Autumn is by far my favorite time of year. The cool mornings, warm afternoons, crisp air, and all the amazing colors of the leaves changing. The changing foliage makes every hike, bike ride, or drive a whole new experience each day. Peak color arrives at slightly different times each year but typically within a two week period. We’re just about hiking peak right now in the Monadnock Region. However you like to enjoy the outdoors, get out there and experience it anew this weekend. Revisit your favorite hike. Find a rail trail to walk or bike on. Bike some quiet country roads. Go apple picking. Take a driving tour of all the covered bridges in the area. All the experiences are even more pleasant at this time of year.
Tag: adventure of the week
Adventure of the Week – Living History Days at Leonard’s Mills
It has been over 20 years since I visited Living History Days at Leonard’s Mills but I can still feel the cool autumn air, smell the campfires, and taste the fresh baked beans cooked in the ground overnight. Located about 10 miles outside of Bangor, Maine, Leonard’s Mills is the home of the Maine Forest and Logging museum. It’s smaller than some other living history but that just adds to its uniqueness. This year’s Living History Days are scheduled for October 4 & 5. Activities will include a 1790 encampment, 20th Maine Civil War encampment, 1900’s machinery and Lombard loghauler, wagon rides, cider pressing, beanhole beans (my favorite), water-powered sawmill, blacksmiths, weaving, spinning, and more. Writing this up made me wish I could fit it in this year. Maybe I’ll get back there next year.
For more information, check out the event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/539102262857099/
Adventure of the Week – Free Entrance Days in the National Parks
However you like to enjoy the outdoors, the national parks system has something for you. And, this Saturday, September 27, you can get in free for National Public Lands Day. Whether you’d like to bike the carriage roads at Acadia National Park, stroll around the grounds at the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, or enjoy any other activity at any national park, get out there and enjoy!
What’s your favorite national park? It’s probably not a surprise to most of you that mine is Acadia.
Adventure of the Week – Paddle Pisgah Reservoir
Pisgah State Park is the largest state park in New Hampshire located in the towns of Chesterfield, Hinsdale, and Winchester. The park has a lot to offer throughout the year: hiking, biking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, wildlife viewing, and a little history. Within the park is the 110 acre Pisgah Reservoir. There is no direct car access to the reservoir so you may have the water to yourself if you are willing to work for it. You can drive in from Route 119 up Reservoir Road to a parking area. From there, carry your canoe or kayak up a couple switchbacks and along the trail to the shore (less than a half mile). Then set out to explore. There are several old foundations along the shore as well as one on a small island in the middle of the reservoir. I paddled here on a weekday morning and had the entire 110 acres to myself shared only with an otter. I didn’t see anyone else until I headed back to shore where a small group of school kids were on a field trip.
Adventure of the Week – Bike the Sugar River Recreational Rail Trail
The Sugar River Rail Trail runs 9 miles from Newport, NH, to Claremont, NH, and passes through two railroad covered bridges. Start downtown historic Newport in the municipal parking lot. In less than a mile you are out of downtown and riding through rural areas. There are a couple fairly quiet road crossings on the first half of the trail and then you cross under route 11/103. Soon after, you come to the first of two taller than normal covered bridges designed for trains to pass through. The second bridge is less then a mile further down. The trail continues for a couple more miles into Claremont but it may be temporarily closed due to construction near the second bridge. Return the way you came for an 18 mile ride. The trail surface, in some areas, is softer dirt than many other trails making it best for bikes with wider tires. You can find a trial map at http://www.nhstateparks.org/explore/bureau-of-trails/sugar-river-recreational-trail.aspx.
Adventure of the Week – Hike Mount Monadnock
Mount Monadnock literally defines southwestern New Hampshire (aka the Monadnock Region). It is said to be one of the most climbed mountains in the world. I have climbed it at least a dozen times ranging from early spring through autumn on a variety of its many trails including the morning of my wedding which was held in view of the mountain. The White Arrow Trail is the easiest route up the mountain going past the site of the former Halfway House hotel. Even that trail gets a little tough near the top. The longest trail is said to be the Pumpelly Trail at over 4 miles one way. My favorite route is one I found on a local activities brochure at Eastern Mountain Sports (whose headquarters is 15 miles north) when I first moved to the area 20 years ago. Start at the Old Toll Road parking area. Half way to the Halfway House site, turn right onto Parker Trail to Cliff Walk which brings you to Bald Rock, a lower peak. From here, you’ll have a good view of the summit and the surrounding valley. Take the Smith Connecting Link to the White Cross Trail and follow that to the summit. Take some time to rest and take in the spectacular 360 degree views of mountains, lakes, farms, villages, and, on a clear day, the skyscrapers of Boston. Return to the parking lot by way of the White Arrow Trail. Plan for 5 to 6 hours taking this route. While you can reach the summit and return to your car in under two hours by a more direct route, this route is more peaceful giving you a better sense of what Henry David Thoreau might have experienced when he climbed the mountain in the mid-1800s.
Adventure of the Week – Bike the Norwottuck Rail Trail
Do you wish you would bike more? Don’t like climbing steep hills? Don’t like sharing the road with cars and trucks? Check out some rail trails. There are a lot of former railroad tracks turned multi-use trails around the country including many great trails throughout New England. Because they were designed for trains, you know they won’t be very steep. In most cases, you won’t find any motorized vehicles although some are open to ATVs. I enjoy the historic aspect knowing the trails have been used for a hundred or more years. Sometimes there are reminders of the rail line along the way – old depots, mile markers, and more.
One pleasant trail is the 11 mile Norwottuck Rail Trail from Northampton to Hadley, Amherst, and into Belchertown in Massachusetts. The surface of rail trails varies from trail to trail but the Norwottuck trail is nicely paved. This trail goes from in-town to passing along active farm fields, past the Hadley Mall and Amherst College and through wooded areas – a little of everything. There are even a couple places to stop for an ice cream along the way. Some sections of the trail (mostly near Northhampton) get a lot of use on sunny summer weekends. Because of the pavement and gentle elevation changes, you’ll find you can bike farther on this trail than on rougher trails for hilly roads.
You can find more information and a trail map at http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-west/norwottuck-rail-trail.html.
Adventure of the Week – Hike the Stowe Pinnacle Trail
The Stowe, Vermont, area is another place we try to get to a couple times a year. There are adventures to be had in every season. In the summer and fall, the Stowe Pinnacle Trail offers some great views of the Green Mountains including Camel’s Hump, Mt. Mansfield, and the village. This is a short but tough trail taking a couple hours to get up and back down the 2.8 mile trail. When you are huffing and puffing just know you have some incredible views waiting for you at the top. If you like covered bridges, be sure to check out the Gold Brook Covered Bridge just off Stowe Hollow Road on (what else) Covered Bridge Road after your hike.
Adventure of the Week – Biking the Carriage Roads at Acadia National Park
Sarah and I try to visit Acadia National Park about once a year and always bring our bikes. There are 45 miles of carriage roads around the park thanks to John D. Rockefeller Jr. You may even see a Rockefeller driving his carriage along the roads today. Most of the carriage roads are open to horses, horse-drawn carriages, bikes, and pedestrians while a few of the roads exclude bike use. The carriage roads are wide, well maintained, and well marked. Because they were designed for horse-drawn carriages, they are not too steep (of course “too steep” is a relative term). I have been on all but a couple miles of the roads walking, biking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.
One of my favorite bike rides is around Witch Hole Pond starting from signpost 5 on Duck Brook Road. This area tends to be quieter than other parts of the park.
For a big multi-hour adventure, you can take the route I did with my cousins 10 years ago. We started at the visitor center, past Witch Hole Pond, down to Eagle Lake, on to Aunt Betty Pond, then climbed much of the way up Sargent Mountain to the highest point on the carriage roads and back to the visitor center. I believe that route took three to four hours including a couple rest stops to take in the views. We saw a young fox on the path that day and I have seen deer along the carriage roads many times.
You can find a map of the carriage roads on the Acadia National Park website at http://www.nps.gov/acad/planyourvisit/upload/CRUMmap.pdf.
Adventure of the Week: Green Mountain Adventure Challenge
I’m starting a new weekly series of posts suggesting adventures throughout New England (and occasionally beyond). Adventures may range from pleasant strolls to challenging bike rides and hikes. Every adventure I’ll suggest is one I have done myself – often with my wife, other relatives, and/or friends.
First up – the Green Mountain Adventure Challenge in West Dover, Vermont. This is the third year of the challenge and the second year my wife and I participated. We look forward to many more. Last year’s was a lot like the Nicholas Cage movie “National Treasure” – one clue lead to another clue which lead to another clue each requiring hikes or other travel around the West Dover area. This year’s challenge was a little different but still a lot of fun. A portion of the registration fee goes to cancer care and research. And it’s a great way to see some of the lesser known parts of the area and challenge your body and your brain. There’s still time to participate in the 2014 Challenge through Labor Day weekend. Many teams have completed the challenge in roughly two days.
Learn more about the Green Mountain Adventure challenge here: http://www.greenmountainvermont.com/green-mountain-adventure-challenge.html/