White River Junction, VT (USA)

[started teleworking very early - at 1110, I left Hanover and drove to White River Junction so I could pick up my new Volunteer ID Card at the VA Medical Center - afterwards, I went across the road to the Upper Valley Aquatic Center and went swimming for 45 minutes (54 lengths) - directly afterwards, I headed home (arrived at 1310) and resumed teleworking until 1715 - at 1930, I departed my condo and took Tequila Sunrise out for a paddle - I launched from the little parking lot across (Vermont side) from the Ledyard Canoe Club and spent one hour (1945 to 2045) on the glassy surface of the Connecticut River - highlights included the pleasant evening air (70s), watching a deer serenely grazing along the shoreline, spotting Double-crested Cormorants in the trees above the Ledyard Bridge, following a determined muskrat and getting my first sighting of an American Bittern (he was fishing along the Vermont side) - it's been a while since I just coasted along in the dusk and I enjoyed logging 2.5 miles of "easy" kayaking - home by 2100]

Busch Gardens Trip - Day 6

After a wonderful (almost) week of visiting my daughters, it was time to head back to New Hampshire.  I was awake at 0500 this morning and quickly got ready to depart.  Mollie had asked me to wake her up before I left and we were able to chat a bit as I was packing up the car.  By 0600, I departed Fredericksburg (via VA-3) and headed north on I-95.  Traffic was light and I made great time around DC (via the west side on I-495) and onto I-270.  My breakfast was the Chick-fil-A sandwich (Mollie had graciously given it to me).  The drive reminded me of many, many hiking trips I'd done over the years and the miles clicked quickly by as I drove through Frederick and got on US-15.  Passing through Thurmont, Emmitsburg, Gettysburg and Dillsburg, I enjoyed the voyage down memory lane...  I listened to audiobooks along the way and was soon in Harrisburg (PA-581, I-83) and on I-81.  From there, things continued to be pretty easy - driving wise - and the weather was beautiful.  I'd made plans to meet up with Carolyn for a late lunch so targeted Albany for my route towards home.  The only stops I made before then were for a short break at the NY Welcome Center (just south of Binghamton, before I got on some back roads to cut the corner to I-88) and at the BJs (gas fillup) and Walmart (can/bottle redemption) in Oneonta (1215).  Otherwise, my trip on the Interstates went quite well and I was on I-90 by 1300.  Taking a gamble (like my last trip) on possible tolls, I drove south to NY-7 and then was very careful as I drove across Schenectady and Niskayuna to reach Latham, where Carolyn lives.  I met up with her by 1345 and we drove a short distance to the Metro 7 Diner so we could have lunch.  The food was really good and we had a nice conversation.  Finished up at 1430, we drove back to her house to chance into some hiking gear so we could take a walk on the Mohawk-Hudson Bikeway (part of the larger Empire State Trail and Erie Canalway systems).  The weather was wonderful and, after parking near the intersection of River Road and Buhrmaster Road (1455), we ended up logging just under 4.5 miles on the trail in about 1.5 hours.  Our out-and-back route took us along the Mohawk River and all the way to eastern access road (Onderdonk Avenue) for the Water Treatment Plant.  We saw lots of birds but the most interesting one was a type I'd never encountered before: American Redstart.  It was very cool to note another new species for my eBird account and Carolyn got into the action as we encountered others.  Finished at 1625, we returned to Carolyn's so I could get back on the road - we said goodbye by 1635.  From Latham, I drove east on NY-7, north on I-87 and then east on NY-7 to Troy.  During this time, I talked with Brenna (who'd called while I was walking on the trail).  At 1650, I stopped at the Friendly's in Troy for my free birthday sundae (mmmm) and then ate it as I continued east into Vermont.  The rest of the drive was the typical route (NY/VT-279, US-7, VT-11/30, VT-103, I-91 and I-89) that has been so common since I've been living in New England. The best part of the drive was when I realized how cool the temperatures had gotten as I crossed the Connecticut River (70s - nice).  I arrived at my condo by 1930 and quickly unpacked the rental car.  Feeling quite good about getting the drive completed early, I relaxed with windows open (and a light breeze).  It was a great trip!

Busch Gardens Trip - Day 5

My night was OK (the hotel AC was quite loud and kept waking me up) and I thought Brenna had also done well when I woke up this morning (0600).  I did a little bit of reading, Duolingo, Sudoku and other routines while my daughter slept and also packed my bags.  When Brenna was finally awake (0730), she told me I'd kept her awake with my snoring (I felt bad). Moving on from this, she asked what we were going to be doing and I explained that some people (Mollie and Alex) had talked about leaving when Erin went to her Book Club at 1000.  She seemed determined to change everyone's minds so I took her back to Erin and Austin's house at about 0815.  When we arrived, everyone was awake and we ate some muffins and other breakfast snacks that Erin had gotten for us. There were lots of good conversations going on during this window so I thought plans were going to be made for some fun in Hampton Roads.  I'd noticed a yard sale and all of the girls took turns walking down to check it out.  In addition, I made suggestions on activities (tours of local Navy Bases, shopping at the Navy Exchange and possibly going to a beach nearby) and everyone seemed to be open to the idea.  Suddenly, though, there was a shift in the mindset and Mollie told me she wanted to go back to Fredericksburg.  This had been our original plan so I tried to avoid asking too many questions.  Saying goodbye to everyone else, we started heading west (1100).  Unfortunately, there was a lot of construction on I-64 so the typical two hour drive was forecasted (by Google Maps) almost three.  We did make it across the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel within the first hour but then there was a the typical stop-start mess as we drove through Hampton and Newport News.  At one point, Mollie asked me to stop for a bathroom break and I managed to find a good place. After that, though, I was really hoping to find something better than the Interstate for routing.  Fortunately, Google Maps came to the rescue and I ended up taking a series of back roads (VA-33, VA-30).  Along the way, we crossed the York River to West Point before proceeding through rural King William County.  This was an interesting route that took us through horse country (including the birthplace of Secretariat) and big soybean fields.  We ended up reaching I-95 where Kings Dominion was and hoped to get lunch at Burger King there.  This turned out to be too hard because of the large crowd inside.  Since I was actually taking Mollie and Alex to Beaverdam (to retrieve Mollie's car from Alex's parents' house), we took our chances at the little Doswell Country Mart and picked up some sandwiches there (1330ish).  Next, we made our way into even more rural Caroline County (near North Anna Battlefield) and soon arrived at Alex's home.  I'd never been there before but had heard many stories from Mollie about their chickens, dogs, fishing pond and the relaxing atmosphere.  After being there for only a short time, I can confirm that everything was just as good as she'd said.  We played for a bit with Maple and Joe (Alex's dad) showed me all of his metal detecting collections.  Wanting to do some hiking or exploring before dark, I said my goodbye's and proceeded to the west, hoping to find "downtown Beaverdam" and learn some more about the local history.  Unfortunately, I didn't have any cell signal so I never located the post office or historical signs.  Instead, I headed north on some country roads (VA-738 and VA-639) and eventually intercepted I-95 at Ladysmith.  I listened to audiobooks on the way north and this helped me weather the many stop-starts on the Interstate.  Arriving back in Fredericksburg by 1545, I got some more gas at Costco and then returned to Mollie & Alex's apartment.  I'd only been there for a little while before Mollie told me she was coming back earlier than she'd planned (she wanted to do some chores at the apartment).  Alex had decided to stay with his parents overnight so this ended up giving me and Mollie some special Dad-Daughter time.  We made the best of things by watching a movie ("La Dolce Villa"), eating dinner (Mollie made me homemade macaroni and cheese), taking a walk together (2000), getting some free Chick-fil-A for Mollie's teacher appreciation reward (2100) and then watching another movie ("Nonnas").  We also enjoyed some wine and champagne Mollie had gotten for my visit.  It was a grand evening and Mollie said it reminded her of when we used to live together in Alexandria and Hanover (NH).  The night ended at about 2230 and, by then, I was quite tired.  The day had been filled with uncertainties, firsts and special times - not a bad end to my trip to Virginia!

Busch Gardens Trip - Day 4

Today is the big day: Busch Gardens!  Our family has long enjoyed our adventures at the theme park in Williamsburg and I've made an effort to plan a visit annually.  We were blessed with an additional bonus today when my daughters were each able to bring their significant others; for the first time, our group was seven!  I woke up early at Mollie's and did about two hours of teleworking before packing up for our excursion.  The weather was surprisingly cool (it was overcast) and this boded well for our day.  At 0800, Mollie and Alex told me they were ready and we started south.  First, though, we stopped at the local Costco for a gas fillup (0825).  Next, we got on the Interstate and drove (via I-95, I-295 and I-64) to Williamsburg.  We had trouble reaching Erin and Brenna (they were together, along with Austin and Jesse in Virginia Beach) but arrived at the gate for Busch Gardens just after they opened (1000).  Unfortunately, that is when we realized that the others were about an hour behind us.  We parked the car and made our way to the Will Call building - immediately, it became clear that we'd need all the extra time to get our passes...  In the end, the time between when I had the tickets in hand and the rest of our group arrived (1100) was only about 10 minutes.  This did give Mollie and Alex a chance to check out the animals (Clydesdales, sheep, border collies, eagles, lorikeets, etc.).  Once we were all together, we explored Scotland, Ireland, France and Canada.  Austin and Alex rode on Griffon while Brenna, Jesse and I rode on Invader and the Carousel (Erin and Mollie went window shopping).  This was everyone's first time visiting (and even meeting, in some cases) and it was interesting to watch the dynamics of my daughters and their men.  I am very glad that we were able to get all the schedules to align and it felt good to have such a special time with all of them.  We next made our way to Germany, where we got a nice group photo in front of a Busch Gardens "50th Birthday" sign and then got in a (huge) line at the FestHaus dining hall.  It took a while (paid at 1215), but we were able to get a lot of good food for the group and we even had time to listen to some of the (updated) performance of the dancers, musicians and singers.  Everyone felt recharged when we departed (1300) and we immediately started to take advantage of several of the nearby fun rides (bumper cars, swings, etc.).  Brenna and Jesse took a ride on Verbolten while the rest of us made our way to Italy.  During the next hour, we all tried different things (e.g., Trade Winds, smaller coasters, etc.) before we all joined up again.  We next took some rides on the Roman Rapids, which were much different with temps in the 80s (and no direct sunlight).  Everyone had a great time, though - there was lots of giggling - but we all got thoroughly soaked!  Alex and Austin then rode on Tempesto (a huge, twisty coaster) that led to the latter feeling quite sick to his stomach.  Mollie and Erin got some Rita's (Italian Ice) and then we made our way to Escape from Pompeii.  Brenna and I rode this ride while Erin and Austin checked out the nearby Sesame Street area.  Next, Brenna and Jesse decided to go have dinner and watch one of the live performances in Italy but the rest of us walked to one of the gondolas that would take us from Scotland to France.  During this ride (we were in two groups), we got the first indication that Austin's upset stomach was not going to end well.  Erin started making plans to depart and this led to some discomfort for the rest of us.  We were able to take advantage of the $0.50 beer deal before it was time for them to leave (1545) but the mood was subdued when our group reduced to five.  The rest of us weren't ready to depart yet and immediately headed to meet up in Italy.  I did get a concerning call from my hotel in Virginia Beach (about them possibly giving my reservation away if I was late in arriving) but I quickly squelched that idea.  Meanwhile, there was lots more window shopping, frozen custard and Midway games fun during the next two hours.  Alex convinced Brenna to go with him on Apollo's Chariot and we lurked around near the teacups for a while before giving up (they were broken).  We also rode on the train (Italy to Scotland), visited the Sesame area again, visited with the animals and got many more photos before our day was done.  Reluctantly, we departed the park after an amazingly fun filled day (1815).  Reaching our car, we had to reconfigure it (due to five people instead of three) but were able to get everyone inside before we left Williamsburg.  We next got on I-64 and started looking for dinner.  We'd hoped to get some at Chick-fil-A in Newport News but their drive through line was HUGE.  Instead, Alex, Mollie and I got some dinner (sit down) at the Taco Bell next door (they had no lines at all at 1855).  Jesse and Brenna managed to get some food to go by going inside but this whole evolution still took us about 30 minutes.  Once we'd all regrouped and gotten back on the highway, we encountered traffic (due to Hampton Road Bridge Tunnel construction) and had to take a long detour via I-664 and I-64 (Suffolk and Chesapeake).  The ride was very scenic, though, and we watched pelicans diving for their dinner in the middle of the James River.  After we stopped to check into my hotel (Econo Lodge on Bonney Road) at 2015, we then drove five minutes more to Erin's house and found her and Austin relaxing (he felt better).  With our whirlwind of fun and family behind us, we spent the next 90 minutes visiting, playing with Kiki, showering and eating snacks.  The mood was one of exhaustion but everyone seemed glad to have had such a fun day.  Just before 2200, I told my daughters that I was tired and that I wanted to retire of the evening.  I returned to the hotel and, after getting cleaned up and doing a little reading, I headed to bed (2230).  About 30 minutes later, Brenna showed up (Jesse had dropped her off) and I had trouble getting back to sleep after that.  Overall, today was an amazing combination of successful family logistics, wonderful traditions and fun and a good experience with all of my daughters' boyfriends/fiancé.  Hope we can do it all again!

Busch Gardens Trip - Day 3

I was awake early at Brenna's apartment and immediately began teleworking.  Brenna didn't wake up herself until I'd already finished my second meeting of the day (1000) and we talked for a little while before my next meeting began.  She had promised to make me some blueberry pancakes and was true to her word - they turned out to be quite delicious.  During the morning, I had lots of meetings and got a significant amount of work done.  I was also able to take a walk in Brenna's neighborhood and then pack up my belongings.  It did rain for a little while but that cooled things down a bit - it had been quite stifling before that.  Brenna had some errands to run so I waited at her apartment (still working) until she returned just after 1415.  After saying goodbye (1455), I headed east towards Mollie's house.  To get there, I mostly used US-33 (to cross the Shenandoah ridge) and then some back roads to reach VA-3.  Traffic was light and the weather was pretty good so it took me under two hours to reach Fredericksburg.  Meeting up with Alex and Mollie (1700), I signed back on to my work computer to wrap up a few projects and we visited for a little while.  At 1800, we drove a short distance to eat dinner at Mi Rancho (Mexican) - the food was delicious!  We were there until about 1900 and enjoyed some good conversation.  On the way home, Mollie suggested that we stop for a walk at a place called Loriella Park - it turned out to have some nice walking trails, local history and an extensive disk golf course.  The weather was still humid and hot (especially in the trees) but we logged almost two miles of walking during the hour we were there.  There was some ominous weather on the horizon so we went back to Mollie's apartment (2000).  I hadn't yet reached my step count for the day so I spent time walking around nearby.  After I was finished (2045), I had just settled into a conversation with Alex and Mollie when Eileen called.  I went outside and sat in one of Mollie's comfy lawn chairs and enjoyed the decreasing temperatures during our conversation.  Back inside again (2130), I visited some more and then checked on Busch Gardens logistics with Brenna and Erin (the former was running late in her drive to Virginia Beach) but the latter seemed ready to meet early the following morning.  Wrapping up my day with some blogging, reading and re-packing, I wound down to bed time (2300).  It's been a great trip so far - lots of visiting, food and relaxation.  Tomorrow is the big day!

Busch Gardens Trip - Day 2

The long drive last night, followed by the later bedtime, created a scenario where I wasn't awake until nearly 0700 this morning.  This might have been OK, normally, but then I had problems accessing the internet through the hotel WiFi.  Eventually, I made a connection to the network and was able to log a few hours of work in my room at the Econo Lodge at Clark's Summit.  At one point, I visited the lobby for the advertised Continental Breakfast - all I found was coffee and two Twinkies.  Not wanting to have to leave the hotel for food, I ate these snacks in my room.  This turned out to be a mistake...  At 0915, I finished my first meeting of the day and had enough time to check out of the hotel and drive a short distance to a lower priced gas station (Conoco in Chinchilla at 0925).  I then tried to access my next work meeting from my phone but encountered a problem with the Teams link - this meant that I had to use my phone to access the internet on my work computer.  Once I sorted out the mess, I was able to listen in on a work call between 1000 and 1200.  Meanwhile, I headed south on I-81.  Like yesterday, it was very hot outside (high 90s) - fortunately, the air conditioning continued working well.  With very little traffic and only minimal slow downs for construction, I did really well on the drive towards Harrisonburg.  Passing through Harrisonburg just after noon, I had a break from work for a little while before my next meeting began.  I was able to listen to some more audiobooks and that helped me with the drive.  During this window, my stomach started really hurting - I think the breakfast did not agree with me...  Somehow, I continued south, without stopping, and crossed through Maryland and West Virginia before finally arriving in Virginia.  My back also hurt a good amount from the uncomfortable seat.  Overall, I was not enjoying the way I felt.  At about 1400, I joined my next work meeting and, about 20 minutes later, rolled into Harrisonburg.  I was at Brenna's shortly after that and she helped me carry things into her apartment.  My meeting ended at 1500 but I spent the two hours teleworking (despite the continued discomfort).  Brenna tried to make me feel better by making me a snack (beans and rice) - it seemed to work.  Meanwhile, it rained (hard) outside and I was glad I wasn't still driving on the highway... Next (1700), we drove to the nearby Harrisonburg Mall and spent about 30 minutes walking around inside the building with pleasant temperatures.  During this time, I was also able to make a reservation at a hotel in Virginia Beach (part of a deal I made with Brenna and Erin to ensure we could all stay together on Friday night).  We returned to Brenna's at around 1745 and Jesse (Brenna's boyfriend) arrived shortly afterwards.  It was my first time meeting him and I found him to be very nice.  After some initial chit-chat, Jesse drove us to a restaurant that Brenna had raved about, Babylon Cuisine, that served delicious Middle Eastern food (arrived at 1820).  We got a family platter and tried all kinds of kabab, shawarma and other meats and veggies.  Our visit was fun and interesting and, even though we departed from the restaurant feeling quite full, we headed over to Grammie's Ice Cream stand (Bridgewater).  Each of us got some tasty desserts (1940) and ended up sitting outside for almost 90 minutes.  We had some more great conversation and even were joined by some lightning bugs.  At 2100, we departed for Brenna's apartment, arriving about 15 minutes later.  Since I hadn't yet gotten all of the steps I wanted for the day, I spent the next 45 minutes walking in the parking lot.  The weather was still hot and humid and I worked up a sweat.  By 2200, I had reached my goal and met up with Brenna and Jesse again.  Saying goodbye and good night shortly afterwards, I checked my work computer once more (wrapping up my teleworking for good) and then settled down to sleep a short time later (2315).  I think I was asleep less than 15 minutes later.  It was definitely a good day of working, driving and visiting!

Busch Gardens Trip - Day 1

My daughters and I have been planning our annual pilgrimage to Busch Gardens Williamsburg for the last few months and the week finally arrived for the trip.  I worked a full day today (through 1600), with a short lunch break used to pick up my rental car from Enterprise in White River Junction (thanks for the ride, Monte!).  After wrapping up my business tasks, I packed up my car (everything had been waiting in the entryway) and was able to leave Hanover by 1615.  Did I mention it was BLAZING HOT (close to 100F)?  Fortunately, the AC in my Nissan Sentra was very effective and I never really noticed the heat for the rest of the day.  Wanting to check out some parts of the North Country Trail near Middlebury (VT) and Crown Point (NY), I actually drove north (continued on I-89 to South Royalton) instead of the usual route I take to Virginia.  Following the track I've often used to reach the Long Trail at Middlebury Gap (VT-107, VT-12, Camp Brook Road, Bethel Mountain Road, VT-100 and VT-125), I started to pick up clues for the NCT just after I passed through the town of Ripton.  I continued driving west until I reached the eastern edge of East Middlebury - this was the place where I hoped to see some blue blazes or signs for the sections that followed the road (without any dirt trail).  At the corner of VT-125 and Church Street, where the online NCT map said I should find it, there was no visible evidence that I was in the correct place.  I continued north, then west, then south and then west again after I got across US-7.  When I reached Halladay Road (driving on Middle Road), though, I finally encountered a lone blue blaze.  Unfortunately, the road I was on turned into a gravel and then dirt track and I had to turn around (no clearance on my Sentra).  However, I'd figured out the general path of the trail by then and knew I could return to walk or bike the off-road section.  Returning to US-7, I drove north and verified that the NCT trail crossed that road (from the south) at the Drop-In Brewing Company (and near the Battell Woods Trailhead).  Continuing into Middlebury, I started looking for the next location where the actual trail exited from the woods and returned to the pavement.  Before long, I picked up the NCT again in a residential neighborhood to the east of US-7 - once I reached the trailhead gate on Springside Road, I followed signs for the TAM Trail and Triangle Bike Loop towards the west.  I ended up getting stopped at the entrance to the Wright Park and had to backtrack to the Pulp Mill Covered Bridge to cross Otter Creek.  Driving north on the Morgan Horse Farm Road, I looked for another trailhead: the NCT crossing of Hamilton Road.  When I located it, I was in the middle of huge, grassy fields with a few signs and blazes.  Continuing west, I reached the little hamlet of Weybridge Hill and picked up the NCT for a short time (0.2 miles on James Street and Bittersweet Farms).  With the trail heading off to the west (into the woods), I backtracked to VT-23 and followed it until I reached a point where the NCT started a long stretch on roads again.  Starting their, I drove all the way (via gravel roads) to VT-125.  There were absolutely no markings at all and I had no cell signal - my heart went out to any hikers or bikers who got disoriented in this area...  After reaching the pavement, I traveled north and west, across the bridge, to Crown Point.  Having walked on some parts (but not all) of the NCT in this park, I continued driving south until I got to Lake Road, where the NCT resumed on the pavement.  From that point, I followed several back roads (Burdick Road, NY-22, Factoryville Road and Creek Road) to reach the little village of Ironville.  It started raining at this time and I lost track of the NCT completely as I turned on to Corduroy Road - as a result, I passed a crucial turn, on to Stoney Lonesome Road, and ended up at NY-74.  I continued west (toward I-87), I have up on trying to log more miles of the NCT...  Suddenly, though, I passed through Paradox and got cell signal - this revealed that I'd found another road section.  In the end, though, this was the last chance I had to follow the trail until I reached US-9 and the Interstate (NCT crossed, from south to north, there).  Overall, I logged over 30 miles of NCT (driving, not walking) - I hope to be back for some more trail mileage soon...  It was rainy and getting dark by this point (1900), so I took the Adirondack Northway towards Albany.  Speeds were good and traffic was light but my Google Maps anticipated that I wanted to avoid tolls.  As a result, I exited the highway north of the city and took back roads (frustrating navigation) through Schenectady and Duanesville until I was able to get on I-88.  During this part of my drive, I ended up talking to Brenna and Mollie, firming up plans for the following few days.  It got really dark as I passed through the Cooperstown area and I was actually already tired.  With this in mind, I stopped at rest area and made a reservation for a hotel - this was harder than I'd hoped (for a weekday) but my mind was soon fixed on the target of Clarke's Summit (PA).  From that point, I made good time on I-88 and some back roads east of Binghamton until I was eventually able to get on I-81.  I passed the time by listening to audio books.  Just after midnight, I reached my hotel (Econo Lodge) and was able to check into my room by 0020.  Despite being really tired, I ended up doing some reading before heading to bed (0100).  Whew!  North Country Trail Today = 33.0 miles / NCT Total = 67.2 miles 

Alton, NH (USA)

Since I first watched "The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau" as a boy, I'd been fascinated with Diving and SCUBA.  However, my career as a pilot made me shy away from getting a certification, mostly due to wanting to avoid complications with my flight status.  After my retirement from the Navy, I considered pursuing a NAUI Certification but something (hiking, travel, etc.) always came up.  This Spring, I've finally been able to put a life goal in motion and, after five previous dives (four in pools and one in a shallow lake), I got my chance to complete the certification today!  My instructor (Marley from First Stage Divers) informed me on Thursday that that he'd be leading a group down to 10 meters in Alton Bay and he suggested I join him.  Of course, I accepted!  To make sure I arrived in time (1000), I departed my condo just after 0800 - this gave me about a 20 minute cushion, which I assumed I'd need after learning that Bike Week would extend through the weekend.  On the way (via I-89), I stopped for gas at Irving in Grantham (0820) and then took NH-11 towards Franklin - from there, I used US-3 and NH-140.  This was not the route that Google Maps had recommended but I was trying to avoid crossing the bridge at Weirs Beach.  Fortunately, my instincts proved correct and I encountered very little traffic as I passed between I-93 and the town of Alton.  Arriving at the southern end of Lake Winnipesauke, I could feel the distinct beach and Lake Region vibe - the weather (clear, sunny, low 80s) made things even more perfect.  After parking behind Marley's dive truck, I met up with the group of divers; many of them were new to me but I did see a few familiar faces (Chris and Teagan).  The roar of passing Harley's made it hard to listen to instructions but, fortunately, I had geared up enough times to be self sufficient.  I was buddied up with Teagan and we soon joined the other eight divers (plus Marley) in the water, which was a brisk 65 degrees.  Unlike the dive in Lake Waukewan, I actually felt a bit cold in my wetsuit but I kept this fact to myself because I really wanted to get down to 30 feet and finish my cert.  We did one short dive and it was interesting to encounter the extremely steep drop off that was very close to shore.  I'd say the incline was about 60 degrees downslope - this made it possible to follow the bottom down to our target depth.  My ears had trouble again but I mostly kept with the group.  Visibility was a bit of a problem but we managed.  After surfacing, we got a briefing for the "big" dive and this allowed me to achieve my goal.  Actually, I didn't know we'd made it all the way down until Marley showed me his dive computer later.  Since this meant I was finished, he gave me control of the dive buoy and let me "play" at a depth I liked.  Meanwhile, he took the other students (except for two who had bailed after the first dive) farther down the slope.  Teagan and I practiced lots of drills (including taking off and putting on our BCDs and tanks under water) before we finished (1200).  By the time we exited the water, I was shivering but happy.  While putting away the gear, my swimsuit and t-shirt dried in the afternoon sun.  After saying goodbye to everyone else, I launched my kayak (1230) in the same place we'd been diving (north end of the beach).  Immediately, I knew this paddle was going to be tougher than usual - the waves from the many nearby speedboats were HUGE.  Hoping that I might avoid the worst of the swells, I paddled south towards signs that said "No Wake Zone".  Things did get better after this and I enjoyed paddling by the beach, the marina and several waterside restaurants (full of people) on the southern end of Alton Bay.  At one point, I noticed a bridge that had quite a low clearance - despite this, I noticed motor boats transiting beneath it.  I headed over there and figured out that this was the inlet for Merrymeeting River.  For the next 30 minutes, I paddled south (against the current) and enjoyed watching lots of birds, people in their yards, pretty homes and fewer motorcyclists.  Eventually, though, I encountered some trees that blocked the channel and had to turn around.  After returning to the bay, I paddled along the waterfront again and passed beyond the no wake buoys.  This marked the beginning of my day's adventure on water!  Even though it is much more sheltered than most of the rest of the larger lake, Alton Bay is still big enough for boats to really get speed (I noticed one Cigarette cruising briskly).  The swells were a challenge but I have built up enough arm strength this season to paddle my way out of the troughs without swamping.  I kept near the shore as I headed north but this also posed a challenge - getting dashed against rocks or pilings.  I made it as far as a small peninsula that was a major chokepoint on the south end of the bay and then decided to turn around near the Sandy Point Beach Resort.  Before doing that, though, I enjoyed the pretty views of the Sandwich and larger White Mountains to the north.  Backtracking towards my car, I found a few more inlets with pretty beaches and boats.  I wrapped up my paddle at 1430 (after five miles) and immediately headed north in an attempt to find another Rail Trail to walk.  Using NH-11 and NH-11A, I passed some major landmarks (Mount Major, Gunstock Mountain Resort) - all the while, I was surrounded by motorcyclists and even passed some photographers who were posting photos online (much like my experience at the Tail of the Dragon).  After reaching US-3, I bypassed Laconia and reached the town of Belmont almost exactly where I'd turned around during my walk on the WOW Trail two days prior.  My target today was to walk the roughly two miles of the Winni Trail (AKA Lake Winnisquam Scenic Trail) and I was fortunate to find a parking spot in front of the Osborne's Farm & Garden Center (1500).  After quickly changing, I headed north on the trail that (like the WOW Trail did) initially paralleled an active train track.  Where the Winni Trail differed from the WOW Trail, though, was that someone VERY wealthy had apparently bought up all the real estate between Lake Winnisquam and the top of the bluff.  This meant that the "rail trail" was not straight or flat at all.  One thing that was nice, though, was that it was in the woods for almost half of the distance.  The rest of the time, I got views of boats on the lake, mountains in the distance and several pretty homes along the trail (it actually passed through private property a few times).  Turning around at the Leslie Roberts Beach, I made good time back to my car and wrapped up a roughly four mile "hike" by 1615.  The best part of this walk, though, was that my car was parked within about 20 feet of the Winni Lick Ice Cream and Doughnuts shop!  I couldn't resist getting some scoops of maple/bacon ice cream (really) before departing to the south.  For some reason, I didn't have any cell signal at this point so I just followed US-3 across Lake Winnisquam and stayed on that road until I reached I-93.  From there, I confirmed that I was basically backtracking towards home via the same route I'd used in the morning.  This meant that I was able to stop at Kettlehead Brewing (a place I'd seen in the morning) - I took advantage of their distance from any motorcycle events to try a good flight of beer.  After wrapping up my nice little break (1710), I continued west on US-3 until I was able to switch to NH-11 in Franklin (because I was fiddling with my map, I ended up taking a longer drive around Webster Lake but that was kind of nice).  From there, my drive (even on I-89) was relatively uneventful - I arrived at my condo by 1815.  As I was unpacking my car, I felt very good about all the things I was able to squeeze into such a beautiful summer day.  I'll remember today mostly for the dive certification but I will definitely miss my New Hampshire adventures when I move away...

Quechee, VT (USA)

For the second year in a row, I volunteered during the (45th) Annual Quechee Balloon Festival.  Because of other plans I had during the weekend, I selected a volunteer slot for after work today - at 1630, I left Hanover and drove (via I-89 and US-4) to the Quechee Green (arrived just before 1700).  With about 45 minutes before my session began, I walked around the venue and checked out the vendor stalls.  I ran into my "friend" from last year (John, the owner of North Branch Vineyard) and we chatted for a bit.  At 1745, I checked in with the volunteer coordinator (Heather) and was assigned to put on bracelets for festival attendees who'd pre-paid for their tickets.  The overall feelings of the visitors during my slot were upbeat and happy and there were almost no issues for me to handle during the next three hours.  I worked with Barbara and Melissa and filled in for several volunteers who never arrived for their shift.  Meanwhile, the background of the overall festival vibe was a bit tense and anxious because the steady wind was threatening the balloon launch at 1800.  Several people asked for refunds when it became clear that it was too windy for anyone to get off the ground.  Meanwhile, most of the kids I saw had fun playing in the games and "bouncy house" area - they didn't seem to notice that they were missing out on anything...  When 1930 came and went without any balloons launching, the goals of the attendees shifted to the planned "Glow Up" (crews stay on the ground but light up the insides of their balloons).  At one point, an interesting Dinosaur Egg balloon completely inflated and wowed the crowd.  Also, a good band was playing throughout the delay.  At 2045, the gates closed for the evening and (with three hours of volunteering under out belts) we were freed up to go watch something called a "mini glow up".  Not knowing what this was, I spoke with one crew - they admitted that all they were going to be able to do anything except "candles", where the basket and torch burn in concert with some music.  This didn't sound too interesting to me so I decided to head towards home.  It took a little while for me to exit the venue but I still made it home by 2110.  Hope I can get back to Quechee before the end of the Festival - I've got a pass for the whole weekend but it's just a matter of whether I've got enough time between other activities.  We'll see!

Laconia, NH (USA)

Today, I got to do my first open water scuba dive!  Since it was Juneteenth, I didn't have to work and this meant that the location wasn't an issue.  Marley (our instructor) had sent me coordinates for a parking lot along the southern edge of Lake Waukewan (in the town of Meredith) and this required about a 75 minute drive.  I was able to leave my condo at about 0830 and, after crossing Moose Mountain, I joined US-4.  The weather was nice and there wasn't much traffic until I passed through the town of Danbury and got on NH-104.  From there, I started to see a LOT of motorcycles - I learned later that this was "Bike Week" in Laconia and the road I was on was taking all the enthusiasts to the event.  Despite the other cars, I still arrived at my destination by 0945 and met up with all of the other students.  Marley arrived shortly afterwards and we started getting geared up for our dive.  After four pool dives, the equipment seemed familiar and I knew my buddy (Lisa).  The only really different things about the day was the sun (I tried to put on enough sunscreen but failed), the fact that we needed wetsuits (water temp was 66 F) and the fact that we had to wear our gear from the parking lot, all the way down to the beach, and then into the water.  I hadn't realized how heave the tank was but was still able to move around OK.  Once all of us (more than 10) were assembled in a group, Marley raised the diving flag (floating on a little raft) and we descended into the water.  At first, there was a lot of dirt and debris and I couldn't see anyone else.  We conducted our normal drills (clearing water from the mask, lost regulator) and then started exploring.  As we moved away from the shore, we reached a clearer area that allowed us to see lots of rocks, trash and wildlife.  One of the highlights was watching Marley feeding a fish (bass?) with some mussel meat.  I got to try it too and the fish followed us around after that.  We made a small circuit near the swimming area but never got below 10 feet.  It was interesting to watch everyone in their little buddy groups and see the sunlight streaming down through the water.  After surfacing for some discussion, we tried a deeper dive.  This turned out to be difficult for a variety of reasons.  One was that the group was so big that everyone started to get spread out.  Then there was the fact that our ears didn't all clear at the same rate - mine were troublesome but I thought I was getting the knack of it.  The last challenge was that it required us to travel more than 100 yards from the beach to get any deeper.  I guess Marley didn't think it was worth all the travel because we headed back to shore without passing 15 feet.  The abrupt finish made me wonder if I had anything to do with the decisions but he assured me that the shallow lake is difficult for deeper dives.  After we got all the gear cleaned up and put away (in Marley's truck), I said goodbye to everyone (they left to eat lunch) and launched Tequila Sunrise (1245).  It was a beautiful, sunny and warm day (mid 70s) and the large lake provided a great opportunity for a few hours of paddling!  Starting clockwise, I followed the shoreline towards the west and made my way around to the northern end of the lake.  There were a lot of water skiers out towards the middle (they kicked up some good swells) but I didn't see many people along the shore until I passed an area with a lot of little, wooded islands.  On the back side of Waukewan, I found a pleasant series of small bays with little fish camps and summer homes - very pretty.  In this area, I saw a lot more folks on their docks, launching kayaks, fishing and swimming too.  It was a perfect New Hampshire day!  I reached the farthest point from the car after about an hour and continued clockwise towards the east side of the lake.  The sun started to get pretty harsh (sunburn coming) and I craved shade where ever I could find it - no such luck, though...  As I returned towards the Lake Waukewan Beach area (wrapping up nearly six miles of paddling), I noticed that a lot more people had arrived to take advantage of the cool water and started to wonder if I should join them.  One of my goals for the day, though, had been to hike a bit of the WOW (Winnipesaukeee / Opechee,/ Winnisquam) Trail in Laconia.  Instead of staying in the immediate vicinity, therefore, I loaded my kayak (1445) and headed south (on back roads and US-3) towards the northern end of the trail system.  When I arrived, I didn't see an actual trailhead parking lot - I ended up parking at the Lake Opechee Inn, located in the Lakeport area (southern end of Lake Winnipesaukee).  From there, I started south on the WOW Trail (1515).  The whole trail paralleled an active railroad track but was a true bike path - almost all paved.  I enjoyed the shady area initially but then made my way on city streets across the full length of the town.  I passed the train depot and realized I'd been here at some point long ago...  Continuing towards the southern end of town, I passed a few beach areas (including Barlett Beach) and saw lots of people enjoying their afternoon in the water and the sand.  Before long, I realized I'd covered the nearly 2.5 mile trail and had reached the eastern end of the Lake Winnisquam Scenic Trail.  This turned out to be a good thing because, by then, some ominous clouds had started to gather on the far side of Lake Winnisquam.  Before turning around, though, I walked into the town of Belmont and reached the end of NH-11A and the Leslie E. Roberts Beach and Recreation Area.  I'll have to return to hike the rest of the Winni Trail in the future!  Backtracking, I made really good time - through stifling heat - and tried to beat the rain.  By 1700, I'd wrapped up my (5 mile) walk and was able to get on the road very quickly.  I first used Elm Street to reach Meredith Center Road and followed this all the way back to NH-104.  Along the way, the skies opened and it was hard to see out of my windows for a little while.  My heart really went out to the motorcyclists, who continued to pour into the area...  After stopping for some gas at the Irving in New Hampton (1720), I resumed my backtrack towards home.  As I approached Danbury, though, I encountered a police officer who was blocking the road.  The line of cars was already pretty big but it seemed clear that this route was no longer going to work for me (damage from the storm; I learned later there was talk of a tornado, microburst or Derecho storm).  Following some people who looked like locals (I noticed they kept stopping to tell other people about their plans), I made my way via some sketchy dirt roads.  At two points, we had to turn onto other roads because there were huge trees across the roadways that Google Maps was recommending.  Eventually, though, I reached US-4 (just east of Grafton) and was able to resume my normal drive.  The rain stopped during this timeframe and I was able to reach my condo by about 1830.  Very pleased to have gotten a practical dive under my belt and the other activities were equally rewarding.  Glad for the holiday!

Quechee, VT (USA)

In anticipation of a busy afternoon, I began my work day extremely early.  Today was kind of like a Friday for everyone because of the Juneteenth holiday (tomorrow) and, as a result, my day was packed with meetings (not even a lunch break).  When work was finished (1500), I drove to West Lebanon to pick up a few online orders I'd made.  Next, I drove to White River Junction and visited the UVAC so I could swim for 45 minutes (54 lengths) in the pool.  After 1600, I departed and drove west on US-4 to Woodstock so I could pick up some volunteer rewards at the Billings Farm.  While there, I also got some free cheese samples (mmmm...).  Backtracking to the east (via Old River Road, which turned into Quechee Main Street), I made my way to Quechee.  Upon arriving at the Village Green, I spent time walking around (for steps) and checking at the Post Office on the change of address process.  At 1730, I joined the Quechee Balloon Festival Volunteer Training session (including a pizza dinner).  It was great to be around so many upbeat people who were excited to participate in coordinating the 45th Annual Festival!  Once the session was complete, I drove east to the parking lot for Dewey's Pond.  The pond itself was choked with lily pads so I put Tequila Sunrise in the water on the Ottauquechee River side.  Between 1845 and 1945, I paddled happily above the dam and near the VINS Center (approximately two miles).  I encountered lots of different kinds of birds and enjoyed watching the dandelion "fuzz" suspended in the air as the sun began to set in the distance - a very surreal view...  Once I'd loaded my kayak back on the car, I drove back to New Hampshire (via US-4 and I-89) and arrived at my condo by 2015.  I managed to squeeze in a bike ride (stationary) and a Knights of Columbus webinar before bed.  Overall, it was a very busy day!

Enfield, NH (USA)

Recovery from yesterday's big hike was a bit slower than I'd hoped but, fortunately, I had a day of office work to take my mind off the pain.  Once I signed off from my last meeting, I headed to the LISTEN Food Pantry in Lebanon and did about 1.5 hours of volunteering.  It was good to see the folks who work there and meet some new volunteers - I'll miss the place when I move...  At 1430, I departed with plans to paddle near Grantham.  Unfortunately, I made the mistake of getting on I-89 (southbound) and immediately got stuck in a big traffic jam (by Upper Valley standards) due to road construction.  As I approached the exit for Enfield, I decided that I didn't want to follow the single line of traffic and got off the Interstate.  At that point, I really just wanted to get in the water and didn't care where.  This resulted in me taking US-4 and NH-4A to the Main Street bridge across Mascoma Lake.  I parked at Lakeside Park just before 1700 and launched Tequila Sunrise very quickly.  The lake surface was quite rough and I wondered if I'd regret trying to kayak.  However, it was a warm and clear day and I had time enough to try.  So, I decided to paddle a full circuit of the larger end of the lake.  When I moved to the area in 2020, I made a few attempts to venture out from this location and quickly tired of fighting the stiff breeze that seems to originate from the far southeastern corner.  Today was no different but I was determined to try to reach the beach near Shaker Boulevard.  Over the next two hours and fifteen minutes, I experienced almost everything I've ever seen in a kayak: huge swells, waves from motor boat wakes, dangerous glacial erratic boulders just below the surface, water splashing over me, wind in my face and at my back, a visible current and even some glassy conditions (where the wind was blocked by trees).  The Mascoma Lake area had a lot to offer, including fancy homes, friendly people waving to me from their pretty porches, a variety of water craft tied to extravagant docks, mountain vistas, many species of waterfowl, historical buildings (Shaker and La Salette) and a wonderful sunset.  By the end of my time on the water (roughly six miles), I was thoroughly exhausted but also felt pretty good about my ability to circumnavigate (clockwise) the entire shoreline and also avoid being swamped or dashed against the rocks.  Wrapping up at 1915, I was soaked but happy.  Headed home via the Packard Hill Covered Bridge and was in my condo by 1930.  Very glad to add a paddle to my week!

Hancock, VT (USA)

Having experimented last weekend with my trail distance and elevation limits (8 miles), I thought I'd try to push even harder this weekend by hiking some Long Trail miles in the style of my many AT sections.  Last Fall, I hiked parked of the LT near Middlebury Gap that provided me with some data on access trails from USFS-59 and that seemed to be the place for a further shakedown to test my (almost) healed heel bursitis.  The weather looked good again when I departed Hanover (0805) and drove west (via I-89) into Vermont.  Exiting the Interstate at VT-107, I drove through Bethel and then used my normal route (VT-12, Camp Brook Road, Bethel Mountain Road, VT-100 and VT-125) to reach Middlebury.  After passing the Rikert Outdoor Center, I took the gravel Forest Service route (AKA Steam Mill Road) and drove, passing cross country ski trails I used over the Winter, until I reached the (hidden) parking lot for the Burnt Hill Trail (0920).  After getting geared up (10 minutes), I headed into the woods on the muddy, overgrown trail.  There were plenty of cobwebs to deal with (typical for early morning hikes) and I had to be careful not to slip on many wet rocks and roots.  Having hiked this access trail in 2024, my climb to the ridge (Kirby Peak, 3.1K feet) seemed to go rather quickly and I was at the Long Trail intersection by about 1030.  From there, I followed the sparse white blazes to the north.  Typical of the AT and LT, this section included many, many PUDs.  For some reason, though, I wasn't fazed - it seemed like a million years since I'd tried something like this.  Gradually, though, the feelings that accompany the AT slog returned and I was soon making good time along the well-worn trail.  Passing my first shelter of the day (Boyce), I briefly considered stopping.  However, I felt good and had lots of energy - this kept me going towards the next target: Mount Boyce (3.3K feet).  During this part of the hike, I suddenly realized that it had become eerily quiet.  Prior to this, I'd heard happy birds and, even, some jet engine sounds from the Champlain Valley side of the ridge.  For almost two hours, though, I didn't hear anything else except the occasional buzz of a bug.  Speaking of those friendly folks - the only real nasty suckers were the ubiquitous mosquitos... Continuing through another series of ups and downs, I made my way to Battell Mountain (nearly 3.5K feet).  By the time I'd reached the junction for the Skyline Lodge and Skylight Pond Trail, I had accomplished my goals and had nearly guaranteed the longest hike I've attempted in nearly two years.  Still, though, I thought about the opportunity to ensure future success by connecting to a section that was farther to the north - I hate "marooning" miles of the trail by quitting "early".  With this in mind, I continued towards the summit of Bread Loaf Mountain (3.8K+ feet).  Almost immediately, I had to weather the toughest trail conditions of the day - there were many, many downed trees and several slippery marble and granite boulders that constituted the trail.  Somehow, I kept up a good pace and eventually reached the junction for an overlook trail (blue blazed) at the highest point of my day.  In this area, I encountered a lot of tell-tale scat but I never saw any moose.  Deciding that I still had enough juice to reach the next shelter (Emily Proctor), I headed downhill towards the next checkpoint (3.4K feet).  The difficulties with downed trees and wet rocks caused me to fall a few times - fortunately, nothing was bruised but my ego.  My knee started hurting and I became aware of some sensitivity in my heel but that was to be expected with this "Varsity" day on the trail.  Turning around (again without stopping) at the shelter, I started my backtrack towards Bread Loaf Mountain.  I drank a lot of water during this time and carefully navigated some of the worst slip/slide zones with some energy reserves I'd not expected to have (must be the biking and swimming!).  To the north, I saw some ominous dark clouds but they never affected me at all.  I wasn't really impressed by the Bread Loaf "viewpoint" so didn't tarry there.  Instead, I booked it back towards the junction of the Skylight Pond Trail.  Once there, I checked the math on distance and time and figured out I'd already done about 9 miles in about 4.5 hours - not bad!  There were still about 5 miles left for me to reach the car but it was almost all downhill - I decided to put on the afterburners...  During this phase of the day, I had to contend with "old man body" protests but didn't slow down.  This was true even when I finally encountered the first people (and a dog) I'd seen all day as I descended.  Reaching USFS-59 again (to the north of my starting point), I walked on the gravel road as quickly as I could to reach the car and was finished with my 14 mile hike by 1615.  Overall, I felt very good about the pace, energy levels and pain thresholds.  Of course, I still had more than an hour to drive - that's the real test of how much my body recovers.  Departing the trailhead by 1620, I used an almost exact backtrack route to reach Hanover and was in my condo by 1735.  Still waiting to see what the verdict is on all of this - I should know in the morning - but I am already jazzed about trying a hike I used to do every weekend when I was younger.  Hopefully, this bodes well for some peak bagging hikes and LT miles before the end of the Summer.  Long Trail Today = 4.4 miles / LT Grand Total = 139.0 miles (51% done)

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[working around the condo for most of the day - at 1415, I drove to White River Junction and paid for a single-day use of an athletic center pool facility (still no annual membership) - I spent 45 minutes swimming (54 lengths) - afterwards, I did some errands in West Lebanon and ate dinner at Weathervane Seafoods before heading home (arrived at 1715) - continued working in my condo] 

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[started teleworking earlier than normal - at 0600, I left Hanover and drove to White River Junction for a Physical Therapy appointment at the VA Medical Center - afterwards, I met with my Nutritionist and took care of some other paperwork - on the way home, I did some shopping in West Lebanon - I arrived at my condo by 1000 and resumed teleworking - at 1600, I went to Jesse's Steakhouse for my normal Thursday Happy Hour event - I also had dinner (using a gift card I got from my sister and her family) before heading home (1845)]

Waterbury, VT (USA)

After several weekends filled with rain, today's forecast of overcast and cooler was a welcome change for my fellow residents of the Upper Valley.  For my part, I'd eyed some kind of hike/paddle combo but I hadn't settled on a destination until I checked the weather on the Long Trail.  Things looked good on the central ridge in Vermont so I decided to head west and try to hike a section on the north side of the Camel's Hump.  Departing my condo at about 0800, I made good time (via I-89) to the Waterbury area.  I did encounter fog on the way but, by the time I exited to Interstate, I could see blue sky above.  Using a different route than I've followed towards the Camel's Hump, I found myself driving through downtown Waterbury and, after turning onto Winooski Road, started seeing signs for the Cross Vermont Adventure Trail.  This was the first time I'd seen the route in the area and it was nice to add some more context for yet another Rail Trail I've been working on since I moved back to the Northeast.  Following River Road (mostly dirt/gravel), I made my way to the access road for the Camel's Hump and headed up the side of the mountain.  The last time I tried this road (NOV 2021), I was unable to find parking at the little dirt pull-offs that lined the side of the road near the trailhead.  This visit, fortunately, occurred after the (recent?) construction of a large gravel parking lot - even better, there were spots left when I arrived (0930).  I got ready for my first real climb of the season (Camel's Hump is greater than 4K feet) but then got sidetracked by an older couple who had parked their BMW Sprint Van nearby - before I knew it, I'd used up an extra 30 minutes picking their brain about Van Life.  This was OK, though, because I really needed to wait an additional 60 minutes to follow NAUI guidelines about elevation within 24 hours of a Scuba Dive...  Still, I decided I'd be alright and headed towards the gravel path (Monroe Trail), located beyond a metal gate, that would take me to the summit (1000).  The signage didn't begin until about half a mile later but it soon became clear that I'd have a roughly four mile outbound leg.  Temps were pleasant (60s F) and there was a light breeze.  As I passed the information kiosk, I checked my "FarOut" app and learned that I'd be climbing about 2.5K by the end of the ascent.  At that moment, I had some delusions of big trail miles, including maybe trying to hike some additional miles to connect to an earlier Long Trail hike that stopped at the Bamforth Ridge Shelter.  These ideas soon vanished, though, as memories of the old AT slog came back into my mind.  Before long, I was just thinking about putting one foot in front of the other on the partly muddy path.  I had to navigate around some fallen trees and larger boulders and it seemed like a million years ago since I used to do those things every weekend...  Within the first mile, I passed a large group of youngsters - they were having trouble with gear - but then the older couple from the Sprint Van blew by me.  At that point, I learned they'd first met while hiking the Long Trail.  Continuing uphill, I kept dithering about my desire to log more LT miles or to just reach the top of Camel's Hump.  Things came into focus when I fell in with a young man named Rob who was on a pace I could follow.  It turned out that he was also a Veteran (Blackhawk pilot) and we spent the next hour talking about flying and hiking and travel.  Before long, we'd passed even more folks (who may have underestimated the difficulty of the trail) and I'd forgotten any plans I had to deviate from the main trail.  This turned out to be the best decision, really, since my recovery from heel bursitis has remained in the back of my mind - why tempt fate with something too hard?  One funny thing that happened along the way was that a group of youngsters got behind us - we tried to allow them to pass but they said they were happy with the pace I was setting at that point.  I tried not to be too slow after that... As we reached the alpine zone, it became clear that the Canadian wildfire smoke was going to prevent any kind of long vistas.  Still, there were plenty of shadowy peaks to see and the Winooski Valley was very pretty below us.  After reaching the Long Trail, we walked south (less than half a mile) to the summit.  There were plenty of people waiting for us!  It was possible, though difficult, to trace out the ridge to where I believe Mount Abraham and Mount Lincoln were (to the south) and Mount Mansfield was (to the north).  Very pretty - I'm sure it's even better without all the smoke...  Departing from the top after about 20 minutes, Rob and I made our way back town the mountain.  We had to be quite careful because of the wet conditions but we made good time to the parking lot (arrived just after 1400).  In the end, I'd walked over eight miles, including a healthy climb and descent, in just over four hours.  Not too bad - I was still wondering if my foot would feel good later in the day (good news: it did!).  Saying goodbye to Rob (and wishing him well with several life and career milestones he's about to achieve), I headed back to Waterbury and stopped for lunch at Prohibition Pig.  Between 1455 and 1530, I enjoyed a delicious meal and tried two (half pours) of their new beers.  There still seemed to be time (and the weather was still good) so I looked for a large body of water nearby.  I found one, Berlin Pond, that was on the way home and, after getting gas (and free items) at Cumbies in Montpelier (1545), I parked in the rooftop boat launch area at the north end of the pond.  Between 1610 and 1810, I paddled the full circumference of the lake (counterclockwise).  Even though I was only a few hundred yards from I-89, the lack of visual evidence of humans (coupled with the many birds, dragonflies, butterflies and other wildlife) was striking.  Along with the solitude, I enjoyed the flurry of dandelion "fluff" that fell around me like snow throughout the paddle.  The conditions were perfect for me and Tequila Sunrise and, even though I was tired from my earlier hike, I pushed myself to log about five miles on the water.  One funny part of this adventure on the water was that I had to solve a puzzle (outbound and inbound); there was some kind of floating island, with large bushes growing on it, that had very narrow - and practically invisible - channels between the launch area end of the pond and the larger lake.  This made things interesting but I did enjoy the closeness to nature - one loon was unfazed by my closeness and a red-winged blackbird nearly hit me as he made a beeline towards his mate.  Overall, a nice paddle!  After getting my kayak stowed on top of Nessie again, I headed towards home - via I-89, I was back at my condo by 1915.  This was a great day in the Green Mountain State - I hope to have a few more like it before I move!  Long Trail Today = 0.2 miles / Grand Total LT = 134.6 miles

New London, NH (USA)

I'd been hoping to do some open water diving in a lake by this weekend of June but the instructor hasn't been able to get enough students together for such a session.  He suggested I join him and some other folks at the Colby Sawyer Aquatic Facility today so I could so some refresher training.  Since I didn't have anything else planned and it was raining, I headed down to New London this morning (departed my condo at 0820 and arrived at 0850).  This time, there were five new people (first dive) and I was the only student who'd ever geared up for some scuba (three previous pool dives) before.  Our instructors, Marley and Chris, helped us work on our diving skills in the shallow and deep end (between 1000 and 1100).  By the end of the session, I felt ready for diving in Lake Winnipesauke - that, hopefully, should occur later this month.  As I was changing to depart, I ran into my distant relative, Jerry C. - what a small world!  Next (1115), I joined Marley and Amanda (one of the new divers) for lunch at the Little Brother Burger Company.  The food (as usual) was quite good.  After saying goodbye, I drove back to my condo (arrived at 1255), talking to Brenna on the way.  I'd hoped to do more outdoors today but the steady rain drove me back inside.  I spent the rest of the day prepping for my upcoming move - there was one interruption for a real estate agent showing (my landlord continues to try to sell the condo).  Glad to have a relatively relaxing day!

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[teleworking from very early in the morning - at 0745, I drove to White River Junction and, for the first time ever, paid for a single-day use of an athletic center pool facility (because my annual UVAC membership had lapsed due to my upcoming move) - I spent 45 minutes swimming (50 lengths in the "extended" configuration) - afterwards, I headed home (arrived at 0915) and resumed teleworking until 1600]

Enfield, NH (USA)

[after work, volunteered with VA Medical Center White River Junction Adaptive Sports Team - arrived at 1655 and biked (in side-by-side e-bike) with John 12 miles on the Northern Rail Trail (between Forward's Garage and the Mill/Dam in Enfield on the Mascoma River) - finished biking at 1845 but stayed around until after 1900, talking with Jen and the other veterans - home by 1915]

Reunion Trip - Day 6

I was up this morning at the earliest time of the trip - even before my alarm rang!  I didn't feel especially rested but immediately got started with trying to depart as early as possible.  In the end, I was successful in this effort because of my packing the night before, the short time it took to stage the coffee and donuts for the last time (done by 0620) and the cooler weather that made lugging all of my bags back to the parking lot on the far edge of campus.  The only potential delay was when one of the Golden Domers engaged me in conversation while I was trying to leave Ryan Hall.  I was polite but made sure to stay on task.  As a result, I was completed with my required steps on time (0645) and decided I could go to breakfast at the North Dining Hall.  I took the scenic route (along St. Mary's and St. Joseph's Lake) and was treated to an amazing variety of birds, including two Mute Swans, seven Canada Geese, an American Black Duck (the first time I remember seeing one), goldfinches, sparrows, red winged blackbirds, cardinals, robins, etc.  I would love to have stayed on campus a bit longer, taking in the sights, but ate quickly before returning to my car (0730).  I immediately got on the road - Google Maps said I had (at least) 14.5 hours (ETA 2200) before I'd reach home...  Sadly saying goodbye to Notre Dame after a wonderful visit, I drove south (through South Bend) until I reached US-20.  There was almost no traffic anywhere and this theme ended up continuing throughout most of the day.  I made good time to the Indiana/Ohio border and enjoyed seeing all the Amish families heading out (buggies and walking) for their Sunday services.  For most of this morning drive, I was able to go (at least) the speed limit and only had to slow down when passing through towns.  The weather was beautiful and it was great not to be dodging raindrops.  Recalling that there were more reasonable prices for gas in Ohio, I kept my eyes open for deals.  My efforts paid off at the town of Edon, where I found a Flying J with the lowest price I'd seen on the trip.  After getting fuel there (0910), I resumed my drive along US-20.  This worked fine for a while but a few strange 90 degree turns in the road (and a couple of Sunday drivers on the two lane highway) made me choose some farm roads at one point (to keep going east).  This took me through the little town of Kunkle (surname for a main character of Archer Mayer novels) and (via US-127) US-20 again.  Since Google Maps was still avoiding tolls (my request), I made my way through Toledo on some Interstates and side streets.  Still, though, there was very little traffic.  Before long, I found myself on OH-2 again (the route I'd used from Cleveland on Wednesday) and got to see the cooling tower of the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station again.  From there, the speeds across Sandusky Bay and the northwestern Cleveland suburbs were very good and I soon found myself (at probably the 4.5 hour mark) on I-90.  The views of the city skyline and Lake Erie were wonderful and I had time (due to reduced traffic and no precipitation) to enjoy the views. No problem through the "Big Turn" near Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport.  After passing through the busiest part of the drive so far, I made great time all the way to Erie, PA.  I made a stop (for a break) at a rest area near there and, again, when I got on I-86 (just after crossing the New York border).  As I continued driving east, storm clouds started forming overhead and I ended up having to use my windshield wipers a good bit during the proceeding hours.  Music helped me pass the time but I was enjoying the drive more than I usually do - no traffic, speeds good, Google warnings of speed traps, etc.  I needed gas again by Hornell (where I'd stopped on the first night of the trip) and got fueled up at a Marathon there (1540).  Quickly getting back on the road (like I had for almost every stop), I continued east with the same strategies I'd been using - the miles just kept ticking away...  After passing through Binghamton and using I-81 to reach I-88, I was able to resume the cruise control game and called all three of my daughters and my dad. A bit later, I started debating whether to use any toll roads to skip some surface street driving in the Albany area - I toyed with the idea all the way to Duanesburg, where I usually get off the Interstate. This time, though, I continued to the end of I-88 and rejoined I-90.  Unfortunately, Google didn't seem to understand what I wanted and almost immediately got me off the Interstate at NY-7.  I have driven that way before but had forgotten the low speeds and residential feel of the road between I-90 and Troy.  As a result, I ended up being complacent about the cruise control and suddenly noticed a speed camera cart that was all lit up with a message about "Stay Safe on 7".  Kicking myself for letting my guard down, I stopped at a nearby Wendy's (in the town of Latham) to pick up some dinner and (quickly) check the internet for what might happen next (1925).  Fortunately, it appears that the cameras are not (yet) functional and I decided not to worry about the situation.  Departing to the east again, I suddenly realized that the familiarity of the landscape was due to the fact that I was passing my sister's (Carolyn's) house!  I felt bad about not having told her that I might be nearby so I called to talk to her.  Even though I begged off stopping (due to wanting to get home), she was nice about the whole situation and told me we could meet another time.  During this call, I made my way across the Hudson River, through Troy as fast as I've ever been able to do it and was soon driving towards Vermont on NY-7.  It was still light out and the miles had dwindled to about 100 to go before the "main event" (i.e., driving through the Green Mountains) began.  I avoided some more slow drivers, weathered a bit more rain and made it to NY/VT-279 soon afterwards.  Next, I took US-7 to the north until I got off in Manchester (VT).  From there, I used US-11 all the way to I-91.  It started getting dark as the road curved wildly but there was always enough ambient light to see things.  In fact, I was quite surprised to find myself on the Interstate and there was a pink glow on the western horizon that told me it was just after 2100 - pretty.  The rest of my drive (to I-89 and Lebanon) was mostly uneventful with one exception: at one point, I realized there was something in the road that I had to either avoid or drive over. Initially, I thought it was a dead animal - by the time I crossed over it, though, I'd figured out that it was a living porcupine!  There was no time to do something different, though, and the poor guy must have gotten a "quill cut" (or worse) as my high-wheel-base Jeep crossed his back...  Back at home (2200 - on the dot, like Google had predicted), I didn't find any damage from this encounter.  What an amazing trip - lots of good driving, fun meet-ups, wonderful weather on campus and good memories!