winter

Winter arrives on the Nashua River Rail Trail

/ Ellen Kolb / 2 Comments

The calendar says winter is a few days away, and late fall has been happy to provide a preview. I visited the Nashua River Rail Trail on a quiet weekday morning to take advantage of a just-above-freezing day. I wanted to beat the messy forecast: rain, followed by plummeting temps and a resulting flash-freeze.

I strapped cleats onto my shoes just to be on the safe side, since icy patches can lurk in a path’s shaded areas. The powder snow that fell earlier in the month was packed down nicely in an informal lane for walkers. There were traces of ski tracks alongside, but I think those must have been made when the snow was fresher.

I was on the northernmost segment of the trail, in Nashua. I was pleased to see that the city has kept the Gilson Road parking lot plowed. Many tracks in the snow between parking area and trail attest to the NRRT’s continuing popularity.

artwork displayed alongside a snowy trail in Nashua, NH
Along the Nashua River Rail Trail: “The Shapes of Water” by Faith T., a student at Nashua High School South. Ellen Kolb photo.

The art displays along the way between Gilson Road and the Rt. 111-A crossing featured pieces by students at Nashua High School South. Some of the display stands were showing signs of wear, and I hope the city will maintain them. The artwork is a meaningful way for Nashua to put its stamp on its section of the NRRT.

A bird’s nest was in the middle of the trail, perched atop the snow. A gust of wind probably took it down from a nearby tree. I picked it up thinking that it was edged with snow, but I was mistaken – all the white fuzz was from downy feathers. I moved the nest the edge of the trail, not wanting to damage it even if its former occupants were done with it.

Feathers, not snow, adorn this nest. Ellen Kolb photo.

The painted markings on the old granite B&M railway mileage marker have weathered away. W 40, I thought to myself as I walked past it. Forty miles south to Worcester along the old rail line.

Granite post along a snow-covered rail trail
This granite post is a mileage marker, which once had “W 40” painted on it (40 miles to Worcester, Massachusetts). Ellen Kolb photo.

The twelve-mile long NRRT has several parking areas along the way. Trail users in Nashua can park by the trail on Gilson Road, NH Rt. 111-A, or Groton Road/Hollis Street (at the NH/MA state line).

You can help send the Granite State Walker to the next trailhead with a small donation at her Buy Me a Coffee page. Thank you!

A short stop at Winant Park, Concord NH

/ Ellen Kolb

I love discoveries that leave me wondering how did I not find this place sooner: this week, it was Winant Park in Concord, near St. Paul’s School. I’d seen it listed on the city’s map of area trails, but had never managed to find time for a visit until recently.

Piles of snow edged the parking lot and some stretches of trail on a late February day, but a warm week had melted a great deal of snow and left the trails muddy. There were a few other cars in the trailhead parking lot, which is easy to find on Fisk Road just off Pleasant Street.

The park is wooded, with a pair of vistas I enjoyed: a view featuring the State House dome (a view obviously preserved with diligent tree-trimming) and a view of the hills and low mountains to the south and southwest. A kiosk at the trailhead and informational signs along the trails offer information about the park’s history. The trail network is simple and well-marked.

Winant Park SSW overlook
View from a hill in Winant Park (l-r): the Lyndeborough hills, Crotched Mountain, and Monadnock peeking out from behind Crotched’s ski area.

This is an urban park, with “urban” being relative; we’re talking Concord here, not Boston. It’s not a destination park like Monadnock or Pawtuckaway. It’s an easy stop for anyone in or near Concord, though, and it’s a fine place for a quiet walk in the woods. Make a point of finding that southwestern vista, which might not be so visible once the trees leaf out.

In kindness to the trails and their maintainers, I’ll wait until mud season is over before I pay another visit here. But I will be back.

Un-whining in Mine Falls Park

/ Ellen Kolb / 1 Comment

I haven’t been out for a hike in weeks. Whine.

January and February have been filled with long hours of work and stress and lousy weather. Whine.

My clothes are too snug, I’m out of breath after three flights of stairs, and I hate icy roads. Whine, whine, whine.

When the weather was inviting the other day (and please, no scolding me for being unprepared for all conditions), I forced myself to shake off my winter torpor for little while. I headed to Mine Falls Park in Nashua for a loop around the cove near the Millyard.

The cove at Mine Falls Park, awaiting the springtime return of the swans. Nashua Millyard in background.
The cove at Mine Falls Park, awaiting the springtime return of the swans. Nashua Millyard in background.

Hard to believe what a difference that made. After a couple of miles, my jeans were still snug and I still had a pile of work waiting for me. But gradually, as I walked along the canal path in crunchy snow, the whines went away. Fresh air and near-silence worked wonders.

I’ll still need a push to get out the door this season, but Mine Falls Park will remind me that the effort pays off.