the name of their favorite winter outfitters.  I’m constantly amazed by how there are so many different things to do outside in the winter!  We noticed that one fisherman had dropped his bag (while dragging all his gear in a sled) and we returned it to him.  In appreciation, he showed us how his drilling equipment reached the water through nine solid inches of ice - wow!  Mollie seemed ready to get right back into the car and leave but I convinced here to climb up the steep embankment above the parking lot so we could actually walk on the NRT, as planned.  The trail was icy but we were able to walk on the surface OK - the short section passed through the trees (following the lake shore) until it reached the little village center of Enfield.  We turned around at the municipal parking lot and backtracked on the sidewalks.  We checked out some businesses and the old architecture - Mollie liked the brightly painted houses.  Mollie picked up a book from one of the Library Boxes in town - she also fond of those (we've seen them in many places).  After our fun outing was complete, we headed home and were back at my condo by 1700.  We had a great time "walking on water" today - life’s never boring in the Granite State!

Virginia Visit - Day 6

I woke Mollie up at 0615 and we got ready for our trip to New Hampshire.  We stopped for checkout and breakfast at the BOQ main building and then got on the road for home (0650).  We used I-495, I-270, US-15 and PA-581 to reach Harrisburg.  When we got to I-83, we found it had closed (bridge maintenance) and we’d have to detour through the city.  Mollie liked the old homes we passed as we drove north along the Susquehanna River.  Once we were on I-81, we made good time all the way to the rest area north of I-80 (we stopped briefly).  We saw some cars on the highway that we thought Brenna would like and Mollie texted some links to her.  Meanwhile, we continued north on I-81 and eventually took a shortcut (suggested by Google Maps) through the mountains near the NY/PA border.  The route initially had us get on I-86 but then took us on back roads (Foley, Harvey Smith, Markle, Riley, NY-217, Colesville Road and NY-79) and helped us to reach I-88.  We passed some signs with cartoon dinosaurs on them (Broome County State Park) on the way (we later learned that Johnny Hart, the creator of the "B.C." cartoon strip, was a local hero).  On the interstate again, we listened to lots of music for the next hour, before stopping in Rotterdam, NY for gas (1330).  Mollie bought lunch for herself at Dunkin Donuts.  With Google's help again, we then took NY-7 and NY-337 to reach I-890 (south) and headed to Schenectady.  We wsed NY-7 again and then a bit of I-87 (north) to get to NY-7 and took the Hudson River crossing for Troy.  We then followed NY-7 all the way into Vermont (made great time) and then took US-7 north until we reached Manchester.  From there, we used VT-30 and VT-11 to get to I-91 - Mollie really enjoyed the scenery as we drove.  Eventually, we reached I-91 and took it to White River Junction.  We finished our trip on I-89 and arrived home at 1640.  As I often do, I sent the Twins a picture of Smurfey (telling them we were home safe) and then elped Mollie unpack.  All in all, the short visit to Northern Virginia was a success - now looking forward to enjoying some winter weather sports in New Hampshire...

Virginia Visit - Day 5

I slept in a bit late (until 0645) and spent the morning reading.  I then drove over to Old Town Alexandria and parked at the Market Square Garage (0930).  Since I was early, walked around nearby (including down at the waterfront), even though it was quite "brisk" and windy.  Kelly had made reservations for brunch at O'Connell's Irish Pub but they didn't open on schedule (1000).  So, we walked a short distance to Mia's Italian Kitchen and had brunch there (until around 1245).  We ate some great food and had good conversations (John, Stephanie, Kelly and Emma were there but Sabrina and Chavez couldn't make it).  Afterwards, I walked down the waterfront to Jones Point and got some additional exercise in that area.  At around 1330, I headed back to my hotel (via Mount Vernon Parkway).  For the next few hours, I hung out (relaxing) in my room.  Erin called to tell me she wanted to have dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings at 1630 so I drove over to meet her.  We arrived within minutes of each other and enjoyed some wings.  We also played a little bit of her new game ("I dissent").  It was a nice visit and we reluctantly said goodbye at around 1800.  I then drove to Pentagon Row, talking to Sabrina on the way.  I met Jill at the Bonefish Grill and we hung out for a little while (she ate dinner but I just drank water).  I was there from 1830 to 2015 and then I drove her back to her apartment near Dupont Circle (the Waze directions sucked).  Afterwards, I used 14th Street to get back to I-395 and headed over towards Nicky's to pick up Mollie.  I stopped for gas at Speedway on Telegraph Road (good price) at 2110 and then arrived at Nicky's about 10 minutes later.  Mollie packed up all her stuff and said goodbye to everyone and then we drove to the Base.  We were in my room by 2200 and spent a little while packing before it was time to go to bed (2300).

Virginia Visit - Day 4

I was awake by 0600 and started my telework day.  I later went to get breakfast and encountered a huge crowd of mustering National Guardsmen (to respond to the riot?).  I then drove over to get gas at the Express (0720).  Back in my room to telework and kept going until around 1115, when I left to meet a friend from work (Mike G).  On the way (Fairfax County Parkway, I-66, VA-28, VA-7), I talked to my client about some things we needed to do the following week.  There was a lot of construction (and some big improvements to the highways since the last time I'd been in Loudon County).  I arrived at Finn Thai in Purcellville right at 1230 and had a nice lunch with Mike (we took care of several issues we'd been having with work-related projects).  Finished eating at around 1415 and then got back on the road.  I basically backtracked via the same route I'd come, except that I used Old Keene Mill Road to reach the Lake Accotink Park.  Stephanie met me there at 1530 and we went for a walk (around the lake) that took almost an hour and half.  We said goodbye just after 1700 and I drove back to my room (via Kingstowne). I talked to Jill on the way (possible plans for the next day) and picked up some dinner (McDonalds at Hayfield) at 1730.  For the rest of the evening, I wrapped up my telework actions and relaxed (Goodreads stats, reading).  I went to bed at 2300.  What at day!

Virginia Visit - Day 3

Woke up early (0600) and began my telework - took a breakfast break but got back to work quickly.  After some meetings, I took a walk in the neighborhood and discovered the Belvoir Estate grounds (home of Lord Fairfax).  Got some exercise and good photos before heading back to my room.  Continued teleworking and had a conversation with Eileen.  Just after 1400, I left my room and drove across the Potomac (I-95, I-495, I-95) to visit (briefly, through my car window) Brother Jim at his home in Beltsville.  He was really fired up about the previous day's riots, so the conversation lasted for a while...  Afterwards, I had to rely on Google Maps to get me across the space between University of Maryland and Annapolis - there were so many speed and red light cameras! I arrived at Amanda's house by about 1545 and met her cat Gumball (from the Cat Cafe).  She then drove me into Annapolis, where she ran some errands, and then we stopped at Rams Head Tavern for drinks and appetizers (1630).  We sat outside and enjoyed the ambiance (it was a bit chilly) - I'd hoped to add to my World Beer Club total but they said it was suspended for COVID-19.  All three of my daughters called to chat during the time we were there.  At 1745 we walked down the street so we could have dinner (sushi) at "Tsunami".  Amanda told me that it was her normal hangout and I got to meet some of her friends there.  We were finished at 1935 and then drove back to Amanda's house.  After saying goodbye, I drove back to Virginia (US-50 to I-495, US-1 to the base) and arrived at my hotel by 2045.  I spent the rest of the evening reading in my room until bed time (2230).

Virginia Visit - Day 2

I started teleworking before 0630 this morning and only took a short break (at around 0800) for breakfast at BOQ main building.  I was able to pick up prescriptions pretty easily after that.  Mollie and Brenna texted a few times about how their breakfast was going (they decided to eat at Nicky's).  Brenna also told me she was heading back to Harrisonburg later in the day.  Meanwhile, I was back at the "office" (teleworking again) by 0900.  I had meetings for almost three hours and ended up skipping lunch.  I made plans for networking tag-ups for rest of the week - surprisingly, so many people wanted to get together that I really needed to time all of the meetings just right.  Worked until 1445, when I left my room and drove to Shirlington.  I met Arnie for happy hour (1530) at Copperwood Tavern and had a great time (I tried a pint of "Satan's Point").  We chatted about old Navy days and "who we used to know."  Erin started texting me, suddenly - asking where I was and practically begging me to stay away from DC.  I didn't understand until the bartender turned on CNN - we were all stunned by images on of people storming the US Capitol building, just across the river.  Other friends reached out to me too - I guess they all thought I might be near the action...  Arnie and I finished up at about 1700 and then I drove back to the Base.  I did a bit more teleworking and then took a walk around the area near by room (2000 to 2100).  I later spent some time updating my Goodreads account and then read until bed time (2300).

Virginia Visit - Day 1

When I woke up, Mollie was already awake and was getting her things ready to put in the car.  We departed on our trip to Virginia at 0650 and had to deal with intermittent snow flurries as we left Lebanon.  Mollie helped to navigate and I convinced her to download the SiriusXM app for her phone (this improved our tunes selection).  On the way south (I-89, I-91), Mollie seemed very happy watching all the interesting scenery as we were driving (she SnapChatted a picture of the UMass sign to Johnny and commented on all the cows).  We encountered real snow as we passed Springfield but it didn't last long.  We switched over to the Merritt Parkway after passing through Hartford and made good time towards the New York border.  We stopped for lunch (Mollie's treat) at Subway in Greenwich, CT (1040).  After we got back in the car, we listened to some Moth Radio Hour podcasts (Mollie's request).  For the first time in decades, I used I-287 to cross the Hudson River on the brand new Mario Cuomo Bridge.  I thought we might have a toll issue in New York but everything worked out in the end.  In New Jersey, we continued on I-287 until we reached I-78.  We made pretty good time until reaching the area near the I-81 merge but then we had to take a back roads detour to avoid a huge traffic jam.  It worked but Mollie got a bit car sick.  A short time later, we stopped for gas at Sheetz in Grantville, PA (1400) and I learned how to use the new 88 octane fuel pump.  Later, we passed successfully through Harrisburg and had a good ride on PA-581 to US-15.  Contiuing into Maryland, we talked about lots of fun memories near Thurmont, MD.  We used I-270 and I-495 to make it the rest of the way and arrived at Nicky's by 1620.  Mollie seemed pretty happy that we'd had such a good drive (9.5 hours and fun conversations).  Because the kids had decided that we'd all go to dinner together, I waited outside (and took some work calls) while they got ready.  At 1700, the kids and I drove over to Olympian's Family Restaurant for dinner.  The eatery is one of our favorites and we had a nice time chatting about fun things we'd been doing.  We were done eating at 1830 and I drove them back to Nicky's.  From there (1900), I drove to Fort Belvoir (talked to my dad on the way) and checked into the  BOQ.  I did some telework and later took a walk near my room (2120 to 2200).  I didn't get to bed until midnight because I was distracted by the Georgia Senate Runoff election(s).  Tired...

Grantham, NH (USA)

The great snow pack melted during the last week but, fortunately, it snowed again yesterday!  Took advantage of the conditions, even though there was about 2 inches (with ice) at Eastman.  Started at around 1100 and got about 75 minutes of skiing on the easy courses near the X-C Center.  There weren’t many other people out, so I had a chance to wear some tracks into the runs.  Practiced climbs and larger, curved downhills and worked up a little sweat.  I’m still very much a beginner but I think I made some progress with balance and control.  More snow is definitely coming & will try to keep learning as the season progresses.  Glad I got the season pass!  When I was finished, I decided that the skiing wasn’t enough “outside” for one day.  Looking for more, I took the advice of the Eastman staff and took a short drive from the X-C Center to Bogie Place.  There, I found a huge complex of snowshoe & microspike trails in a place called the Heath Forest.  I had a choice of either set of footwear because there was so much ice it really was going to be the same - I opted for the snowshoes.  Temps were still in the high 20s when I started (1315) but there wasn’t any wind.  For about 90 minutes, I walked in the snowy woods, following colorful blazes up and down frozen hills.  The southern segments walked very close to I-89 (very loud) but other places passed along the edge of a quiet stream.  I didn’t see many people but it was clear this place was pretty popular (well worn, icy track).  Part of the reason was because there was a “Snowshoe Challenge” taking place.  If completed, the little punch card would give me an entry in a drawing for new snowshoes.  Fortunately, I brought one of the cards with me!  It was sort of like a treasure hunt - there were clues to the locations for different stamps but no mileage markers.  In the end, I found all five of the different hole-punches and submitted my entry.  Since I can fill out as many cards as I want, I expect to return!  After I finished hiking (around 1500), I got back on I-89 and headed towards home (I talked with Brenna on the way).

Lyme, NH (USA)

Had thought about hiking some AT but I got busy with other things (including some shopping) in the morning.  Eventually left the house for some outdoor time (1300) and went walking in Lyme (off River Road).  Parked at Hewes Brook boat launch, which was practically a skating rink.  Had to wear spikes to walk around in the area - there was limited "in the woods" opportunity. Weather was OK (not too cold). To get more exercise, I walked south on the road towards the Hidden Valley Wildlife Conservation Area.  Took a detour on Wilmot Way, looking for a trail up to the top of Lyme Hill (no luck) and then walked back to the car.  Was done by about 1500 and drove home.  Happy New Year!