Little things

/ Ellen Kolb

I love vistas from mountaintops. Sweeping views can take my breath away. They’ll always have their place for me. Even so, I take time to look down as I walk. What’s along the trailside? What’s in bloom this month? What’s that little kid ahead of me exclaiming over, pulling mom or dad aside to see? Little things.

What’s growing

  • water lilies
  • staghorn sumac
  • red maple flower
  • Trillium, offering fleeting beauty every spring in NH.
Water lilies in summer; staghorn sumac in fall; red maple flowers and trillium in spring. All photos in post by Ellen Kolb.

Local history

  • Windham Depot NH
  • Horse Hill Nature Preserve, Merrimack NH
  • Manchester NH: information about destruction of a railroad bridge over the Piscataquog River
  • Mill site along Piscataquog River, New Boston NH
Some old depots on rail trails offer plaques or signs with historical information. Municipal parks might have benches or monuments honoring distinguished citizens. Sometimes a recreational property used to be someone’s homestead, with foundation stones and wells still visible. I like trails that teach me something about the area’s past.

What’s current

  • Northern Rail Trail, Boscawen NH
  • New Boston Rail Trail invites your support

When I parked at Gerrish Depot in Boscawen and walked south along the Northern Rail Trail, I knew I was near a veterans’ cemetery. What I didn’t know is that there was a spur from the trail directly to the cemetery, with a sign that offered an detour to trail users wishing to pay respects. Other trails use signage to inform users about expansion plans, inviting donations to maintain or extend a trail. Sometimes a trailhead kiosk will feature a flyer that tells me about a local festival or program.

Destination hikes – heading to a waterfall, a view from a notch, or a fire tower, for example – are always interesting. I like big payoffs, especially if I’ve had to stagger my way uphill for a few miles. I’ve learned to love my undramatic walks, too. They’ve taught me to look out for the little things.