I’ve tried over the years to develop a habit of gratitude while I’m hiking. Gratitude for what? There’s obvious beauty, of course – the sights that stop me in my tracks and take my breath away. Then there are subtler things I’d miss if I weren’t paying attention: spring wildflowers carpeting the ground, or an owl surveying me from a tree branch.

I got a reminder recently of another blessing that I too often take for granted when I’m walking around New Hampshire. Not a thing, but people. They’re the landowners who allow hikers to cross their property. Open land becomes more scarce with each passing year. I recently discovered that a little sliver of it on which I’ve depended is now posted.

Putting up a “no trespassing” sign is every landowner’s right. Finding one along a familiar path makes me sad, though.

Now, I need to change the route of my two-and-a-half mile walk into town from a quiet low-traffic route to a busy road with blind curves and no sidewalks. That’s a problem, but I’ll cope. What bothers me more is that I don’t know why the landowner chose to post the land. Was it because someone crossing the property abused the privilege?

No one owes me an explanation, of course. But I’m sorry I never thanked the landowner while the little strip of land was open.

So I have a resolution to add to my New Year’s list: thank the landowners who let me pass through. They’re a vanishing breed.

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While I’m counting my blessings, I’m thanking my readers! I’ve been blogging at Granite State Walker for 18 years, and this blog earned more views in 2024 than ever before. Most visitors got here simply by doing a web search for southern New Hampshire trails, and I hope they’ve been rewarded with lots of good hikes.

The most popular search term this year was “Kearsarge,” and why not? A visit to Winslow or Rollins State Park featuring a hike up Mount Kearsarge makes for a great day.

If you enjoy Granite State Walker, you can help me get to the next trailhead by supporting the blog. Thank you!