Smokies Hiking Trip - Day 7

My noisy neighbors woke me up at around 0500 and I couldn't go back to sleep.  Felt very sore this morning!  Spent about an hour going through my backpack and reorganizing (so I could do laundry later).  It was very rainy so I stayed in the hotel longer.  At 0700, I started some small projects for my job (end-of-month wrap-ups).  By 1000, I finished working, checked out of my room and headed out of town.  I stopped for lunch at Arby's on the way (1005).  Initially, I drove south on US-11 until I was able to get on I-81 and used it to reach Chilhowie.  Then, I used VA-107 to drive north to the town of Saltville.  Resisting the urge to stop (it looked very historic), I took VA-613 (paved) across a small mountain range and then got on VA-80, which crossed another.  It was intermittently rainy but I think I avoided the worst of the weather that was forecast for the area.  Since I had no cell signal for most of the drive, it was nice to have audiobooks...  Lots of trucks kept me from going very fast and, other places, farm vehicles were actually blocking road to allow cattle to cross!  Eventually, I reached US-19 at Elk Garden and then continued north to Rosedale so I could get on VA-80 again.  There were more construction delays and more slow trucks in several places but the drive was pretty.  My ultimate target was a new (to me) Virginia State unit: The Breaks Interstate Park.  This unique natural landmark area straddles the Virginia/Kentucky border and includes some spectacular views of a large canyon.  The place had all kinds of adventure sports (ziplining, etc.), water sports, camping, hiking, history (log cabins, stills, saltworks) and engineering marvels (two massive railroad tunnels).  Overall, I was impressed with all the things to see and do - definitely a great unit to visit!  Temps were in the high 40s, so I took several walks on short trails I encountered in along the scenic drive.  I could have done more walking but I didn't want to miss out on time with Mollie later in the day.  So, after getting done with the park (1300), I got back on VA-80 and drove northwest to the town of Breaks.  There, I changed to VA-693, which took me to where I found a newer looking four lane highway (Google Maps said it was US-460 but there was another one of those on the map several miles north; maybe a reroute?) and continued into Kentucky, where I saw lots of evidence of mountain blasting to build the newer highway).  Crossed the border there (to say that I did!) and then turned around and headed east.  Next used VA-693 to reach VA-609, which took me (via windy roads) to US-460 at Harman Junction.  From there, I continued east (listening to audiobooks on the way).  The road had lots of curves but was pretty good overall (very few lights).  Saw signs for West Virginia border in a few places but didn't cross until I reached Bluefield.  After that, I switched to US-52 and it took me to I-77, which I followed to the north.  Got off on US-460 and went back into Virginia at Glen Lyn.  Drove the rest of the way to Blacksburg, arriving just after 1600.  Checked into my hotel (Holiday Inn Express) and then drove over to the Virginia Tech Campus to pick up Mollie.  We then went to dinner at El Rodeo (1710), where we visited and talked for about an hour.  We then went to campus again so that Mollie could show me around (we used ParkMobile to purchase a spot right next to the Bookstore).  Mollie took me on an informal tour of the College of Natural Resources Building (Cheatham Hall) and the West End Dining Hall (where she works).  We also got to see a lot of pretty, flowering trees; Mollie proudly demonstrated her Dendrology skills in identifying them.  As it started to show signs of getting dark (1845), I said goodbye to Mollie and went back to the hotel.  Spent the evening doing laundry and listening to more audiobooks.  Erin texted about tornados in the DC area at one point - it sounded scary!  I went to bed at 2230 after an adventure filled day.

Smokies Hiking Trip - Day 6

The wind blew pretty hard last night but I was shielded (and relatively warm) in the shelter. Surprisingly, I slept relatively well but woke a few times to sounds of scurrying rodents and other people snoring.  By 0430, I was actually completely awake and couldn’t get back to sleep because my shelter mates began to get ready for departure.  Since the sun wasn’t up, I waited until almost 0600 to get down from the shelter loft - by then, nearly half the other hikers were gone.  Took my time getting packed, filtering water and eating breakfast.  As a result, I didn’t leave Cosby Gap until almost 0745 (just behind E.T.). But I felt rested and ready for the climb up Mount Cammerer!  It was cool and breezy so I started the day overdressed - this helped me stay warm as the winds picked up during my decent and climb out of Low Gap.  The sun was shining again and I got some tremendous views!  Passed E.T., who had found a cell tower and was making plans for resupply later in her Thru hike.  Otherwise, I was alone - this is something I like about hiking with the NOBO Bubble… Unfortunately, it was during the part of the hike where I lost my inflatable mattress.  I thought I’d secured the small pouch well in the same place with my tent but I realized it had fallen off my backpack just as I arrived at the Mount Cammerer Trail.  Decided to look for my mattress later and, instead, walked the 0.6 miles to the Lookout Tower (recommended by Kip).  The views there were even better than what I’d seen during my whole hiking trip!  After enjoying them for a little while, I retraced my steps for over a mile.  When I passed an older couple who I’d seen at the shelter last night, I asked if they’d seen the mattress - they hadn’t.  Since I figured it was completely lost, I turned around and started north again… Soon, the AT took a decidedly downward incline and I was able to pick up my pace significantly.  Passed several other hikers who had left before I had this morning and several groups of young backpackers heading uphill.  Besides those few, however, I didn’t see many other people… The sun got warmer and I fought the urge to keep going, like I would with my 3L water reservoir, so that I could stay hydrated.  I wasn’t entirely successful in this goal… Before I knew it, I’d reached the northern boundary (on the AT) of GSMNP at Davenport Gap.  Since I’d already hiked everything beyond this, it didn’t feel good to have to log an additional almost three miles - but I had no choice.  Realized at this point that I hadn’t left a lot of gas in my stamina tank… As I crossed the Pigeon River, it took all of my energy to continue walking uphill.  I was only about a mile from my car but it might as well have been a million - three days of attempting to control calories, replace water, catch sleep and manage the psychological elements of this trip finally caught up with me.  I sat down near the road (next to a huge ladder of steps where the AT disappeared into the woods).  Not sure what to do, I was pleasantly surprised when a Standing Bear Shuttle Driver passed by and offered me a ride!  This was just what I needed and I was at my car about five minutes later (1330).  It was strange to be back in civilization and, before I left, I decided to visit the hostel bunk house to see some of the folks I’d been hiking with for three days.  They were all really happy to have a kitchen, laundry and mattress - small victories for most of us but big wins for a Thru hiker!  Saw E.T. there - she told me she’d fallen down hard after I’d last seen her and it had taken all of her willpower to reach the hostel.  Reluctantly said goodbye to everyone… No one had seen my mattress so I started making plans to find an REI.  When I turned my phone back on, I found almost 200 emails and several voicemails.  One email informed me that new fires in GSMNP had caused the Park Service to close US-441!  One voicemail told me that the road to Clingman’s Dome, which was supposed to open on April 1, would only open a week later (road construction).  Finally, the weather forecast showed another few nights of freezing - after my 30 degree night, I knew I’d need more equipment to survive in sub-20s.  Since the loss of access to Clingman’s (let alone US-441) would already add tremendous distance to my planned hike of the western side of the park, I decided that it was probably a good idea to cancel that part of my trip and head north again.  Not really happy about this situation but, it seems, too many things were conspiring against success.  Still feel pretty good, though...  Before getting on the Interstate, I made calls to NPS Backcountry Office and shuttle driver, canceling my plans beyond March 30.  I then drove north on I-40 to Newport and got on US-321.  Stopped for gas at Shell (1340).  Back on the road, I listened to audiobooks.  Continued on US-321 to TN-352 and then took that road to I-26.  When I reached I-81, I continued into Virginia.  Hit a bit traffic jam close to Marion, so I got off the main road there and checked into the Travel Inn (1715), a place I've used for the last several years during trips to this area.  I found that some AT Thru hikers were staying there too but I didn't know any of them.  Got a shower and cleaned up before heading to dinner at Pizza Hut (1800).  Stayed there for about an hour and then went back to the room.  Spent much of the evening listening to audiobooks and working on travel blog.  Went to bed at 2215.  In three fun days, I finished 30 more new miles of AT (plus about 5 more in side trails) and met some great people.  And now I have an excuse to make another trip to the Smokies!  AT Today = 7.0 miles / Grand Total AT = 1923.6 miles / AT Left = 261.7 miles

Smokies Hiking Trip - Day 5

It was SOOOO cold last night!  I wore almost all the clothes I'd brought in my backpack - and still wasn't really warm - but somehow must have managed to get some sleep because I woke up several times for various noises.  Decided to get out of my tent at around 0630 (after reading for a bit) and started to clean up my tent site.  The sun came out by 0730 but it was still warm.  Got some more water and ate some food.  Almost everyone else had gotten started on their hikes with headlamps so I was one of the last to depart Peck's Corner (0830). Had to take the side trail back to the AT and, by the time I reached the ridge, I decided I'd chosen to wear too many clothes.  Shed some layers and then continued.  Found two young lady hikers ("T.P." and "E.T.") who had found a place to make calls and texts.  For the rest of the day, we leapfrogged a few times.  Met a few other Thru Hikers, including two young guys ("Fiji" and "Peach Fuzz") and an older gentleman with a long beard (who I later learned was from Hanover, NH) named "Prophet".  Also encountered "Vibe" again - he helped me get my backpack over a spiky fallen tree.  Spent most of the day climbing and descending repeatedly between 5500 and 6200 feet - got really tired.  Fortunately, it wasn't as windy or cold up there and the sun was warm.  I was able to shed some layers (short sleeves!) and stopped in a few places for some amazing views.  It seemed like it took forever to reach the Tri-Corner Shelter so I didn't stop (still had close to eight more miles to go).  More climbing after that but it was pleasant to walk in the deep alpine forest.  My backpack started really hurting my shoulders... More leapfrogging with other Thru Hikers but, like yesterday, I usually let everyone else pass me.  There was something on the map about there being aircraft wreckage on the ridge but I never saw anything like that.  Was alone for a long time, at one point - I began to think that all the youngsters had rushed ahead to get a place in the shelter.  Just before I reached Cosby Knob Shelter, I had to make one more climb (ugh).  Somehow, though, I made it after walking nearly 14 miles, with side trails included (1615).  Was very surprised to find that almost no one I'd seen the night before was there - this contradicted things they'd been saying all day (I learned later that many of them decided to power through to the Davenport Gap Shelter).  With a smaller crowd (and the lack of suitable campsites), I decided to stay in the shelter this time.  This was a bit difficult, compared to tent camping, because of the limitation of space for looking through my backpack.  Somehow, though, I managed to get settled in the loft (no one else was up there yet).  I enjoyed the company of several section hikers from Georgia, Prophet, E.T., T.P. and others.  Made another dinner of dehydrated food (mashed potatoes) and one lady gave all of us hot chocolate.  Spent the rest of the evening reading, journaling and making sure I was dressed warmly enough for the forecasted temps (40s).  Saw a mouse running along the back wall but was assured by the other occupants of the shelter that this was normal ("they won't bother you if you sleep with your head out towards the front of the shelter").  A few more people arrived before it was completely dark and almost everyone was asleep as soon as the sun was down.  With my head in the correct location, I went to bed myself at close to 2100.  AT Today = 13.0 miles / Grand Total AT = 1916.6 miles

Smokies Hiking Trip - Day 4

I woke at around 0500 and finished getting my stuff ready.  Ate breakfast at the hotel and then departed Newport for the AT Trailhead (0715).  Then drove south on I-40 until I reached Standing Bear Hostel (0745).  Paid for two nights of storing my car and then met my shuttle drive (Mike) for my ride to Newfound Gap (0800).  We drove via the Parkway and then back roads (we stopped for gas) to Gatlinburg.  Reached Newfound Gap at 0930 - it was VERY windy.  Within minutes of getting out of the shuttle, I met "Oleg", a Thru Hiker from Siberia.  I wanted to walk with him but had made a decision to walk slowly so as to keep from sweating or running out of water.  Reluctantly, I let him go and followed (far behind) as we walked NOBO.  There were LOTS of tourists in the area, all trying to get to a place with a view.  Several of them asked me where they could find one but I hadn't considered anything but reaching the first shelter.  Stopped for a drink and snack at Icewater Shelter and ended up meeting a young Thru Hiker named "Vibe" (very talkative and extremely friendly) and we walked together to Charlie's Bunion.  I think I made his day when we got to the view at a craggy pile of rocks and I took a photo of him climbing on them.  Meanwhile, I was using an old camera that appeared to be taking photos questionable quality... There were some tourists enjoying the same view, which was surprising because of how far we were from the road (more than four miles).  Vibe and I split up at that point and I continued walking north.  Several more Thru Hikers passed me (everyone was faster than me) - it took a long time for me to get used to the fully loaded pack so I didn't hurry... It got much windier and cold as we reached 6000 feet of elevation but I felt warm with the three layers I was wearing.  Eventually, I found a sheltered place where four young Thru Hikers were taking a break.  I stopped to talk to them ("Space Heater", "Jukebox", "8 Ounce Sirloin" and one I can't remember) and had a nice time chatting about their month long adventure.  One of them was a member of the marketing department at Texas Roadhouse and gave me a free meal.  After this welcome respite, I still had three miles to walk before I reached Peck's Corner Shelter.  Once I found the sign for it, I had to walk about half a mile before I found the bustling location (1615).  I had a reservation for a room in the shelter but decided not to dislodge someone from their comfy bed.  Instead, I set up my tent nearby and then got some water at the spring - spent some time filtering through my Sawyer Squeeze and talked to some of the hikers crowded around the fire on the edge of the building.  They all liked my Nats hat with the beer-top-popper on the lid.  I prepared one of my dehydrated meals (Chili Mac) and enjoyed a filling dinner.  A lady ("Shelly") came to sit near my tent because it was one of the only places with sunlight as the sun was going down in the west.  By 2000, it was dark enough that everyone settled into the shelter and their tents.  I joined them and spent about an hour reading before I tried to go to bed.  It was already getting cold when I zipped up my sleeping bag (2130) - 30s forecasted for this evening...  AT Today = 10.0 miles / Grand Total AT = 1903.6 miles

Smokies Hiking Trip - Day 3

Brenna had warned me that the insulation in her apartment was really bad and that it might be cold overnight.  She was NOT kidding - brrrrr!  I didn't get much sleep and was wide awake by 0600.  Since Brenna wanted to sleep late, I got ready to leave without disturbing her.  I headed out of Harrisonburg by 0645.  On the way, I listened to more Moth Radio podcasts and texted with Mollie (so she'd know my ETA).  To get to Blacksburg, I used I-81 and US-460 - traffic was light but it was really cold (30s) and windy again.  I arrived at Mollie's apartment at 0845 and picked her up.  We drove through Blacksburg until we reached Our Daily Bread Bakery and Bistro and went inside just after they opened (0900).  It was already really crowded and we had trouble getting food quickly enough to find a table.  The place reminded me of La Madeleine, one of our favorite breakfast spots in NoVA...  We had a nice conversation and made plans to meet up when I was on my way back home.  We finished eating at around 1000 and got back in the car.  We then did some shopping at Kroger (Mollie had a social event later).  After finished that activity, we drove a short distance to see her new apartment (for the 2022-2023 school year).  It was located in a nice area and there was a big recreational area nearby.  We ended up taking a walk in Blacksburg Municipal Park for about 45 minute in the cold, windy air.  After that, I drove Mollie to her friends' house on the northeast side of Blacksburg and said goodbye to her.  I departed town by US-460 but stopped for gas at Shell in Christiansburg (1100) before getting on I-81 again.  Listened to more Moth Radio hour and then some music while I was driving.  Decided to visit another Virginia State Park so got off the Interstate at Abingdon and then used ALT-US-58 to drive to the northwest.  When I reached the town of St. Paul, I found signs directing me to a part of the Clinch River State Park.  It was actually SO new that it had no real infrastructure or Visitor Center.  But I figured out that it did have a more mature unit: the Sugar Hill Trail System.  I parked at the trailhead just after 1300 and took a scenic walk for over an hour.  Apart from a nice gravel bike trail, most of the other tracks were almost impossible to see due to lack of foot traffic.  As a result, I found myself in some places where I was actually bushwhacking.  This might normally have been OK but the drop-offs next to the trail didn’t look very forgiving... Fortunately, I eventually found the major landmark of the site: the ruins of a cabin, built in the late 18th Century by some intrepid pioneers, at the top of the huge cliffs overlooking the Clinch River.  There was some good signage in that area and it appeared that anyone brave enough to settle in the area earlier than the 1790s was almost guaranteed to be killed by Native Americans because it was beyond the established frontier line.  While I was alone up there, I tried to imagine myself working fields and tapping maple trees in the middle of the deep forest, miles from neighbors... Made my way down to the river by another lightly traveled trail and encountered the only other park guests I saw during my visit: a friendly, young, local couple with their dogs.  I told them they were lucky to have such a nice nature area near their home and they agreed.  Got back on the road at 1445 and retraced my route on US-58 (back to the east).  Then took VA-71 to Gate City (to the southwest).  Listened to audiobooks on the way.  Switched to US-23 and took it to I-26, then got on I-81 and drove west to US-25E.  Crossed Douglas Lake (water level VERY low)...  Brenna called and we talked about my trip and preparations for the next day.  I continued south until I reached US-321 and used it to get into Newport (TN).  Passed I-40 and ate dinner (inside the restaurant) at Bojangles (1655).  Afterwards, drove back towards the Interstate and checked into the Quality Inn (1745).  Repacked my bags (including backpack) and read more information about the section I was hiking.  Before bed, I listened to some more audiobooks.  Asleep by 2215.  Glad I got some more outdoor time during my long drive - but the real test of my hiking abilities starts tomorrow morning...

Smokies Hiking Trip - Day 2

I was awake at around 0545, feeling strangely cold.  The thermostat in the room said 70 degrees but, later, I figured out that the window was open!  Temps had fallen to around 35 degrees, so perhaps I should be glad to have a preview of my hiking conditions...  I cleaned up and organized in my room until around 0715 and then checked out of the hotel.  I drove a short distance down VA-28 to the Westfields and got a table at Eggspectations.  Erin arrived just after 0800 and we ate a nice breakfast together (with some good conversation).  We finished eating at around 0930 and I said goodbye to Erin.  I then texted Brenna to tell her that that I was on my way.  The weather wasn't great and I got turned around a little bit (because of construction) while trying to get back on VA-28...  Eventually, I was headed west on I-66.  During the drive, I listened to Moth Radio Hour podcasts.  When I reached I-81, the traffic got much worse and it took a lot longer to reach Harrisonburg than I'd hoped.  I reached Brenna's apartment at 1115 and found her doing some Spring cleaning.  She tole me she wasn't ready to leave her place yet so I needed to find some things to do (and stay out of the way).  While waiting for her, I cleaned up the Chrysler (in case we were able to donate or sell it soon) and then made room in my rental car for Brenna.  We left her place at around 1200 and drove into the downtown area so we could get jumper cables - we needed them because the Chrysler battery was dead (Brenna needed to get them from one of her friends).  On the way, it started to snow!  Once we had the cables, the weather cleared up a bit.  We got on I-81 and headed south to the town of Weyers Cave.  Our first stop (1130) was the Valley Pike Farm Market, where we enjoyed some beer and wine tasting.  Brenna got lunch too.  While we were there, it started to snow really hard - there was actual accumulation on the ground!  We hunkered down until it stopped (1230) and then drove east on VA-256.  We looked for the entrance to Grand Caverns in the town of Grottoes and finally located it.  Once there, we got park information but decided not to go in the cave.  Instead, we walked a couple of circuits of the fitness trail (along the South River) and had a nice talk.  We then doubled back to I-81 and drove north to Mount Crawford (arrived at 1530). Brenna wanted to show me the new venue for Smiley's ice cream and I was not disappointed!  In their new digs, I enjoyed some delicious scoops (Brenna got a milkshake).  Meanwhile, we talked to Mollie on the phone for a little while (1600) before she had to go to work (I made plans to see her the next day).  Brenna and I then used VA-42 to drive all the way back to Harrisonburg.  Just after crossing the city line, Brenna suggested that we check out her new apartment complex on the southeast side of town.  We located it pretty easily and I was impressed by how nice it was.  We then drove back to Brenna's (old) apartment and were able to successfully jump start the Chrysler.  I then took it on a test drive around the neighborhood (it worked OK).  We spent a few hours relaxing in Brenna's room (lots more talking) before heading out to dinner at Golden China Buffet (1900).  Even though it was apparently very popular, we were able to get seats and had a nice meal.  After getting back to Brenna's, I took a walk in the neighborhood.  It was quite cold but the snow had melted, fortunately.  For the rest of the night, we hung out in Brenna's room and posted on social media.  I noticed that Erin had made a big deal online about the time I'd spent with her and I already missed her.  I went to bed at around 2200 - what a busy day!

Smokies Hiking Trip - Day 1

After lots of preparations last night, I was able to leave the condo at 0615 in my Chevy Malibu rental car.  I got some cash (for AT Shuttle Drivers) at an ATM in Lebanon (0625) and then got on I-89.  Drove west to Vermont and then used I-91 to reach Hartford (CT).  Listened to audiobooks on the way. I got on I-84 and headed further west, stopping for gas in Danbury (0930).  Continued driving through Connecticut and New York until I reached Pennsylvania.  Listened to more audiobooks and a took call from Brenna.  In Scranton, I got on I-81 and then drove south to Harrisburg.  As I traveled, the other drivers seemed to be getting crazier...  Used I-83, PA-581 and US-15 to reach Maryland, where I took a short break at the Welcome Center.  A short time later, I stopped for gas (only $3.75 because taxes were suspended) at the Mountaindale Convenience Store in Thurmont (1430).  Then continued south to US-340/US-15 merge in Frederick.  Instead of using my normal route to reach Alexandria (VA), I followed US-15 all the way to Point of Rocks, where I stopped to walk on a section of C&O Towpath I’d never visited in all my years in NoVA.  I’ve been through Point of Rocks before but am usually so annoyed by the traffic jam on this route that stopping is the last thing on my mind.  With great weather and some time on my hands before I'd planned to meet Erin, I spent almost two hours between the boat launch under US-15 and the Lander boat launch, walking almost three miles north and then backtracking.  It was peaceful and quiet and the perfect diversion after eight hours of driving!  When I was finished with my break, I got back on US-15 and took it all the way to Leesburg.  From there, I took VA-7 to the east until I reached VA-28.  Got off in Herndon and checked into the Candlewood Suites near Dulles Airport (1730).  After unpacking items from my car, I left for the restaurant, Alo Vietnam, where Erin and Austin said they'd meet me at 1800.  Luckily, we all got there at the same time and proceeded to eat a nice dinner.  We had lots of good conversation and stayed together until almost 2000.  Erin and I made plans to meet for breakfast the next day and then I went back to the hotel.  In my room, I read, rested and re-packed until bed time (2215).  Looking forward to the next few days of visiting with my daughters!

Concord, NH (USA)

Several months ago, I joined the NH AMC Paddlers on a nine mile trip down the Contoocook River.  We crossed under several bridges along the way, including one that looked like it might be part of a Rail Trail.  Investigating further, I discovered that the Mast Yard State Forest (on the edge of Concord) has a large trail system in that area and decided to check it out!  The closest trailhead was at a place called the Gustaf H. Lehtinen Park (on the north side of the river).  This morning, I departed my house just after 0800 and drove (via I-89 and some back roads) towards the trailhead (listened to audiobooks on the way).  I arrived at the parking lot by 0930 - from there, I crossed a nice bridge and walked about two miles to the west.  It was a pleasant day, with temps in the high 40s, very little wind and partly cloudy.  There was a LOT of bird activity everywhere!  I saw and heard flights of Canadian Geese on their way north and encountered other waterfowl as they drifted in little ponds.  Many other people were out in the woods with me, enjoying the day with their dogs.  The railroad bed ended at Penacook Road and I immediately backtracked to the river.  I’d seen on the map that another trail system would take me to the recreation area, Dolly Beach, I’d passed on the paddling trip and decided to walk over there.  This turned out to be another nice experience, since the weather had improved even more.  I snacked at a picnic table on the beach and imagined the hundreds of guests who would soon be using the swimming hole - luckily, there weren’t any other people today… Backtracked to my car after that, arriving by 1200.  After getting cleaned up, I drove east to Concord and ate lunch at Friendly's.  Finished at 1330 and drove further east until I located the NH Audubon Massabesic Center.  Unfortunately, it was closed...  I walked around a bit nearby but didn't really want to hike very long.  Instead, I checked out the Great North Aleworks, located nearby.  It started to sprinkle a little so I drove back to the southwest until I reached the Texas Roadhouse in Manchester. I had a gift card and used it to enjoy some drinks for a little while (done at 1600).  Drove north again via I-293, I-93, NH-3A and I-89 (listened to more audiobooks) and arrived home by 1730.  I'd started the day thinking about how I’d wanted to climb a mountain this weekend and regretting that the weather didn’t cooperate in the WMNF.  But I got over those thoughts after this nice hike - glad I have lots of other options for outdoor adventures!

Grantham, NH (USA)

Another snow storm extended the Winter at Eastman Cross Country Center!  Despite getting a late start after the "spring forward" time change, I managed to reach John's Glen by 1130.  The temps were in the low 20s but the trail conditions were actually really good.  As a result, I was able to spend an awesome two hours on my skis.  When I wrapped up (1330), I determined that I'd covered around 4.5 miles.  Hope this isn't the end of the cross country season but I still feel like I've squeezed an awful lot adventure into my time at Eastman during the Winter of 2021/2022!

Washington, NH (USA)

Rain and warmer temperatures were forecasted so it didn’t seem wise to try to do any skiing.  Instead, I headed to Pillsbury State Park (via I-89, NH-10 and NH-31) this morning, hoping to do some hiking.  When I first arrived (0950), I found the gate closed and there was a steady sleet/drizzle.  After waiting 15 minutes for dryer conditions, I tentatively left the car in a “parking spot” near the welcome sign and started walking the park access road.  Temps were in the mid 30s and I was only wearing two layers.  It looked like there had been many snowmobiles in the area - it wasn’t quite a groomed trail but I think I could have actually skied the road.  I checked out several park buildings, some campsites and pretty picnic areas along the way and concluded that this would be a great place to get away from town.  There were several large lakes that reminded me about the imminent paddling season. After reaching the middle of the park, I decided to take a trail that advertised “Balanced Rock”.  Without any mileage markers, the subsequent plunge into the woods required a bit of faith… Up to this point, I hadn’t been seeking any climbing but I soon got as much as I had when I’d climbed Mount Sunapee the previous day.  It hadn’t been obvious at first but I soon realized that I was hiking in a cloud.  The sleet was intermittent there but the deeper (around seven inches) snow had already turned slushy - this made me remember that I’d neglected to bring my trekking poles.  Since I had no way of knowing how far I had left to go in my seemingly-never-ending ascent up Bryant Mountain, I nearly turned around a few times.  Fortunately, though, I had brought my microspikes and, after putting them on, was able to regain some traction.  My persistence and determination paid off: the Balanced Rock was quite impressive!  I looked at it from multiple angles but couldn’t figure out how the top rock could have landed in the bottom rock so perfectly… I started downhill again and found the trail surface to be quite difficult to navigate, even with my “outbound” boot prints as a guide.  For this reason, I exited the main trail when I passed a large logging field I’d seen.  I bushwhacked back to the park access road without much difficulty (just had to jump some narrow streams) and was glad to have a good walking surface again.  The sun came out as I was finishing my hike (1225) - it felt so warm!  Overall, I hiked close to six miles in about 2.5 hours.  It was a relief to see my car was still where I left it because of the plethora of “no parking" signs...  I backtracked to I-89 and decided to stop at Eastman Cross Country Center to check out the Forbes Tavern there.  Even though I've skied here many times, the place always seemed to be closed.  Today, however, I learned they have a Sunday afternoon happy hour - this enticed me to stay a bit longer and actually eat lunch (sat down at 1315).  After meeting several local folks at the bar and enjoying my meal, I drove towards home (stopped for gas at Irving in Hanover (1445).  Today was definitely one of those “make lemonade from lemons” day - with the “Snow Miser” losing the battle with “Heat Miser”, I’ll have to continue being creative with my itineraries...

Newbury, NH (USA)

Decided to hike up Mount Sunapee (from the Newbury side) today!  Waited until the temps climbed into the high 20s before driving south (via I-89) and ended up making it through the ski resort “gauntlet” with very little trouble.  I parked in a lot on the lakeside and then played “Frogger” as I crossed NH-103 to reach the Newbury Trail (orange blaze) trailhead.  I was hiking in the snowy woods by 1030.  The sun was shining and I stayed on the south side of the mountain for most of the climb - after a few miles, I felt liked I’d overdressed… But it felt good to be getting some more hill work and I kept at it, despite also encountering some slippery snow and ice.  In a few places, I actually had to crawl to avoid a slide back to the bottom.  Got some nice views of Lake Sunapee (to the east) but the greatest surprise was one vista (looking north) where I could see almost the entire White Mountain range - wow!  Continued huffing and puffing until the terrain flattened out a bit - after that, my concentration was redirected to deeper snow that looked lightly traveled.  My spikes were mostly useless but I wasn’t afraid of sliding, at least… Encountered two other guys who told me that I should detour to the lookout point on the “south summit”, rather than continue all the way to the “north summit”.  Since the choice was between fewer people and the top of the ski resort lift, I took their advice.  After passing a major trail junction (three colors of blazes), I hiked a little farther until I located the view they meant - it was a spectacular (almost 90 degree vertical) overlook of Solitude Lake!  Ended up sitting on a rock (with my feet close, but not over, the ends) and taking a snack break.  In the distance, I spotted a C-130 coming through the valley between Kearsarge and Sunapee and realized I was at a higher elevation than he was!  Some other hikers took my picture with #theprouty sign (first one in 2022). I’d already walked about four miles and decided I’d skip the rest of the climb and head back to the car.  This proved to be a good decision because I had a LOT of places where I needed to (literally) butt-slide down the mountain.  By the time I was back at the trailhead (1415), I’d logged over seven miles and was pretty wet (mostly from melted snow).  On the way home, I made a brief stop (window shopping) in Newbury at the Nordic Skater to learn more about skiing and skating equipment.  Glad I made the ascent today - the views were worth the effort and I avoided a lot of crowds.  Need to find some more mountains to climb! 

Grantham, NH (USA)

It seems like every ski day will be the last one of the season but I keep getting surprised by nightly snowfall. I wasn’t sure if it was a gamble but optimistically put my skis in the car when I left (early) for the Subaru dealer in White River Junction this morning. Even though it was cold, I walked around near the dealer to get some exercise and pass the time.  On the way back into New Hampshire, I stopped in West Lebanon for a few short errands at Target and Staples.  From there, I drove southeast to Grantham (via I-89). Temps were below zero when I'd initially left the house but had risen into positive single digits by the time I arrived at Eastman Cross Country Center (0815).  The snow on the easy trails at the golf course looked really thin so I drove over to John’s Glen.  The sun was shining brightly, the groomer had just cleared the trails and there were no other people around. Happily, I got about an hour of “classic” skiing (roughly 2.5 miles) on the freshly groomed snow (0845 to 0945).  I felt great when I finished.  Here’s hoping for a few more days (or even weeks) of winter fun!

Enfield, NH (USA)

[after work, I went walking on the Northern Rail Trail near Mascoma Lake - after that, I attended Ash Wednesday Mass (1800) at St. Helena's in Enfield - before heading home, I visited with friends who'd also attended]