Wildcat River Trail

It’s hard to believe this is the last day of August already.  Where has this month gone?  They say, “time flies when you’re having fun.”

Carter Notch Pond for lunch

Yesterday, we made a return trip to Carter Notch Hut.  We approached from the back side this time; we hiked up Wildcat River Trail.  The trailhead is at the very end of Carter Notch Road in the small community of Jackson.  Our guidebook suggested driving another mile along a forest service road which intersects Carter Notch Road to reduce the hiking distance by a mile.  However, that road was gated when we arrived so we got to walk the mile after all, making it an eight mile day instead of six.

Crossing Wildcat River

The trail was nice--mostly dirt with some areas covered in pine needles and relatively few rocks.  There were several boggy areas and a few streams to cross.  The boggy areas had logs for crossing, even if they were mostly rotted.  What little was left still kept our feet dry.  All the streams were rock hops.  Some of the rocks were a little far apart for my short legs, but I managed not to fall.  Trekking poles really come in handy when crossing streams.  The last half mile of the trail up to Carter Notch Hut was very steep, but no rock scrambles.

We had our lunch down by the pond.  The pond was still very nice, but the water level was down about a foot from our previous visit a month ago.  There were still a few pond lilies, but not nearly as many as before.  The trees are starting to take on the yellows and reds of fall.  It won’t be long before the snow flies.

Wildcat River Trail is the easiest trail to Carter Notch Hut (in my opinion), but we didn’t see any other hikers either going up to the hut or coming down.  At the hut, we only saw one other couple (besides the hut croo) who were there to spend the night.  You can definitely tell the vacation season is winding down.

Today will be devoted to chores--grocery especially.  The food supply is getting dangerously low.  The Peanut has enough food for only one more meal.

That’s it for now.  Have a great day.

New England Hospitality

Oh, what a wonderful time we had!!  Yesterday, we drove almost across Maine to Topsham for a brief, but fantastic, visit with RVing friends.

We arrived at the home of Mike and Peggy (Maineiacs in Motion) in the early afternoon and were soon joined by Darrell and Judy (Wandering America).  After the initial hugs, hellos, and how are yas, we jumped in the vehicles (girls with Peggy and boys with Darrell) and headed over to Yarmouth to the DeLorme Map Store.  Mike, Peggy, Darrell, and Judy had all been to DeLorme’s just a few weeks ago on one of their Maine Event adventures.  We really appreciate their willingness for a repeat visit just for us.

The highlight of DeLorme’s is “Eartha”--the world’s largest rotating and revolving globe. Eartha was designed and built by Delorme staff on a scale of 1:1,000,000.  One inch on Eartha is almost 16 miles on Earth.  Eartha rotates on its axis to mimic the earth’s rotation.

After watching Eartha do her thing we spent several minutes browsing the Map Store.  As you might imagine, there were maps, atlases, and globes of all kinds (different publishers, as well, not just DeLorme), but there were also travel books, games, and puzzles. There was also a large selection of books on local interests and/or by local authors.  We did a good job of fingering the merchandise, but in the end only Darrell and I made purchases.

We took the scenic route through Freeport and Brunswick as we made our way back to the Evringham’s home in Topsham.  First and foremost on our minds was food.  Darrell had prepared his now famous “fish chowdah”, Peggy tossed the salad and warmed the bread, and I had brought along a pseudo tiramisu (low fat and easy).  Everything was yummy and we ate until we felt like we might pop.
 

Unfortunately, time marches on and as the day waned, we had to say our goodbyes.  It was a brief visit, but one which we will cherish.  As is always the case with friends, we were anxious to see them again, enjoyed the time to talk and laugh face to face, and hated to say goodbye.  However, we all have wheels under our homes and our paths will cross again.  We’re already looking forward to the next time.

The busy day yesterday calls for a lazy day today.  We have no specific plans--just relaxing and enjoying.  Ain’t life grand?

Staying Connected

We had a glorious day yesterday, weather-wise.  This may be the place to be in August.

We had a few chores on our “to do” list, but took time out for an easy walk along the Presidential Range Rail Trail.  We did the same section we had done a couple weeks ago, but went just a little farther.  We wanted to see the long since abandoned mineral spring and bottling plant we had heard about.

The old plant was so well hidden in the trees, we almost missed it even though it was only a few feet off the trail.  My brief Google search didn’t reveal anything about the old business.  Gene looked around for the mineral spring, but found no evidence of that.  Signs were posted to stay out of the building as it wasn’t safe.  Truly, there was a lot of broken glass everywhere.  It was cool to just sorta poke around and think about what once was.

Our biggest treat yesterday was getting a MiFi device.  It seems like most of the campgrounds we’ve stayed in this year have had no (or limited) WiFi service.  That’s also true of TV, so we’ve used the internet more for entertainment as a result.  It’s difficult to coordinate our schedules to accommodate sharing the air card.  Verizon (and perhaps others) now has a small device which acts as an airport to connect as many as five computers simultaneously.  We heard about this earlier in the year, but waited to purchase until our air card contract expired.  That way we got a rebate for renewing.  We ended up paying only $20 for the $150 gadget.  So far, it’s great.

Today, we’re off to Topsham, Maine to visit with friends Darrell, Judy, Mike, and Peggy.  They promised free seafood and we know there will be lots of laughs and great conversation.  We’re anxious to see our friends again, even if it’s only for the afternoon.

Since I promised dessert, I better get busy.

Rattle River Trail

Well, we had a break in the rain today, but very little sunshine.  The clouds were persistent in hanging around most of the day and now, as I’m writing this, it is raining again.  However, we have a fine forecast for tomorrow and on through the weekend with great temperatures and lots of sunny skies.  Looking forward to that.

Even though it was cloudy, we went for a short hike up Rattle River Trail to the first shelter.  We discovered this trail several days ago when we were waiting for Herb and Dwight to hike down from Imp Shelter.  The Appalachian Trail goes by several different names as it meanders through the White Mountains.  Rattle River Trail is our beloved AT.  This trail exits the woods at a large parking lot just one mile west of our campground.  Over the time we’ve been here,  we’ve driven by several times, but had not stopped to investigate the trail.  We did that the other day when we were waiting for Herb and Dwight.

With most of the trials in the Whites being very steep and covered in rocks (some the size of small cars) we were just shocked to see an almost flat, dirt trail.  Dwight and Herb reported that it was a very nice trail for a couple miles south from the parking lot.  That sounded great, so today we went to check it out.

We hiked the very gradual uphill climb on a mostly dirt trail for a little over a mile and a half to the first shelter.  The Rattle River Shelter is located on the Rattle River.  “River” is a stretch as a description of what we found.  It was much more like a mountain stream.  We found a rock for me and a log for Gene that looked like they would work for lunch.

We’ve gotten into a habit of having something hot with our lunch.  Today, Gene made a cup of chicken noodle soup for me and coffee for himself.  This spot might work well for coffee and danish some morning.

After a leisurely lunch, we went back to the shelter to read the entries in the shelter register.  This shelter is no different from dozens of other shelters along the AT--dark and damp.  There is a large fire ring out front and several tent pads located nearby.

No big views today, no high elevation ponds, but a splendid hike, nevertheless.

We don’t have definite plans, yet, but will probably go back to the greenway (perhaps I should say rail trail) tomorrow.  Gotta take it easy tomorrow and not tire ourselves out.  We have a big day planned for Saturday.

That’s all, folks.

Beginning of the Sixty Series

Today is Gene’s birthday.  This is one of those special ones that end in zero.  He’s enjoyed the day by staying inside out of the rain, mostly.  He did have to go out and cook his own dinner.

The highlight, I guess, has been wearing his new Tilley hat.  That hat got the best response of any birthday present in a very long time.  He got the hat before breakfast and has had it on his head almost all day.  When it’s not on his head, it’s in his hand so he can see it better.  I must say, it’s a fine looking hat.

So, he wanted to share his hat with those of you who read this journal.  You may agree--he strikes a handsome pose.

Austin Brook Trail

After sitting out the last few days of rain, we were ready to get back on the trail again.  Gene selected a trail close to home, so we were able to sip our coffee this morning and not rush out the door for a long drive to the trialhead.

Austin Brook offered just about everything in the way of a hiking trail.  We had a couple brooks to cross, a walk along an old logging road, a woods trail, boggy areas, beaver ponds, and a very steep climb to Gentian shelter and pond.  The day was nice with just a few clouds in the sky and temperatures around the mid 70s.  The trail looked like it gets a lot of use, but we saw only one other group of hikers.

With all the rain we’ve had the past couple days, conditions were right for mushrooms.  Fungi ruled today.  We saw every color, size, and shape.

The trail went 3.5 miles uphill to intersect with the Mahoosuc Trail, better known to us as the world famous Appalachian Trail.  At the trail junction is the Gentian Shelter.  That was our lunch spot for today.  We rested, enjoyed the fantastic view, ate our sandwich of PB & J, and slurped down our creme brulee flavored hot chocolate.

After lunch, we went to investigate Gentian Pond.  That would have also been a nice spot for lunch.  It would have also been a perfect place to see a moose, but we weren’t that lucky.

The return hike, all downhill, went very quickly and we were back at the truck in a couple hours.  Having not hiked in a few days, I can already tell these old bones are gonna be stiff and sore in the morning.

That’s about it for today.

Austin Brook Trail

After sitting out the last few days of rain, we were ready to get back on the trail again.  Gene selected a trail close to home, so we were able to sip our coffee this morning and not rush out the door for a long drive to the trialhead.

Austin Brook offered just about everything in the way of a hiking trail.  We had a couple brooks to cross, a walk along an old logging road, a woods trail, boggy areas, beaver ponds, and a very steep climb to Gentian shelter and pond.  The day was nice with just a few clouds in the sky and temperatures around the mid 70s.  The trail looked like it gets a lot of use, but we saw only one other group of hikers.

With all the rain we’ve had the past couple days, conditions were right for mushrooms.  Fungi ruled today.  We saw every color, size, and shape.

The trail went 3.5 miles uphill to intersect with the Mahoosuc Trail, better known to us as the world famous Appalachian Trail.  At the trail junction is the Gentian Shelter.  That was our lunch spot for today.  We rested, enjoyed the fantastic view, ate our sandwich of PB & J, and slurped down our creme brulee flavored hot chocolate.

After lunch, we went to investigate Gentian Pond.  That would have also been a nice spot for lunch.  It would have also been a perfect place to see a moose, but we weren’t that lucky.

The return hike, all downhill, went very quickly and we were back at the truck in a couple hours.  Having not hiked in a few days, I can already tell these old bones are gonna be stiff and sore in the morning.

That’s about it for today.

Rain, Rain

It started raining sometime Saturday night and is still raining.  The weather forecast calls for clearing tonight and a nice day tomorrow.  We’ll see how that turns out.  I’ve tried not to talk about our temperatures here too much out of respect for those of you suffering in the excessive heat, but I just have to say this.  The temperatures have been in the 50s and low 60s and we’ve had the fireplace on most of the day.

The first rainy day is usually a blessing.  We’re usually out and about on good weather days and a rainy day gives us a chance to catch our breath and relax a little.  The second rainy day can be a bit of a challenge.  There’s not a backlog of blogs to read, no mundane household chores to do, no photos to label.  Internet surfing has lost its appeal; so has reading and knitting.  We did all that the first rainy day.  We want to be walking around outside.

This afternoon, we just had to get out of the house and go somewhere.  Shopping was my suggestion.  Since arriving in New Hampshire, I have had in mind to get a small moose accessory for the house.  There are moose in New Hampshire, but I think of Maine as the home of moose.  I have put off my moose purchase all this time thinking I would get it when we got to Maine.  Now that we’re not going to Maine, moose shopping took first priority.

There are a couple gift shops in Gorham that looked interesting, but our first stop was the local hardware store.   I love hardware stores; I’m not sure why.  This one has an old wooden ironing board in the window.  I’ve been intrigued by that ironing board and stare at it every time we pass by (usually a couple times a day).  I was a little disappointed, however.  The hardware part of the store was mostly painting supplies.  There were a few iron skillets and some canning equipment, but nothing else of much interest.  There was a very large camping and sporting goods section.  That was fun looking at camp stoves, snow shoes, and wilderness maps.

The first gift shop, Moose Antlers, we stopped in was the best.  The shop was in an old home so it was fun just roaming from room to room fingering the merchandise.  This shop had some very nice things and most were not expensive.  I ended up getting a small oval woven rug with four moose marching across the center and a tiny moose in a stocking Christmas ornament.

The next shop we went in had mostly cheap souvenirs--wall plaques, tee-shirts, shot glasses--but it was still fun to look around.  Gene found a couple packages of flavored hot chocolate mixes that sound good.  We’ll try them on the trail tomorrow.

After we came out of there, it was raining pretty hard, so we quickly walked back to the car.  Our next stop was Wal-Mart for a few groceries and then home.

I still want a small stuffed moose to sit along side my pink flamingo.  There were lots of stuffed moose in these shops, but the small one I really like is at the Visitor Center at Pinkham Notch.  We’ll be back that way in a day or two.

Gene has made a new list of hikes for us to try.  We’ll pick one of those for tomorrow, if the sun comes out.

That’s all for today.  Stay cool, or dry, or warm--whatever is best for you.

What a Difference a Day Makes

It is often said that plans for full-time RVers are made in jello.  That can also be said of long-distance hikers.  Stuff happens--unexpected weather or trail conditions, family emergencies, injuries.  Our hiking buddies have gotten off the trail.  Not only did their plans change, but ours did, as well.  Here’s the story.

Last Friday, we were making plans for our last few days in Gorham.  We were scheduled to leave on the 26th and wanted to get done those things we had put off doing till the last minute.  We were sketching out a rough plan when the phone rang.  We hadn’t expected to hear from the hikers until the 24th, so we knew something was wrong when we saw Herb’s name on the phone.

Herb’s knees were giving him considerable problems and he had decided to call a halt to his hike before he did serious damage to himself.  Dwight was undecided whether he would continue or call it quits also.  We were to pick them up Saturday morning.

Saturday was spent in agonizing decision making.  We had the maps spread out to study distances and trail profiles.  Between the four of us, we were able to come up with about a dozen different options.  The one Herb finally decided on was to go home.  Dwight decided to continue with his hike.  We dropped them off at their motel and agreed to pick them up later in the afternoon for dinner.

During the afternoon Dwight learned from his wife that there was flooding in his hometown in North Georgia.  They’re RVers and there was 6 inches of water under their trailer.  He immediately changed his plan and opted to go home, as well.  They were a couple of sad guys last night.  Not even the wine or chocolate chip cookies could cheer them up.

This morning, we put them on the bus to Boston from where they will be flying out later in the day.

One last meal together.

For us, we had decisions to make also.  We have reservations at the campgrounds along the AT all the way to Millinocket.  We could continue on and do some hiking on the AT ourselves, we could stay here, or we could move to Vermont or any other place in New England.  We knew we didn’t want to move too far south and the higher temperatures.  In the end, we decided to extend our stay for a month here in Gorham.  The weather is great, the monthly campground rate is great, and the hiking is limitless.  So, here we are looking at trail maps and making plans.

Mt Washington

First, let me correct something I said yesterday about the accident in Tuckerman Ravine.  We either got bad information or we misunderstood what was said by the lady behind the desk at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center.  There was definitely an accident, but it was in Huntington Ravine--the next ravine over from Tuckerman.  A teenage boy was climbing on the Huntington Ravine headwall and fell 150 feet.  He was rescued and airlifted to a hospital where he is expected to recover from “multiple injuries”.  He’s very lucky.

Mt Washington is, by far, the most prominent feature of the landscape here.  It is the highest peak in the Presidential Range, in the White Mountains, in all of New Hampshire.  I usually don’t post entries about places we don’t visit, but I have to make an exception here.  Yesterday’s hike up to Hermit Lake will probably be as close as we’ll get to the summit on this trip.  At the caretaker’s cabin, we were less than 2 miles from the summit.  Since we probably won’t get any closer than that, I decided to dedicate this entry to Mt Washington and include photos taken on our last visit in 2006.

I guess when most people think of Mt Washington, they think of the weather.  This mountain boasts of having the worst weather in America.  The wind up there is remarkable.  Even on a clear day, the wind can be challenging.  Combine that wind with a decent snowfall and you end up with something otherworldly.  Because of the weather, the summit is covered up with weather equipment.

Gene making his way to the top

There are several ways to get to the top--you can drive yourself, ride the Mt Washington Stage Line van, or take the cog railway.  Of course, if you’re a truly hearty hiker, you can walk up there, but you have to go by trail, pedestrians are not allowed on the auto road.  We drove up. That was the second time for Gene to drive the auto road and he has now moved that into the category of “never again”.

Summit Stage Office

We were last here in August, 2006.  We stayed a month at that time and had the opportunity to watch the weather forecast and wait for a “perfect” day.  As I recall the temperatures were in the mid 50s, visibility was great, and the wind was not so bad.  We drove up in the truck.  The Auto Road is paved, but very curvy and a little narrow, especially in a truck.  Being high vacation season, it was bumper to bumper traffic in both directions.

From the top, we hiked down one and a half miles to Lake of the Clouds hut and then hiked back up.  We looked around at the various buildings, got a cup of coffee at the snack bar, watched the movie about the weather conditions, and made photos at the summit sign.  So here are the pictures from that trip.  I hope they make you want to come see for yourself when next you’re in the area.  It’s definitely worth the effort by which ever way you choose to get to the top.

Tuckerman Ravine Trail

Tuckerman Ravine Trail, which starts behind the Visitor Center at Pinkham Notch, is probably the most popular way for hikers to ascend to the summit of Mt Washington.  From Pinkham Notch to Mt Washington summit is 4.2 miles.  That’s not very far, but in my limited experience, when it comes to mountain climbing, short is the same thing as steep.

Before you get to thinking we hiked up to Mt Washington today, let me just say, “WE DIDN’T”.  Although, it would have been a perfect day for it with big, blue skies and no afternoon thunderstorms in the forecast.  We only hiked as far as Hermit Lake, but I am ahead of myself here.

Crystal Cascade

We started the day by taking our friends to the trailhead for the next leg of their journey.  They looked like the zero day did them a lot of good and they appeared rested and ready to go.  We had lunch with them yesterday before we made the Wal-Mart run.  They had brought food for the next section, however, after hiking for a week in the Whites, they revised their schedule to include an extra 3 days.  The trip to Wal-Mart was to buy the food for those extra days.  That’s not an east task, especially when you have dietary concerns and normally dry your own food.  After much deliberation, they finally got together what they thought would sustain them from here to Andover.

We watched them head north then we headed south to Pinkham Notch.  The description of Tuckerman Ravine Trail didn’t sound too bad for the first couple of miles.  We pulled on our packs and headed uphill with the destination of Hermit Lake in mind.

Hermit Lake

The trail was definitely a climb (a 1000 feet per mile), but not so steep as to require the use of our hands.  The trail was rocky, but there were no large boulders requiring a body contortion to ascend.  We could actually just walk up the trail.

We sorta had in mind sitting by the lake for our lunch, but apparently many others had that idea in the past and now the area around the lake is closed for revegetation.  We were able to get close enough to see the lake.  We stopped by the shelters thinking that would be a quiet, secluded place for lunch, but all the picnic tables were in full sun.  Wanting to protect our tender and delicate skin from the destructive rays of the sun, we decided to have our lunch on the porch of the caretaker’s cabin.

Caretaker's Cabin

Hermit Lake, where the Caretaker’s Cabin is located, is in the lower floor of the ravine.  The trail continues up the headwall very steeply before turning right and heading over to Mt Washington.  We had great views of Tuckerman Ravine, Lion’s Head, and the Hanging Cliffs of Boott Spur, but Mt Washington was hidden behind Lion’s Head, just out of view.

There were many, many folks on the trail today.  We got a fairly early start and hike pretty slowly, so almost everyone going to Mt Washington today probably passed us.  On our way down, we saw several helicopters in the air.  Once back at the Visitor Center, we asked if there had been an accident.  There had--a hiker had slipped off the trail and fell 115 feet.

One of five shelters at Hermit Lake

The trail description indicates that the headwall is very steep and narrow requiring attention.  Over the years, apparently several have slipped off, usually in bad weather conditions.  Today was so beautiful with no slippery rocks from rain and no low visibility from fog.  We’ve wondered if it was one of the many folks who passed us on their way up.  So tragic.

That’s all I have for today.

Trail Magic and Dinner Guests

Yesterday turned out to be a very busy day.  We didn’t plan it that way, but sometimes these things just happen.

Tuesday was the day our hiking buddies were to come down the mountain from Imp Shelter to US 2.  Our task was to pick them up at the trail and take them to their motel room in Gorham.

Hot dog cooking station

Since we were going to be at the trail waiting for them and we knew there would probably be other hikers coming down, we decided it would be a great opportunity to deliver a little trail magic to the hikers.  We iced down some colas and gathered what would be needed for a hotdog lunch.  At the trailhead, Gene set up his cooking station and we waited for the hungry to appear.  As it turned out, there were only 2 other hikers besides our friends who came off the trail during the 4 hours we were there.  But no matter; they were happy with the hot lunch and a cold soda.  This young couple were celebrating (if you can call it celebrating) their 5th month on the trail, having started in Georgia on March 17.

When Herb and Dwight appeared, we did our best to stave off their hungry attack.  They were more inclined to wash the hotdogs down with ice cold beer rather than cola.  Wonder why that is.  Maybe the beer helps sooth the pain in the legs and feet better than cola.

A shower is just through that door

After a brief lunch, we loaded them into the truck and headed to the motel.  They seemed to be eager for a shower, so we left them to do their thing and we went on our way to do ours.

Glad to be in a motel room

Gene returned to the motel later in the afternoon to bring them home for dinner.  Again, like the last dinner we had at Pinkham Notch, the conversation centered around the difficulty of the trail.  Although their climb up Wildcat Ridge was brutal and the descent from Carter Notch was extremely difficult, they both agree the hardest part so far was the descent from Mt Madison.  They said, more than once, they never want to hike in the White Mountains again.  They have some scratches, scrapes, and bruises from the rocks, but otherwise were in good spirits.

Our plan is pretty loose for today.  We’ll probably pick them up sometime late morning or early afternoon for a run to Wal-Mart to pick up a few supplies.  They’ll be coming here for dinner again this evening.

So, I’ll just run along and get myself organized for whatever the day brings.

A Day for Cooking

Holy cow, have there been some good smells coming from the kitchen today.  It’s been a long time since I spent the day in the kitchen, but the weather forecast wasn’t all that great for today and so cooking seemed like the thing to do.  Besides, we were out of cookies.  In addition to the cookies, I made brownies, spaghetti sauce, and granola bars.  That ought to tide us over for a day or two.

Since a nap won over a walk yesterday afternoon, we started today with a couple laps around the campground.  We rushed out right after breakfast because there was a break in the rain.  We got in about a 40 minute walk without getting wet.  As it turned out, the rain was basically past by that time, so we wouldn’t have gotten wet and had a little more sunshine if we’d waited until later.

Gene spent the day with his new computer.  He’s still trying to get everything set up.  Today, he completed the time consuming tasks of backing up his data files and making backup system disks.  He had the opportunity to talk to a geek about a problem he was having downloading Adobe Reader.  The geek wasn’t much help.  He suggested Gene call Adobe Help Desk and was able to supply the telephone number.  Gene called, but there was a very long wait time, so he decided to put that task off for another day.

Yesterday was a very productive day.  Gene was busy taking care of issues for our hiking buddies.  First, was the iodine mess.  Herb uses iodine to purify his water, but he carries only a very small dropper bottle at a time.  To refill his small bottle, he had packed a large bottle of iodine in his duffle bag.  That large bottle leaked sometime between last Tuesday and Saturday.  Thank goodness it was in a plastic bag, or we would have had a real bad mess.

After Gene got the iodine squared away, we went to a couple motels in Gorham.  Herb and Dwight need a room for a couple nights.  We wanted to see a room before making a reservation for them.  You have to really be careful in trail towns.  Many motels cater to the hikers who are used to sleeping in the rodent ridden shelters.  The young hikers will just sleep anywhere, especially if it’s cheap.  The more mature hikers look for establishments with a little higher standard. Hope they like what we selected.  They’ll probably like the sauna, but I doubt they’ll use the weight room much.

With the chores for them taken care of, we then went to the grocery and then to get fuel for the truck.  No wonder we needed a nap in the afternoon.

So that’s it for today.  Not much going on here.