Day 10 - Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Today is Thursday and the end of our excursion. As I type we are sitting in Boston's infamous traffic. Not home just yet so I'll reflect on the past few hours.

With money dictating the amount of time we spend up in the clean air of the mountains, and the hassle of switching tent sites, since someone had booked site 16A for a thursday arrival, we got up this very wet morning to start packing. It seems our tent had also gotten tired of fending off the mountain rain and fog. Overnight we had drenching and distant thunder. Puddles started to form in the tent by the corners of the windows. Solemnly I pack up our damp bedding (can't wait to sleep on dry sheets with dry blankets), and tried to sort our clothes and gear. Next came disassembling the tent and rain proofing tarps covered in wet sand and leaves. Destroying the many new homes of extremely large daddy-long-legs, a big fat juicy earthworm, and a quick little salamander.

Everything packed and loaded into the truck we checked out begrudgingly. I half heartedly joked with the friendly lady behind the counter about not wanting to leave and if they were hiring. My answer from her was, "Well actually, can you work the front desk?"  Oh so tempting, at a drop of a hat I would jump at it if Alex could get a job up there too.

We weren't giving up on the mountains just yet. Since home is so close we had time to play and explore more.

Breakfast at Glen Junction again, if you haven't tried it I totally recommend it. Warning the pancakes don't fit on the plate. Sneak through the back roads and bypass the tourist traffic on route 16 through the Conways, and onto the Kancamangus to Lincoln. Refuel; diesel and red bull. Now off to find Tripoli Road, a dirt "Highway" that winds through between Mount Osceola and Mount Temescula into Waterville Valley. 

From Waterville Valley we explored route 3 south to Plymouth, New Hampton, and eventually Meredith where we grabbed the major highway south towards home.

Thats it for this summer's major adventures. Maybe a few local adventures in the next week. Thanks for reading!

Day 9 - Finding New Roads

The White Mountains always seems to have a surprise up its sleeves. No matter how many times I come I find new roads to travel. We all know I love roads, especially dirt ones or ones less traveled. 

Todays trip took us up Mt Clinton road, though paved it would be less bumpy if it was dirt. Not much to see but it winds around Mount Clinton eventually crossing Base Camp Road and onto Mount Jefferson Road. The signs here are unclear, a Jeep and Bocx Truck X-ed out, underneath it says No Unauthorized Vehicles. But the map shows parking lots for the hiking trails. So we took it. Nice dirt road that follows a river, nice climbs and turns. And eventually we reached this sign.

Thats 154 feet higher than the highest point on the Kancamangus. 

From the other side of Mt Jefferson Road we followed Route 2 up into Lancaster by Santa's Village of which brought back childhood memories. We ventured further north into New Hampshire in areas we've never explored. Route 3 north to route 110 also known as Stark highway. A more country look of New Hampshire where the mountain get smaller but still substantial in size. Following a river like most New Hampshires main roads do and along a rail road line.

This whole trip our eyes were open for moose sitings. Along this route was no different. We passed over a river, then a swampy area, on the other side was a field bordered by woods and against the bright green of the field I spotted a dark animal. With seemingly long legs, big body and long neck this large animal was grazing on meadow grass. "Moose" I said and Alex found a spot to turn around for another look. Sure enough, with my luck, it was a Cow. Hah!

Back on the road laughing about it we followed 110 into Berlin. An old mill town that looked as though it once seen better days. I found this informative link recalling Berlin's history. http://www.berlinnh.gov/pages/berlinnh_webdocs/berlinhistory

Just driving through you can really feel the rise and fall of this city by its surroundings. 

From the City of Berlin we went into Gorham only eight miles away. I stopped and browsed in an up and coming bead store, and a great general/gift store. We then headed down through Pinkhams Notch and back into North Conway for some more people watching and dinner.

After dinner a quick trip up Hurricane Mountain Road and back. If your not familiar with this road two words describe it; roller coaster. Its only about five miles long. Two tight switch backs and many hills that you can't see the bottom of, some turn but you can't really tell until the last second. Blind curves, drops, and whoomps, add frost a heave filled pavement and you have the right ingredients to mimic an old wooden rickety roller coaster. So its alway a cheap thrill across and back. I did manage to get this photo of a stone house before you get to the hairy part of the road. 

After Hurricane Mountain Road went back up into Pinkhams Notch parked at the visitors center and hiked a short trail across the street. We crossed over the marsh and ponds via a wooden walkway much like the bog walk at Ponkapoag Pond. Then into a very dark forest moist with the day's periodic rain showers, and dark with the shadows of the mountains from the setting sun.

Just about twenty feet into the trail that read Ladies Lookout, I had started climbing the large natural stones that lead up the steep trail. I turned to look at Alex an on my next step there was a very loud "Woooshhh" sound from above. Almost that of a plane just above the trees with no engine. It was weird and eerie, not that of a bird but that of turbulent wind over head, and it sounded large. We both looked at each other an exclaimed, "what the hell was that?!" Of course I have my own theories of what it may have been.

The photos below are from the hike.

Christina P

w - www.dragonscaleminiatures.com