Jefferson, NH (USA)

With continued progress towards my Prouty Day goals in mind, I departed Hanover again this morning (0815) with plans to walk a new section of the Presidential Rail Trail (part of the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail) and paddle some more of the Connecticut River.  I had a great drive (via I-91, VT/NH-25, US-5, Newberry Crossing Road, NH-10, US-302, some backroads south & east of Littleton and NH-116).  My target was the town of Whitefield and the Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge - I hit that area by following a paved section of the XNHAT (Hazen Road and Airport Road).  I was surprised to find such a nice airfield (Mount Washington Regional Airport) - this was the first time I'd explored the area, despite driving past it for many years.  After parking at the trailhead (0945), I geared up and started walking on a pleasant, flat, gravel surface that constituted the farthest western end of the Presidential Rail Trail.  Like the last two days, the weather was excellent again (clear, sunny, 70s initially) but, different than Friday and Saturday, the bugs were relentless.  I normally don't get too much attention from insects but the flies buzzed around my head constantly throughout my entire walk.  First, I walked north to Cherry Pond - there was a nice viewing area that provided glimpses of Mount Cabot, Mount Starr-King and Mount Waumbeck.  As I turned east after that stop, the tree cover practically disappeared and I was in the strong glare of the sun as the temperatures soared towards 90 F.  I kept hydrating and made the best progress I could.  Almost everyone else I encountered was riding a bike but I did meet up with a volunteer firefighter from Jefferson who was getting some exercise and looking for "wild" strawberries.  My map of XNHAT had some differences from reality (possible improvements since I first started the challenge?) and I was surprised that there was a completed rail trail section beyond NH-115A - I'd already walked four miles at that point (with 1.5 miles still remaining to the next trailhead) so turned around.  By this point (now in the town of Jefferson), I was sweating profusely and had started to wonder if I'd made a big mistake to eschew elevation today...  I explored the trail system near Cherry Pond before I completed the backtrack but was at my car by 1230 (after 8 miles).  Wow - so hot!  The weekend has been wonderful but today really felt like Summer.  After getting a bit cooler in my car, I headed back to Whitefield (backtracked via Airport Road, Colby Road, US-3 and NH-116).  Needing a recharge, I stopped at Burger King (1320) and ate in the restaurant, continuing my cooldown.  Next, I got in I-93 and headed north/west to the Moore Reservoir.  My initial thought was to park at the dam and try to log some more miles there.  However, I also noticed that there was another place (Waterford Road Boat Launch) that would put me in the river below the dam and into the Comerford Reservoir - that seemed like a better option.  I showed up at 1415 just as another boater was vacating a prime parking spot near the ramp.  Hoping to do some serious paddling before my body called "uncle", I quickly got Tequila Sunrise ready and was just getting in the water (1425) when someone nearby warned me that the dam had unexpectedly (in the last 30 minutes) released a huge amount of water from Moore Reservoir.  Looking at the current and debris, this suddenly seemed quite obvious and had the potential to destroy all of my plans for big paddling miles.  Tentatively, I nosed my kayak out into the Connecticut River and turned upstream, figuring that I should try paddling that way first and determine how much effort would be needed for the day.  Fortunately, I was easily able to manage the flow and reached the Moore Dam within the first 30 minutes.  There was a bit of scary, turbulent water there but I avoided it and stayed on the New Hampshire shoreline.  The current did get me back to the Waterford Bridge and I-93 Bridge very quickly, though.  Taking a gamble that the effects of all this waterflow were limited to a small area near the dam, I started aggressively paddling west, with a hope that I could take a big bite out of the seven mile long section of the river.  During this time, I was fighting fatigue and heat but, as I rounded a bend about a mile from the boat ramp, the sun went behind some high clouds and a light breeze began.  For the next two hours, I had prime conditions for kayaking and, with the exception of a few motorboats that created large swells as they passed, I had good, calm water.  There were lots of pretty homes and boat docks along the way and I talked to a few people who were enjoying the final day of a wonderful New England Summer Weekend.  As I approached Chandler Brook (4.5 miles from my launch point), I began to wonder if I'd have enough stamina to paddle all the way back upstream and decided to turn around.  Just then, a steady breeze - coming from the west! - began pushing me backwards.  Perfect timing!  For the next 30 minutes, I was assisted by wind as I returned to the eastern end of the Comerford Reservoir.  The sun came back out just as I had the bridges (and my car) in sight so the timing worked perfectly.  The last 10 minutes of my nearly three hours on the water (9 miles) were the hardest of the day, with dam flow current really making me work.  But I was at my car by about 1715 and felt quite good about making a further dent in my 75 mile paddling goal (before July 12).  I'll admit that I've probably overexerted myself this weekend and it showed - stowing the kayak on the roof of my car took more effort than normal.  Once I was ready to depart (1725), I got on NH-135 and drove south along the Connecticut River - in only about 10 minutes, I passed my turnaround point on the water...  Crossing into Vermont again at the Barnet-Monroe Bridge, I was soon on I-91 and headed south towards home.  I rolled into Hanover at about 1830 and was home shortly afterwards (1840).  Wanting to take care of some more moving tasks, I quickly loaded up my car with personal items and made a trip to the storage unit.  Back at my condo (1930), I was quite exhausted and ready for a relaxing evening of doing nothing.  This has been one of the best Independence Day holiday weekends I can remember!  Connecticut River Today = 4.5 miles / CT River Total = 108.5 miles