Long ago when I began exploring Granite State trails, I had a little point-and-shoot film camera that I carried everywhere. I have a shoebox full of prints from those early outings: evidence of an utter beginner. I didn’t know how to frame a shot. I didn’t know that it was hopeless with the fixed lens I had to get a focused close-up of a trillium in bloom. I had trouble holding the camera steady.
Even so, a few of those old prints remain special. They documented my first views of places that I later came to love. Some of those first impressions were dramatic, others much less so. I had no way of knowing that the gifts of time and memory would draw me back to certain places over and over again, seeing and learning new things with each visit.
My very first sight of the Pliny Range from the marsh near Cherry Pond was on an April day. Spring was playing hard to get. I took a photo that captured trees not yet in bud and grasses clad in the dullest of colors. Something about those hills in the distance appealed to me, though, and I wanted to capture them, too. So I snapped the shutter, heedless of the tree in the way.
First impression: Pliny Range seen from Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge, Jefferson NH
Those hills enchanted me in a way I can’t explain. They invited me back as though they knew I had more to see.
That day of that first impression, I had no notion of the riot of flowers that would line that trail and surround Cherry Pond in summer. I didn’t know how autumn would transform the Pliny Range. I had yet to discover how I’d feel sitting in silence by the pond on a freezing January day with the hills hidden in low clouds. All of that lay ahead. It started for me with a dull spring day preserved in an unremarkable snapshot.
Think about a place you’ve hiked, a place that’s grown on you, maybe even snuck up on you to become a favorite. What was your first impression? Did you know when you first saw it that it would become someplace special for you? I hope you take a photo of each new trail, and don’t succumb to the siren song of the “delete” button. Some of those shots, awful though they may be, will make you smile someday. First impressions aren’t final, but they’re worth remembering.
My autumn began with a trip upstate as the leaves began turning. As October ends, I’m near the Massachusetts border, where red and orange foliage has yielded to gold and bronze. The sunlight through the leaves these days creates a glowing aura around everything.
First stop: North Country
Three days on the Ammonoosuc and Presidential trails in early fall added up to 30 miles of walking for me, punctuated with unexpected meetings. Amazing, the encounters I’ve had walking through New Hampshire.
The Ammonoosuc trail follows – you guessed it – the Ammonoosuc River. While checking out the three newest miles of the trail east of Littleton, I met a couple I know from the NH Rail Trail Coalition. We were pleased to see that the new section, between Cottage Street and Oxbow Drive, has a great surface that will be especially helpful to anyone biking the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail. The following day, I met up with yet another NHRTC colleague while on a gravelly Ammonoosuc stretch between Lisbon and Bath. That surface is in the process of being upgraded from gravel to a smoother crushed stone. Can’t happen soon enough, as far as I’m concerned. My feet took a bit of a beating that day. I gave them a rest as I ate my lunch under the picturesque Bath covered bridge.
Ammonoosuc River in Littleton NH. All photos by Ellen Kolb/Granite State Walker.Bath NH: lunch spot along the Ammonoosuc River, under the covered bridge.
I was in the Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge a few months ago, when Joe-Pye weed and Queen Anne’s lace were blooming all along the Presidential rail trail. When I returned in early fall, nearly all the blossoms were gone, except for a couple of hardy little asters holding out against the equinox. Milkweed pods had burst and left their seeds floating across Moorhen Marsh. Frost had nipped the north country and its mosquitoes, making the walk to Cherry Pond even more pleasant than usual. My last view of the pond had been when it was covered with water lilies. This time, the pond was a mirror for Mt. Starr King and the Pliny Range.
If I were to search this blog’s sixteen years of posts, I’d probably find a dozen photos of the views from the Cherry Pond observation deck. Even when I know I’m standing in the same place and pointing the camera in the same direction as I did on an earlier walk, I’ll get a unique image: different light, different season, different shades of earth and sky.
Cherry Pond in the Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge, on the Presidential Rail Trail, Jefferson NH.
I decided to re-visit Mud Pond trail, also in the wildlife refuge but north of Cherry Pond, with its trailhead off of NH Route 116. I was there some years ago when it was brand-new and awaiting finishing touches. Now, it’s a small gem. Bonus: it’s designed to be accessible to anyone in a wheelchair, with switchbacks and boardwalks and easy grades along its half-mile length. It ends at Mud Pond, which really deserves a better name even though it looks unremarkable. It’s pretty and peaceful, and the observation deck must be a birdwatcher’s dream.
The trail to Mud Pond in Jefferson is designed for maximum accessibility, leading to a good spot for birdwatching.
Walking for a cause
Mid-October, I walked 13 miles on the Rockingham Recreation Trail in Auburn, Candia, and Raymond with a group raising funds for the Light of Life shelter in Manchester. We couldn’t have picked a better October day. From a foggy sunrise over Lake Massabesic all the way to full midday sunshine in Raymond, I enjoyed good company.
I hadn’t passed by the old Raymond Depot in awhile, and it was fun to see it again. The littlest rail car – I call it a putt-putt, though it probably has a more dignified name – always looks a little lost on the siding, dwarfed by the more conventional rail cars nearby. They’re all part of the old rail line’s history, so they all belong there.
Raymond Depot along Rockingham Recreational TrailA golden October day on the Rockingham trail
One piece at a time
Just a few days ago, I attended a ribbon-cutting for a trail in Salem, New Hampshire. A trail segment, to be more precise. A 300-foot segment, if you must know.
Okay, let the eye-rolls commence. But I drove the better part of an hour to be there, because getting that segment finished took years, and I wanted to thank the people who had made it happen. This is the Salem (NH) Bike-Ped Corridor at the Massachusetts state line. Its significance: it’s the south end of what will someday be the Granite State Rail Trail extending from Salem all the way to Lebanon, just this side of Vermont.
A piece of the Salem trail is already in use further north of the newly-christened segment, extending into Windham and Derry. This is the same old rail line that includes what’s now the Londonderry rail trail, which will someday connect with the South Manchester trail, which will someday connect with yet-to-be-built trails in Hooksett and Bow and Concord, finally connecting with the Northern Rail Trail that’s already complete from Boscawen to Lebanon.
This is how long trails are built, whether they’re remote or urban, flat or mountainous: one piece at a time, even if some of those pieces are only be 300 feet long. Over time, those pieces add up.
Pocket park on the Salem Bike-Ped CorridorDignitaries and trail advocates celebrate a newly-completed segment on the Salem Bike-Ped Corridor.
I seldom get to Salem, so I spent time after the ribbon-cutting ceremony walking south along the Bike-Ped corridor into Methuen, Massachusetts. It was easy to ignore the traffic noise from nearby heavily-developed Route 28. Instead, I concentrated on the sights, sounds, and fresh clean smells of the wetlands and pocket parks along the way.
“Past peak,” say the foliage reports. Don’t you believe it.
The more I hike around the Granite State, the more I become aware of the pieces of history visible along the way. There are stories everywhere, told in many ways: markers, signs, cellar holes, even concrete footings from long-gone towers and cabins. The recent dedication of a historical marker not far from my home sparked this post, which first appeared at nhrtc.org, the website of the New Hampshire Rail Trails Coalition.
You’ll be well rewarded as you travel along New Hampshire’s rail trails if you keep your eyes open for reminders of Granite State history and heritage. You’ll find informative markers, plaques, and signs celebrating people and events. Among the newest is the Black Heritage Trail marker honoring William Hobdy, mounted on the Derry Rail Trail just south of Broadway (NH Route 102).
On the Black Heritage Trail in New Hampshire: a tribute to William Hobdy, businessman and entertainer. Photo by Ellen Kolb
The dedication of the Hobdy marker was a community-wide event drawing a crowd to central Derry. William Hobdy lived in town in the early 20th century and became owner of a small business. His music brought him his greatest renown, as his ragtime piano skills graced local venues. Now, the marker relating his story is a prominent feature on the Derry Rail Trail in the town center.
On the same trail, keep an eye out for artwork framing a poem by Robert Frost, who once taught at nearby Pinkerton Academy before earning worldwide fame for his poetry.
Another Black Heritage Trail marker is at Potter Place in Andover, where a restored depot is a scenic highlight along the popular Northern Rail Trail. Andover resident Richard Potter was a 19th-century entertainer who gained nationwide fame as a ventriloquist, magician, and humorist, but his story didn’t end there. The marker honoring Potter can inspire you to learn more about him and his time.
Canobie Lake Station marker along the Salem NH bike-pad trail. Ellen Kolb photo.
Thanks to the enthusiasm of rail trail fans in conjunction with local historical societies, some trails celebrate a heritage of passenger rail to popular parks and bygone resorts. Kiosks in the towns of Troy and New Boston display reproductions of train schedules from the days when Boston residents would come to New Hampshire via train for vacations and day trips. In Salem on the Bike-Ped trail, a marker recalls train service to Canobie Lake and Rockingham Park.
Sometimes, a sign will spotlight a feature of the trail itself. Watch for an informational sign along the Sugar River Trail in Newport about the unusual Pier covered bridge, built tall enough to accommodate the trains that used to ply the route. Motorists on nearby roads can’t see the bridge, but trail users get to travel right through it.
These clues to local history add something special to an excursion on rail trails. Every trip can reveal something new.
What do I do when I’m not hiking? Lots of writing, much of it on topics having nothing to do with the outdoors. Sometimes, though, I take what used to be called a busman’s holiday: I seek events where I can learn more about trails and the people who treasure them. I never run out of things to learn.
One such opportunity is coming up at the end of October. It’s the biennial conference of the New Hampshire Rail Trail Coalition, to be held on Friday, October 27, 2023, at the McAuliffe-Shepard Center in Concord, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The theme is “Collaboration, Communication and Connections.”
It’s for anyone who’s interested in our state’s rail trail system, and it has something to offer to anyone who cares about outdoor recreation. Twenty-five dollars will get you a day filled with interesting people, useful information, AND breakfast and lunch. That’s a bargain, my friends.
Ever heard of Cycling Without Age? That’s a program being implemented on a portion of the Northern Rail Trail, where a cycling “pilot” can give rides to people who due to age or disability would otherwise not have access to the trail. Where does funding come from for trail development and maintenance in New Hampshire? You might be surprised at the sources. How many local trail groups are working within New Hampshire? More than you think, and many of them will have trail-specific information to share at the conference. These topics and more will be on the day’s agenda.
I’ll be there as a NHRTC board member, helping to check in attendees. I’d love to welcome you personally. Find out more at nhrtc.org, and if you’re ready to register, click on https://bit.ly/3KLqjHn.
There’s a colorful new piece in my trail-memento shadow box: the patch noting completion of the New Hampshire Rail Trails Challenge. Over the past few years I’ve walked, and occasionally biked, on every rail trail in the state. That’s hundreds of miles, especially considering that I usually hike alone and don’t have a shuttle to get me back to my starting point. I’ve seen everything coming and going.
I loved this project. It’s open to anyone, with details available at nhrtc.org. Check it out, and you’re bound to discover trails you never knew about. Even a single region’s trails could keep a walker busy all year.
This is the project that got me involved with the New Hampshire Rail Trail Coalition. I’ve had the privilege of serving on the NHRTC board for three years now. I’ll be stepping down soon, after meeting some fine people and getting an education in trail development and maintenance. And it all started with a list of trails and the dangerous thought “hmmm…I could do that.”
Favorites
Presidential Rail Trail, Gorham-Whitefield. I love this one for its views in Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge, not to mention the views of the Presidential Range and Cherry Mountain. This is far from local for me, but I’ve found ways to get up there every year. Maybe I’d get bored with it if I saw it more often. Hmmmm…no. I’d love it anyway.
Nashua River Rail Trail. This is my home trail, so to speak. I know every bit of it from its mile in Nashua, New Hampshire all the way to its southern end in Ayer, Massachusetts. I first rode it the week of its dedication as a rail trail a couple of decades ago. I must have been there upwards of 200 times since then, observing every season’s changes. It’s justifiably popular. The pavement has its figurative ups and downs, but the recent reconstruction on some Massachusetts segments will keep this trail going for many years to come. And hooray for the city of Nashua, which now keeps the big parking lot at the north end of the trail on Gilson Road plowed in winter.
Rockingham Recreational Trail, Manchester-Newfields. The section heading east from Lake Massabesic at the Manchester/Auburn line is a favorite of mine for a quick two or three midday miles after appointments in Manchester. I avoid it during mud season, but the rest of the year makes up for that. The trail is well-traveled near the lake and becomes much quieter the further east I go. It’s close to Route 101, but the trees lining the trail muffle much of the traffic noise.
Cherry Mountain from the Presidential Rail Trail, Jefferson NHGranite marker at New Hampshire/Massachusetts border, Nashua River Rail TrailLake Massabesic along Rockingham Recreational Trail, Manchester/Auburn NH
One-offs
These are a few of the trails I visited only once. Perhaps I’ll be able to return to them another time.
Lilac City Greenway, Rochester. A business trip to Rochester a couple of years ago gave me a chance to walk along this greenway alongside busy Route 125. In town, it looks like a sidewalk rather than an abandoned rail line. Its landscaping and public art make it a cheery feature.
Sugar River Rail Trail, Newport. This one’s up in Sullivan County, another out-of-the-way place for me. I treasure the memory of the day I spent walking nine-plus miles on this little gem. It’s open to OHRVs, which sometimes creates issues for slow trail users like me, but there were no problems during my midweek visit. It’s a shady trail with several interesting bridges along the way. I benefited from a very reasonably-priced shuttle ride on a Southwestern Community Services bus between Newport and Claremont.
Cotton Valley Rail Trail, Wolfeboro-Wakefield. I visited this one the day a local rail car club had an open house. The unique trail has rails in place for little rail motor cars – interesting in themselves – with the hardpack walking/biking path between the rails.
Lilac City Greenway, Rochester NH. Photo by Ellen Kolb.
I found hiker-friendly towns that I never would have visited if I hadn’t been on a mission to explore every trail. When echoes of Covid restrictions were still in the air, I stopped in Lisbon on the Ammonoosuc trail and found cheerful hospitality. While heading for the Warren rail trail, a driver from a hostel catering to Appalachian Trail hikers agreed to give me a shuttle ride that saved me two hours of walking. (Best five bucks I spent all that week.) The folks at the general store in Danbury along the Northern Rail Trail took one look at my sweaty face, halfway through a 15-mile day, and showed me first to the restroom and then to the cold drinks. I came across such kindnesses all over the state.
You can search this blog for many rail trail posts I made during the Challenge. I hope you’ll take the Challenge yourself. If that’s too big a project to tackle, explore one or two of the trails near you. May your adventures be as rewarding as mine.
Only last year, we were concerned about drought in my region. I loved the dry trails throughout summer and fall, but then there was an uneasy November afternoon when a fire behind my house crept through dry duff and brush up to the edge of my yard. (My town’s firefighters did a fine job that day, which is pretty much what they do all the time.)
I’m not anticipating any such excitement this year, at least not in early summer. June has brought rain and lots of it. Maintenance of unpaved trails has been a challenge. Trailside vegetation is growing lushly in defiance of mowers and weed-whackers. My supplies of permethrin and DEET will need replenishing before the season’s out, since pests like ticks and mosquitoes love this sort of environment. And you know what? I’m fine with all of that.
Mountain laurel and sheep laurel are having a magnificent year. Even the buds were beautiful, giving me a week’s notice of the bounty to come.
Mountain laurel, in bud and bloom. Photos by Ellen Kolb/Granite State Walker.This and other photos on the site may be reproduced unedited with attribution.
The Souhegan River sure looks good after last year’s low levels. It has stayed within its banks so far. I love being able to hear the river as I walk through my neighborhood! Last year, it made barely a sound as flowed by slowly. Wildcat Falls, within one of my town’s conservation properties, has been worth several visits this month.
Souhegan River at Wildcat Falls, southern NH, June.
Several factors have kept me close to home lately, but I’m enjoying plenty of good walks. I went back to the Andres Institute of Art in Brookline to see what was new on the trails. This unique venue is set up on what was once a very tiny ski area. What used to be ski trails are now walking trails, with sculptures around every turn. New sculptures are installed every year, created by a variety of artists from all over the world. There’s no visitor’s center, but checking the website at andresinstitute.org will help orient the first-time guest. One of my favorite places on the site is at the modest summit. “Phoenix” by Janis Karlovs of Latvia adorns the view to the west.
At the Andres Institute of Art in Brookline NH, sculptor Janis Karlov’s “Phoenix” seems to point to the Wapack Range in the distance. Note the rain clouds that characterized this rainy June.
Rain has left the Rockingham Recreational Trail in Auburn soft but not too muddy. The walk eastward from the Lake Massabesic parking lot is one of the best quick lunchtime getaways that southern New Hampshire has to offer. Midweek is ideal. On the edge of New Hampshire’s largest city, sometimes within sight of busy route 101, the trail is a place of quiet refreshment for me. Wild roses were blooming as I walked through recently. I caught the fragrance before I saw the blossoms.
Along the Rockingham Recreational Trail in Auburn NH, you’ll catch the fragrance of trailside roses before you see them.
That’s not too bad for a rainy June. I could stand a little more sunshine, but summer is young. Clearer days are ahead.
Granite State Walker 