Rik
09-09-2009, 09:47 AM
Probably should have spent the weekend shopping for a car since I crashed mine but the weather just looked too good not to be outdoors. Camping and hiking over in New Hampshire sounded a bit more appealing. The car shopping would have to wait. Afterall, we have one car and several bicycles.
Charlene has a good amount of hiking experience but hasn't hiked much in the past couple of years due mostly to becoming a grandma (twice). Back in May when we climbed Madison and Adams she found it tougher than she thought it should be. She decided this fall to get back in hiking shape. So we planned some relatively easy hikes to get her back in the woods.
Since we did very little planning we just picked a few hikes and drove over Thursday to grab a campground campsite before the holiday weekend crowds arrived. We ended up staying at Blackberry which was a little too close to the road but fine for our needs. After setting up camp we headed across the street to the covered bridge and took a walk on the Boulder Loop trail which lead to some nice cliffs and views where we cooked up dinner and enjoyed the late day sun. We got back to camp just before dark and had some beverages before climbing into the tent for the night. With Charlene snoring on one side of me and Dali the Dog snoring on the other side of me the noise from the road was not even noticed. Lucky me.
The next morning we got up and after a quick breakfast went to the Champenay Falls trailhead and climbed up past the falls and on to Mt. Chocorua. Spectacular! Reminded me of Noonmark in the Adirondacks. Open rocky summit with amazing views made this peak nicer than many of the famous 4K peaks. No wonder that there are several trails on this mountain. After lunch we decided that Middle Sister looked too inviting to pass up so we walked over there gawking back at Chocorua the whole time. Interesting little structure on Middle Sister. We looped back to the falls trail and headed down. After a quick stop to get ice cream for Charlene and Dali we were back at camp enjoying dinner and rehydrating.
On Saturday we went into Conway for a few supplies and then to the southern trailhead for the Moats. Another gem of a hike. Open ridges started before South Moat and continued over Middle Moat and on to North Moat where we stopped for lunch. It would have been great to continue to a spotted car on the other end but since we only have one car it would mean returning the way we came. Walking back over the ridge was a pleasure. Open ridges are somewhat common in New Hampshire's White Mountains but most people think of the Presis or Franconia. The Moats reminded me a little of the Jay Range in the Adirondacks only longer. After the hike Charlene passed on ice cream but Dali was still game. She earned it. Another night at camp eating and drinking while Dali and Charlene both landed in the tent soon after dark. On Sunday morning it hurt to drive home with still perfect weather but we had other committments. Great trip exploring some of the White Mountain's smaller peaks.
Charlene has a good amount of hiking experience but hasn't hiked much in the past couple of years due mostly to becoming a grandma (twice). Back in May when we climbed Madison and Adams she found it tougher than she thought it should be. She decided this fall to get back in hiking shape. So we planned some relatively easy hikes to get her back in the woods.
Since we did very little planning we just picked a few hikes and drove over Thursday to grab a campground campsite before the holiday weekend crowds arrived. We ended up staying at Blackberry which was a little too close to the road but fine for our needs. After setting up camp we headed across the street to the covered bridge and took a walk on the Boulder Loop trail which lead to some nice cliffs and views where we cooked up dinner and enjoyed the late day sun. We got back to camp just before dark and had some beverages before climbing into the tent for the night. With Charlene snoring on one side of me and Dali the Dog snoring on the other side of me the noise from the road was not even noticed. Lucky me.
The next morning we got up and after a quick breakfast went to the Champenay Falls trailhead and climbed up past the falls and on to Mt. Chocorua. Spectacular! Reminded me of Noonmark in the Adirondacks. Open rocky summit with amazing views made this peak nicer than many of the famous 4K peaks. No wonder that there are several trails on this mountain. After lunch we decided that Middle Sister looked too inviting to pass up so we walked over there gawking back at Chocorua the whole time. Interesting little structure on Middle Sister. We looped back to the falls trail and headed down. After a quick stop to get ice cream for Charlene and Dali we were back at camp enjoying dinner and rehydrating.
On Saturday we went into Conway for a few supplies and then to the southern trailhead for the Moats. Another gem of a hike. Open ridges started before South Moat and continued over Middle Moat and on to North Moat where we stopped for lunch. It would have been great to continue to a spotted car on the other end but since we only have one car it would mean returning the way we came. Walking back over the ridge was a pleasure. Open ridges are somewhat common in New Hampshire's White Mountains but most people think of the Presis or Franconia. The Moats reminded me a little of the Jay Range in the Adirondacks only longer. After the hike Charlene passed on ice cream but Dali was still game. She earned it. Another night at camp eating and drinking while Dali and Charlene both landed in the tent soon after dark. On Sunday morning it hurt to drive home with still perfect weather but we had other committments. Great trip exploring some of the White Mountain's smaller peaks.