The weather still hasn't been nice enough for long walks in the mountains... So, I decided to explore Southwestern New Hampshire! I left the condo at 0800 and drove (via I-89, I-91 and US-5) to Bellows Falls. It was sprinkling when I drove out of Lebanon but then got sunny as I headed south. When I checked out the falls themselves, I was very satisfied. Lots more water coming through town, compared to when I visited last Fall - what a difference the Spring Thaw makes! Tried to find good camera views on both sides of the River (VT and NH) but it was hard... The town really needs to create a scenic viewpoint area... After getting my fill of the powerful rapids, I crossed the Connecticut River (back into New Hampshire) and used NH-12 to drive south to the town of Walpole. I was looking for a rail trail I had heard was nearby and eventually found a place (Hubbard WMA boat launch) where I could access it. As a result, I was able to walk the northern three miles of the Cheshire Recreational Trail. Unlike other rail trails in New Hampshire, this one seems to have limited parking access and is quite wild in places. But it does go almost all the way from Bellows Falls to Keene, so there are a lot of miles for exercise. Got lots of pretty views of the Connecticut River and saw several big farms. Glad I found a place to walk that was dry on this rainy Saturday... When I was finished, I drove south on NH-12. After a little while, I switched to NH-63 and continued south. In Hinsdale, I had to pass through covered bridge to get on NH-119 - I noticed that the numbers on the signs were close to 1 so I must have been near the VT/MA/NH border... Explored access to the Asheulot Rail Trail and then drove east, looking for a way into Pisgah State Park. Saw several hiking trailheads but there were a lot of signs about the trails being closed for mud season (through May 23). Ended up on some back roads in Winchester and used Old Chesterfield Road to reach the park visitor center (closed). Turned around and headed east to NH-10. Then drove north and got on NH-12 on the south side of Keene. Edged around the populated area and ended up back where I'd walked in Walpole. Unfortunately, it started raining again... My friend, Joe C, had seen a post I made on social media (about being in the area earlier in the day) and recommended that I stop at Walpole Creamery for some ice cream - what a great idea! I made a quick visit to Shaws (to get a circular) and then had lunch (white chili, turkey panini and two scoops of ice cream) at the creamery. I was done at 1400 and headed back to the south so I could use NH-123 to cross the Connecticut River. This turned out to be a scary, narrow bridge but I made it across OK. After I got back on I-91, I talked to Mollie to pass the time. Made it to I-89 without much traffic or construction (yaay!). Encountered more rain on the way home but it mostly held off until I reached my condo (1500). The day was filled with driving but I also got some good walks, found some interesting parks and had a great lunch - not too bad for a Spring Day!
