Author: Occasionally Author

Short hikes on long days

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“Summer in Northern New England”

Every so often the reality of the days matches up with the layers of nostalgia, anticipation, longing, and hope packed into that phrase. Last weekend was one of those times when high pressure brought low humidity and blue skies with storybook puffy white clouds, and I took advantage by doing two classic moderate hiking loops— my beloved Welch-Dickey, which I’ve hiked many times and which never disappoints, and a popular route I’ve never done before over Mt. Percival and Mt. Morgan.

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37 miles on the AT

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I took this week as vacation, and even though I didn’t travel far I got off the grid for a few days of backpacking along the Appalachian Trail. My plan was to go solo, but as it turned out I had plenty of company: a multitude of mosquitos and black flies joined me for every step. Nonetheless it was a great trip— the terrain is beautiful, it was quiet, the weather was good enough, and I feel so accomplished for having done it!

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April showers may bring road walks

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Heavy rain over the past couple of days inspired me to make the most of the drier but colder day of the weekend. Rain on Spring trails makes mud, and when you add hikers to that mix you end up with accelerated trail erosion, so I decided to keep to the old logging road that doubles as a winter cross country ski highway and a 3-season hiking trail.

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What springs eternal?

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Mud season arrived early in the North Country this year. March brought heavy rains, high wind, and the early removal of bird feeders as hungry bears emerged from hibernation. April is a cruel month for hikers, with spring meltwater and muddy trails in the valleys and an icy monorail or deep snow higher up. This weekend finds me further south, shaking off the grey in my own neighborhood in the city.

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Breaking trail

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I’ll get this out of the way upfront: I’m not a big fan of snowshoes. They’re awkward to wear, cumbersome to carry, and my natural gait places one foot in front of the other, so the side by side snowshoe waddle feels particularly awkward and trip-prone. Nonetheless, I set out with my snowshoes for a hike up Smart’s Brook, and was glad to have them!

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