After dropping Mollie off at work (1015), I decided to go exploring and getting ideas for hiking when the warmer weather arrives. I drove north (via I-91, NH-10, NH-116 and NH-112) and made my first stop at the WMNF and NH State Parks Visitor Center in Lincoln (1115). The lady inside was very helpful and I got a bunch of maps/brochures. From there, used I-93 to drive north into Franconia Notch. I parked at the big Trailhead lot (usually full in the summer but empty today) and looked around nearby. The falling snow (which started right after I arrived) was swirling in a stiff wind, so I didn’t have any illusions that it was hiking weather... I did talk to hikers who had tried to summit Lafayette today but they reported "no dice" because of visibility and wind. Won’t judge them for trying, but the miserable conditions in the Whites this time of year often lead to hikers requiring rescue - this seemed like one of those days. I drove a bit farther north and ended up watching skiers enjoying the slopes on Cannon Mountain. Somehow, the conditions were better on the north side of the Notch... Before leaving, I walked along the shore of Echo Lake. Perhaps I should have rented a skimobile instead - those guys looked like they were having a ball on the multi-purpose trail! Wanted to go father north (Crawford or Pinkham) but it seemed like a bad idea. Decided instead to look for a place where the sun was shining a bit more before committing to taking a snowy walk farther from the car. To complete my tour of the Pemigewasset Valley, I took I-93 south towards Concord. I located the WMNF HQ (I was thinking about visiting it to meet the rangers sometime). A bit later, I got off the Interstate and used NH-104 to drive west. Enjoyed my drive through pleasant villages and found another ski resort. I intersected US-4 in Danbury and decided to walk on another section of the Northern Rail Trail - there was a nice parking lot right in the center of town. Wasn’t exactly sure how far I had to walk to the Grafton Town Line (where Mollie and I turned around the last time we were in the area) but figured it couldn’t be more than three miles. As I left civilization (1345), I quickly realized that I’d entered the “Kingdom of the Skimobiles.” Unlike the western half of the NRT, there was no grooming at all and the deep snow (from another storm the previous day) was uneven, slippery and unpredictable. I had left my snowshoes in the car and only brought microspikes - neither seemed to fit the slushy conditions, though. I walked past several Northern Railroad markers with the mileage to White River Junction but really didn’t encounter much more in the way of scenery or buildings. It felt cold (mid 20s) initially but I soon warmed up and was able to shed my hat and gloves as the sun came out on my outbound leg. I started my backtrack at the town line, as planned but was getting tired of walking in the snow. After dodging the skimobiles all the way, I decided to exit the NRT a short time after turning around - the distance on the blacktop (US-4) was roughly the same but I made much better time getting back to the car. The sun went behind the clouds again and the temps dropped low enough that I later realized that the sweat in my hair had frozen! Who needs hair gel (or Gorilla Glue) when you can have freeze dried locks? Overall, I walked over six miles in about two hours and 15 minutes - not bad! As I was getting in the car (1600), it started to snow - I was glad to be on my way before there was a real chance of getting stuck so far from home... Went home via US-4, NH-11 and I-89 and arrived at my condo by 1700. Feeling energized after another great walk on the Rail Trail!
