Grafton, NH (USA)

I took the advice of many of my neighbors (and other locals I’ve encountered) and paddled Grafton Pond this morning!  After Mass in Lebanon (0800), I used I-89, US-4 and NH-4A to reach the area and arrived at the parking area by 0930.  I was fortunate to get a parking spot - the place is VERY popular.  Everyone I met had big plans for their day in the water: fishing, picnicking, kayaking, rowing, canoeing and paddle-boarding.  I’ve heard it called the “Best Place for Kayaking in New Hampshire” and, after spending a few hours out on the water, I completely agree!  For a “pond”, it’s pretty big - but, more importantly, it has scores of islands (not depicted on the screen shot I took on Apple Maps).  Nearly every headland I passed turned out to be really an island and I think it would be possible to get lost among the maze of channels between each one.  The wind was pretty strong and provided a pleasant respite from the 80+ degree weather.  Most of the other people paddled straight to a particular island, tied up their watercraft and then enjoyed the solitude there.  Meanwhile, I circuited the entire lake (clockwise), checking every little inlet to see where it went.  In some cases, I found lagoons with no wind and no other people.  In others, I tried to get through a gap in the trees and found myself “beached” on a submerged boulder or log - I had to use my paddle as a pole to get free!  The views of nearby high terrain were tremendous - though it was probably 10 miles away, I could clearly see the summit of Mount Cardigan.  I encountered a family of loons (parents and two loonlets).  Actually, there were a LOT of loons on the pond and I got close to some (unintentionally).  It is strange to watch them as they see you approaching - I kept expecting them to fly away but they just dive underwater at the last possible second.  I never got out of my kayak and paddled until my arms were sore - it was a great upper body workout!  The temps had warmed into the 90s as the day wore - I’m wondering if I have a sunburn now… It was very crowded at the landing as I finished - this definitely is an “Early Bird” event and I hope to return again soon!  Finished by 1145, I drove (via back roads) to Canaan and attended a Community Luncheon at St. Mary's Catholic Church (1215-1330).  There was lots of good visiting and food - I met some new people too.  After helping to clean up the Parish Hall, I departed via US-4, looking for the Enfield Town Fair on the way - unfortunately, I never saw it.  Took I-89 to get home and arrived at condo at around 1430.  Another great NH Day!

Benton, NH (USA)

Got up very early, hoping to beat all the other hikers to the trailhead today (and avoid the Triathlon crowd in the Haverhill/Benton/Easton area).  I didn’t feel completely in the mood for a hike but didn’t want to waste good weather or good knees.  Plus, I’d been procrastinating the marooned section since 2015… I left my condo at around 0630, just after a rare "morning Mollie" sighting.  I used my typical route to reach the WMNF (I-91, VT/NH-25, back roads, NH-10, NH-116) and arrived at the AT parking lot on Reel Brook Road by 0745 (first car there!).  I had to walk a short distance to the Reel Brook Trail (WMNF access to the AT).   I had the mountains to myself for the first few hours! I had to walk almost three miles to reach the (south end of) Kinsman Ridge but the grade/surface wasn’t too challenging.  It was overcast and in the 70s - very buggy initially.  Once I was on the AT (NOBO), the terrain changed tremendously and I found myself trying not to trip/fall on roots, rocks and mud.  Sometimes I really hate the Great Trail Designer…  I was passed by another section hiker who’d parked where I did and then encountered another guy (huge backpack) who told me he’d been hiking the AT three weekends a year since 2006 (he’d finished Maine and half of New Hampshire).  After a descent into the Eliza Brook Ravine (passed the shelter), the trail took a noticeably steep turn - for the next ~2.5 miles, I had to climb almost 2000 feet of elevation.  Some of this section was easily walkable but most was a rock scramble, crawl or climb.  It was so challenging that I wasn’t worried about knees or legs, I was worried about finding an impassable boulder or tree.  I kept telling myself that I had all day to finish (“no rush”) but it was slow going, regardless.  Near Harrington Pond, I passed a group of four who’d come down from the South Peak (my target) and they reported that it was even more difficult in the next mile.  Yikes!  Then there was fog (or were they clouds?) and, later, high winds - the hike had everything I could think of to avoid, all at once (we’ll get back to that).  Somehow, I made it to the top.  Frankly, I don’t really know how - it was probably a lot of hanging on for dear life, careful footfalls and mind over matter… And then I ran into another dilemma - there was no sign or recognizable feature to tell me where the turnaround point was!  I looked at Guthook and Facebook photos from 2015 and couldn’t place it.  So all I could do was hike the whole plateau (this probably added a half mile).  Fortunately, I encountered a LOT of “peak baggers” who’d climbed up from Franconia Notch - every one of them had their opinions and evidence about where the top was.  In the end, I settled for a large cairn - seemed like a good place to declare history at around 4.5K feet… I started down as soon as I could - the weather looked worse than forecasted - and used the same “ultra careful” technique to get out of the clouds and wind.  During the long, steep descent, I passed eight Thru hikers - one thought he’d seen me before and we traced that deja vu back to my trip to NC/TN in March.  I was secretly glad to hear them complaining about how hard the section was - they’d been walking since Georgia and thought it was the toughest they’d seen.  Otherwise, I only saw one other hiker (section, out & in) for the rest of the say.  I managed to get past Harrington Pond again before the last “distractor” of the day hit: rain (ugh).  I was safe under a tree canopy for the most part but all of the vegetation got wet over the course of the next few hours - my lower body was eventually entirely drenched (my upper body was already wet from sweating so much).  There was a climb after the shelter but I was able to make it back to the Reel Brook Trail junction without much trouble, despite all the things the elements were throwing at me.  From there, I made excellent time to the car (arrived at 1645).  After getting cleaned up, I took NH-116 back to NH-10 and used it to drive all the way back to Hanover.  On the way, Mollie called to ask me to pick her up on the way (1745) - it took a while to reach her but I think she was happy to have a ride.  We were home by 1815.  Overall, I’m very satisfied with my day!  I managed to complete one of the toughest sections of 2021 (almost 14 miles) in around nine hours - all while juggling many, many hazards.  Body felt pretty good, too, meaning that I’m getting trail legs back! I’ll have to climb Reel Brook again soon (to complete the AT up to the north side of Wolf Mountain) but I’m ready!  AT Today = 3.5 miles / Grand Total AT = 1825.1 miles

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[went to VA Hospital appointment in White River Junction (0800) - then went shopping in West Lebanon]

Manchester, NH (USA)

My sister, her husband and their kids had asked if we could meet up before Mollie and Ella headed off for their planned trips in July so we made plans to meet for dinner in Manchester.  Of course, we all had to work around our normal, busy work schedules.  But I'm happy to say that we were successful!  I picked up Mollie after work (1515) and we drove south via I-89, NH-3A, I-93 and I-293.  We arrived in Manchester by 1645 and, while waiting for my sister's family, Mollie and I walked around in the nearby Hobby Lobby.  When Katie, John, Johnnie and Ella arrived (1700), we went into the Texas Roadhouse for dinner (done at 1820).  Afterwards, we drove a short disstance so we could walk around in the Mall of New Hampshire.  Ella and Mollie bought a lot of things and I chatted with Katie, John and Johnnie.  It was a great visit with lots of laughs and catching up with news.  We were done with the Mall at 2000 and then followed John and Katie (on I-293) to a Dairy Queen that was located on the west side of the Merrimack River (on Second Street).  The drive through line was extremely long but we were able to walk inside and get some ice cream.  We wrapped up our visit at around 2045 and said goodbye.  Mollie and I then headed north on I-293.  We enjoyed the evening views of the waterfront area in downtown Manchester along the way...  We got off the Interstate when we saw an exit for NH-3A - it was strange to find that we were only two miles from where we normally get on it when we transition from I-89.  We stopped for gas at two different Irvings (the first one didn't have any gas in their tanks but the second one did).  Mollie washed the windows (2100) and we then got back on NH-3A and followed it to I-89. There was almost no traffic all the way home but we were treated to a big lightning show to the west - fortunately, it never rained on us.  We made it to my condo by 2200 and both went quickly went to bed.

Newport, NH (USA)

Since I discovered the NH Rail Trail Challenge (walking/biking all of the 40+ rail trails), I have been looking on the map for new trails.  Between the towns of Newport and Claremont, there is a great bike/OHRV route that follows (and crosses) the Sugar River.  Since I'd had a great hike yesterday and didn't want to "overdo it", I decided to check it out.  After Mass in Lebanon (0800), I took I-89 to NH-10 and continued south to Newport.  I then used NH-103 to reach backroads on south side of the Sugar River.  Google Maps took me to a place that wasn't there (the trail was on the opposite side of the river) but I managed to find another trail crossing of the dirt road.  I parked (0930) near one of the covered train bridges (at the midpoint) and walked east.  I found a better parking area when I reached the bridge for NH-103 (on the western edge of Newport) and then backtracked to the car.  It was such a nice day that I decided to walk west as far as I could.  There were lots of bikers and four wheelers on the trail but I was alone for much of the day.  The bugs were pretty thick whenever the trail got farther way from the river - otherwise, it was breezy and pleasant.  Best part of the day - lots of shade!  I turned around at the edge of Claremont and walked back to the car again (arrived at around 1130). Some local people I met along the way said that I had just missed the western terminus (and parking lot), so I took the dirt road to NH-103 and drove west until I found the other trailhead (much better marked).  I then hiked the rest of the Rail Trail (about 0.25 miles and back) before leaving the area (1245).  Total mileage was just over seven miles in 2.5 hours.  Wanted to go kayaking but clouds indicated a storm was coming.  I took NH-103 into Claremont and then got on NH-120, which I used to get all the way home (arrived just after 1330).  Happy to have so many places to go for exercise and tranquility!

Franconia, NH (USA)

Decided to venture out on the AT today… Got a late start (0745) and, after driving northeast on I-91, VT/NH-25, back roads, NH-10 and NH-116, found that the parking lot at my first trailhead choice (Reel Brook Trail to Kinsman South Peak) was already full.  Disappointed, I drove around (through Franconia) to the east side of the ridge (got on I-93).  My first stop in Franconia Notch (Lafayette Place Campground parking lot) wasn't viable but, after driving south the next exit on I-93 and turning back to the north, I was pleasantly surprised to find parking at the trailhead on east side of the Parkway.  I think it was only because the rain had only just cleared out in the hour before I arrived (1000).  I never would have expected to be able to climb to the Franconia Ridge today but eagerly set out on the Falling Waters Trail, bound for Little Haystack Mountain and the AT.  The trail was treacherous in places - there were washouts - but the waterfalls I passed made the effort worthwhile.  I played “leap frog” with lots of hikers who were much younger than I and we developed a camaraderie as we climbed.  After weeks of nursing my knee, this hike had everything (roots, tall rocks, mud, etc.) that would show me if I’d healed completely.  And it passed with flying colors!  Of course, I still had to use all my other muscles and joints to complete the 3.5ish mile ascent…. As I crossed the tree line (~4500 feet), the view back to the west was spectacular!  I could see down into the Lonesome Lake area on the other side of the Notch - it really put that other hike in perspective.  I reached the 4.8K’ summit somehow (sweating like crazy, sore, tired) and marveled at even more amazing vistas - the AT was visible as it crossed Mount Lincoln and it looked very foreboding… My plan was to head SOBO on AT (towards Mount Liberty) and I didn’t tarry with the crowd because dark clouds were coming towards us.  I successfully tested out my SPOT tracker messages and made it down the extremely steep AT without falling.  On top of everything, the stiff breeze on the ridge was a bit chilly!  Fortunately, I was back in the trees when it started to rain - ended up donning my poncho and that warmed me up a little. I was glad I was already headed downhill and away from the exposed ridge.  Conversely, everyone I passed (all going north, no Thru hikers, for some reason) was alarmed at the unexpected squall.  In the end, the nasty looking clouds didn’t drop a lot of precipitation and the sun came out again.  The only wildlife of note today was many Monarch butterflies. I’d previously thought about detouring to climb Mount Liberty but decided not to tempt fate (e.g., possible lightning, more knee pain) and started downhill after I reached the Liberty Springs trail junction.  It was still the AT but I rarely saw a white blaze all day… Encountered a talkative young guy who’d climbed all of the 4000 footers and we exchanged stories of the trail for more than 20 minutes.  As I continued towards I-93, I caught up with an older guy and we completed the descent together.  He’d hiked a lot of the AT in sections, like I had, but most of his experience was in New England.  So, of course, I picked his brain too.  We parted ways when we reached the paved bike trail that follows the Pemigewasset.  I guess I hadn’t really thought through this last part because the “easy” return to the car was almost three miles.  With no pain and energy still in the tank, I made it to the Lafayette Place Campground ok and crossed under I-93 again to my starting point.  During this phase, I passed several people I’d seen on Little Haystack and ran out of water (I drank three liters today!).  The parking lot was almost empty when I finished my day (1700, almost 12 miles hiked) and rain was threatening again.  Instead of taking the kayak out in Echo Lake (so tempting...), I backtracked towards home.  Felt pretty good after one of my longest, most challenging hikes of 2021!  Used I-93 (to Exit 34C), NH-141, Wells Road, NH-116, NH-10, back roads, NH/VT-25 and I-91 to get to Hanover and arrived at my condo by 1900.  Hoping my knee is fully recovered in the morning so I can enjoy my Father’s Day!  AT Today = 4.7 miles / Grand Total = 1821.6 miles

Grantham, NH (USA)

Today was the first nationally-observed instance of "Juneteenth" so ended up with an unexpected day off from work.  I wanted to try a “knee check” before I hiked the AT later in the weekend so I drove down to North Grantham this morning to check out the Old Route 10 Bikeway.  I've passed it many times this winter while snowmobiles were using it and it looked hilly enough that I’d be able to find out whether I’d be able to do more than I’ve been limited to for two weeks.  At 0930, I parked near Exit 14 (I-89) and walked north.  Was VERY pleased to find I had no pain in climbs and descents on the bike trail.  Even better, though, was that I was also able to put in some more work on climbs and descents on a rocky/rooty/muddy track on Snow Mountain (Upper Valley Land Trust Conservation Area).  After finishing that, I walked north on the road to Exit 15 and then south back to my car. I wasn’t rewarded with any views today but I was happy to log about six miles in less than 2.5 hours - a successful dry run in preparation for more challenging hikes!  Back at my car (1145), I ate some lunch I'd packed.  To reach the second part of my planned adventure (first paddling day of 2021!), I used some roads (including some gravel and mud) that took me through the Eastman Community and set me up on Bog Road (east of the Enfield Wildlife Management Area).  I then got on NH-4A and followed it east to Boys Camp Road - from there, I easily located Spectacle Pond near the border or Enfield/Canaan.  When I first moved to NH, my friend (Jim L) recommended that I kayak there ("because it's the best paddling place around").  I never got around to it last summer so gave it first priority in the queue this year.  It turned out to be a great water venue for a warm June afternoon!  From 1245 to 1415, I worked my way counterclockwise around the oddly shaped pond (it was really more of a lake!), enjoying views of the expansive sky and summer homes, leafy shade and pleasant breeze.  I encountered geese/goslings, ducks/ducklings, a nesting loon, a beaver lodge, turtles and lots of song birds.  I only saw one other boat during my 1.5 hour paddle (canoe) and only two people on the shore (sunbather, lawnmower).  Peaceful place, all around.  Wind picked up as I was getting done - fortunately, it was at my back!  To get home, I backtracked west and turned north on Potato Road.  I easily found US-4 (near the Northern Rail Trail crossing) and got back home through Enfield and I-89.  I was in my condo just after 1530.  Looking forward to more kayaking adventures this year!

Franklin, NH (USA)

Knee was feeling better but I still didn’t feel ready for an AT mountain climb.  Instead, after Mass in Lebanon (0800), I drove south on I-89 and east (via NH-11, US-3 and NH-3A) to Franklin, where I’d seen a sign for another Rail Trail when I’d been walking the Northern Rail Trail.  After a bit of searching, I located parking near the trailhead for Winnepausakee River Trail (1000).  From there, I walked east along the full length until turning around in Tilton.  I talked to a lady there who told me that people actually lived in the train cars ("seasonal cabins") that were parked near the trailhead.  The weather was great!  My walk (including the backtrack), took about two hours (~2.5 miles and back).  When I was getting finished (1200), I encountered some strange (scary?) people in the park near the trailhead in Franklin.  Felt lucky to get away without a confrontation.  Safely in my car, I drove back to US-3 and continued south.  A few miles later, I stopped at Webster Place Cemetery, another local landmark with a connection to the local favorite son, Daniel Webster.  His parents, along with several other relatives are buried in this quiet place on the outskirts of Franklin.  The family farm, which surrounds the cemetery, is still in operation.  (Just a few miles to the north (in the town center), there is a bust of Webster in front of the church where he worshiped at the time of his death in 1852.  After paying my respects, I continued south on US-3, I-93 and some Concord city streets.  I arrived at my intended destination, Friendly's, by 1245 and ate lunch (including free birthday sundae).  When I was finished (1400), I got back on I-93 and drove south to the intersection of I-89.  I used that (and NH-120) to get back to Hanover - I arrived at my condo by around 1530.  Another great day to be in New Hampshire!

Littleton, NH (USA)

I figured out a few weeks ago that the town of Littleton was going to have a festival on June 12, so I decided to attend (who can't use some "glad" in their lives?).  I left my condo at around 0745 and drove towards Haverhill on I-91, VT/NH-25, back roads and NH-10.  As I made my way north on the east side of the Connecticut River, I stopped to explore at Beddell Bridge State Park - it looked like a another good (remote) place to launch my kayak!  After a short time there, I got back on NH-10 and continued on to Woodsville. The festival in Littleton didn't start for a few hours so I thought today would be a good day to walk a little bit of the Ammonoosuc Rail Trail.  It took a bit of searching but I located the trailhead near an old Rail Depot (0900).  After about a week of resting, my knee finally felt good enough for a longer walk again.  I started on the western end of the Rail Trail and followed it from Woodsville to Bath, roughly four miles and back.  I saw lots of ATVs and a few deer - the weather was beautiful!  At my turnaround point, I saw a cool covered bridge that crossed the river to a quaint little town - might be good to visit someday...  I was done walking by around 1200 and got on US-302.  I continued northeast, along the Ammonoosuc, and reached Littleton just after 1245.  After a bit of searching, I found a place to park and then walked around in town, looking for events related to "Pollyanna of Littleton Glad Day".  There were many tributes to the hometown of Eleanor H. Porter, the author who wrote about the extremely positive protagonist played by Hayley Mills in the Disney Classic.  The town was filled with people who were looking for their happy place!  I stopped to take pictures at the Pollyanna statue, talked to nice ladies in the Glad Shop (they gave me free fudge, lemonade, a commemorative pin, maps and a sticker to wear).  I stopped into several shops and then took a stroll along the Ammonoosuc River Walk.  The covered footbridge was very nice (cool, breezy).  I noticed that there was a brewery nearby (Schilling Beer Company) and went inside to do some taste testing.  I met some nice people inside who were from Plymouth (NH) and shared some conversation with the bartender (Bernard from Belgium).  Other bar patrons were initially watching a Euro League soccer tournament but they later switched over to watching ND Baseball.  I was done with my "gladmaking" by 1430.  I walked around town (more shops) for another hour and then got back on the road.  I used I-93 to go north and I was able to switch to I-89 near St. Johnsbury.  I talked to Brenna and Mollie on the phone during my drive.  Just before reaching home (1630), I got gas in Hanover at around 1630.  What a nice day!

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[shopping in Hanover at the "Little Co-Op" (0730) - went to VA Hospital appointment (0800) - then went shopping in West Lebanon]

Benton, NH (USA)

After dropping Mollie off at the Dartmouth Coach stop in Hanover (0645), I headed over to Vermont and used I-91, VT/NH-25, NH-10, NH-116 and NH-112 to reach Kinsman Notch.  I’d wanted to climb the north side of Moosilauke for the last few months but the weather never cooperated.  The section (the old Beaver Brook Trail) was notorious among AT hikers for being one of the steepest, slippery and rocky climbs on the whole trail - good weather was the number one requirement to try it.  When I parked at the trailhead (0800), I had that check in the box but also had to consider that I’d been contending with some significant knee pain this week.  Hiking such a tough trail with that condition seemed daunting but I decided to do it anyway (planning to bail out if it got too bad).  Just a few yards into the hike (SOBO AT), I had to ford a bridgeless stream - last Fall, it was too deep but today I made it across alright.  The advertised climb started right away and was every bit as difficult as I’d heard.  Actually, I found myself questioning whether anyone even maintained the section at all - there were very few white blazes visible, most of the climb required varsity boulder scrambling (or grabbing rebar handles) and there were almost no surfaces without water or mud.  The Dartmouth Outing Club had, however, written one of the longest disclaimers (basically, “you shouldn’t hike this”) I’ve ever seen on the AT - the phraseology reminded me of the warning at the Gates of Hell in Dante’s Inferno…. Undeterred, I kept climbing.  It was already warm (mid 60s) but there was a nice breeze.  The scenery was good too - for more than a mile, the trail paralleled “The Cascades”, a series of (loud) waterfalls.  I was pretty busy for the first few hours, trying to fight through the knee pain, keeping my pace slow and trying to avoid thinking about having to climb back down later in the day.  Many, many young people passed me…  I passed a few Thru hikers but almost no one was in a talkative mood (too much concern about a misplaced footfall).  Actually, there were so many people out for a hike that I was almost never alone - I imagine it will only get more crowded as the summer continues.  Somehow, I made it to a plateau near the two mile mark - it wasn’t exactly flat but was definitely not as steep.  I could see Moosilauke across a deep valley and I was worried that I’d have to weather another steep descent/climb like I did last week.  I actually talked to some ladies who knew the mountain well and they scolded me (after I told them about my knee) about climbing up from the north side…. Fortunately, the trail looped around the hill I was on until it reached a place on Moosilauke that wasn’t too steep or rocky.  This made the last mile pretty easy, compared to what I’d already completed.  I caught up to people who’d passed me earlier and we all came walking out of the alpine bushes onto the bald at the summit.  Approached from the north, the views were almost as good as the ones I got when I came from the other side but the summit itself was invisible until I was almost on top of it (contrasted with the long view during the other climb).  There must have been 50 people milling around at the summit sign (probably because of #nationaltrailsday) but, unlike during my last visit, there weren’t any “selfie hogs.”  Instead, everyone was happily resting, eating and taking other people’s photos.  The mood was really good and I was able to get a picture of me with my #theprouty sign.  Bad weather was apparently inbound (forecasted and there were clouds to the west) so I immediately started downhill.  I talked to a guy who was doing something called “The Moose” that involved hiking all 42 miles of trail on Moosilauke in one day!  I’d seen him biking earlier and wondered what would possess someone to do such a challenge.  In addition to him, I encountered a lot of (mostly normal) folks, most of whom I’d seen earlier in the day (there was lots of leapfrogging).  There were also many more people coming up the mountain as I descended.  Most of the first half of the backtrack wasn’t too hard - it was downhill on a good surface and I was feeling good after my mountain high.  But the temps had, by this time, climbed into the mid 80s.  The air had grown stagnant and I still had the scary section near the Cascades to traverse - no rest for the weary…  I passed another DOC warning about the trail but wondered what else a NOBO Thru could actually do - unlike what I’ve encountered on a lot of other (smaller) peaks on the AT, there was no inclement weather route.  It would SUCK to be stuck on this section in nasty weather!  Hoping not to learn that first hand, I made my way down as carefully as I could. Unfortunately, there was really no way to get the descent done faster than the climb.  I used all my muscles to keep balance and was mostly successful - I slipped a few times but never fell.  Talked to a lot of other hikers during this time and everyone agreed that this part of the AT was no joke.  Surprisingly, though, I probably walked almost a mile (near the end) without seeing any people.  I guess the scary clouds were a deterrent for more visitors… By 1500, I was at my car - the (8+ mile) hike took many more hours than I would have liked but I thought it was a good thing.  In fact, I felt proud of my hike - this was a section that I probably would never have enjoyed but it’s checked off the “to do list” after a successful day.  Got in my car and drove towards home via the north side of Moosilauke (NH-112 and NH-116) - within 15 minutes, I was in the middle of a huge thunderstorm!  God help those folks on the mountain who didn’t get down in time...  Finished my drive via NH-10, back roads, NH/VT-25 and I-91 - I was home by 1600. Only one section left to the west/south of I-93!  AT Today = 3.6 miles / Grand Total AT = 1816.9 miles

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[went to VA Hospital appointment in White River Junction (0800) - then went shopping in West Leb]