Cheshire County drive

December 11, 2015April 3, 2024 / Ellen Kolb / 4 Comments

I spent this foggy and snowless December day driving from the Merrimack River to the Connecticut River and back, stopping for walks now and then. Visibility was too limited to make a mountain hike worthwhile, but rail trails and roadside parks made for fine stops.

I chose a short segment between the nicely-restored depot in Troy and Rockwood Pond in Fitzwilliam – a round trip of just over four miles on a wide, straight trail. Conditions were fine. The only sounds were from birds and my own steps. No ice or snow, just a bit of mud on the southern half of the walk. I’m told that on a clear day there’s a splendid view of Mount Monadnock from the shore of Rockwood Pond. I thought this morning’s fog on the pond made for a pretty good view on its own.

No one else in sight, and hardly a sound besides birdsong.

Swanzey was next, and I managed to work a pair of the town’s famed covered bridges into my route. Pleasant as they were, the most exciting sight of the day was a bald eagle I spotted as I was driving. (No photo. Why couldn’t it have come into sight while I was walking?)

Thompson Bridge in Swanzey, complete with sidewalk.

The village of Ashuelot is in Winchester, with a covered bridge of its own.

Bridge in the village of Ashuelot, Winchester NH

After business in Brattleboro, Vermont – the main purpose of my trip – I took the more-or-less direct route back east, along New Hampshire routes 9 and 101. I stopped for a half hour at Chesterfield Gorge, a small roadside state park on route 9.

Enjoy Chesterfield Gorge with just a three-quarter-mile loop walk from the parking area.

Wilde Brook, which cuts Chesterfield Gorge.

The ride home took me past Monadnock, invisible in the persistent fog. It’s strange to look across Dublin Lake and know the mountain is right there yet out of sight.

As the photos show, this is a very mild late autumn. In a fit of irrational exuberance, I almost tossed sandals in the car before I left home. Good thing I refrained; there was just enough mud and chill to make me glad I wore sensible shoes.

Going the (short) distance

August 31, 2015August 31, 2015 / Ellen Kolb

August was a low-mileage month. That’s fine. This has been as lovely a month as I’ve seen this year, and I know things will only get better as autumn approaches.

Crotched Mountain (Greenfield, NH) from Gregg Trail

The Gregg Trail is accessible from the trailhead at Crotched Mountain hospital and rehab center in Greenfield (not the ski area, which is on the other side of the mountain in Bennington). It’s a wheelchair-accessible path to a wonderful western overlook toward Monadnock. Even on a hazy day, it’s a pleasant walk. Past the overlook, trails continue to the summit ridge, though I didn’t go that far this time.

Mt. Monadnock from Gregg Trail overlook on Crotched Mountain, hazy August day

I joined my husband for a trip to Narragansett, Rhode Island. While he had a road race, I enjoyed a quiet walk along Ocean Road. Sunny inland, clouds building offshore.

: Narragansett from town pier

: Off the RI coast

I may be the only person on record to hike Mt. Major in Alton without getting to the top. Despite being in good energetic company, I was out of breath as the last ledge came in sight. I sent my companions on as I found a comfortable place to sit: a breezy bit of ledge with a few blueberries nearby (how did earlier hikers miss them?!). Another hazy day, but even a murky view of Alton Bay and Lake Winnipesaukee is better than no view at all. Bonus: after the hike, we went to the Wright Museum in Wolfeboro. I’d never been there, and it was a treat. I recommend it to anyone interested in World War II history.

: A view from not-quite-the-top of Mount Major in Alton, NH

: The Wright Museum in Wolfeboro, NH is worth a visit.

And then there’s the Nashua River Rail Trail, on which I’ve made countless walks and bike rides. No new photos this month, but I need only click “Nashua River Rail Trail” in the tag cloud on the blog’s sidebar to find photos from past trips.

Nashua River in Pepperell, Massachusetts, April 2015, seen from rail trail

Short and sweet: Yellowstone and Grand Teton

June 7, 2015June 7, 2015 / Ellen Kolb / 1 Comment

I paid my first visit to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in Wyoming recently. Impressions, beyond the obvious “wow”:

A week isn’t nearly enough for either park, never mind both. I spent a week in Yosemite a few years back and came to the same conclusion.
I had to choose between hiking and driving within Yellowstone. It’s vast. My husband and I wanted to see as much of the parks as we could, so we wound up driving a lot and stopping for short hikes. My week was filled with bike paths, boardwalks and easy strolls.
The beauty of the west is so different from that of my familiar beloved New England that it’s hard to take in. Now I now what “Big Sky Country” means.
The summer crowds must be oppressive. I was in Yellowstone as Memorial Day weekend approached, which marks the beginning of the summer season. Things were already hoppin’.
Pelicans in Yellowstone? How did I not know about this?!

I felt very keenly that I was a mere tourist, not an adventurer. Adventurers spend more time away from their cars. But there was so much to see …!