A year after section hiking Maine, we set out to tackle the New Hampshire Appalachian Trail. Except this time we planned on section hiking the state in sections. Simply put, it hasn’t worked out as planned. Add two more years and this is still a hike in progress. Please follow along, and feel free to get a good laugh at our expense. Hopefully you can learn something from our mistakes. Sometimes I wonder if we ever do.
Even hikers living under a rock must be taking notice of the movement toward wearing trail runners instead of traditional boots. The promise of increased mileage and improved agility through lightweight footwear is hard to ignore. I’ll be the first to admit I’ve seen the cool hiking kids with their shiny new sneaks, and my feet wanted in. Based on a friend’s recommendation I chose the Salomon SpeedCross 3 Trail Running Shoe.
Hiking in northern New England is no simple walk in the park. Consider that we’re also home to some of the finest micro-breweries in the business, and one has to wonder: What’s the point of all those rugged, root-tangled miles if the calories burnt aren’t immediately replenished by a pint of ale and good old pub grub?
We crammed ourselves at the Tough Mudder starting gate like rabid rock fans inching closer to the stage. Standing still was a sweat-inducing activity in the scorching 90-degree heat, which is to say the 12-mile obstacle course over Gunstock Mountain Resort promised pure hell. Somewhere between the wall we had to scale to simply reach the start and the MC telling us to take a good look at the women around us, “This is the best they’ll look for the next three hours,” stomach butterflies metamorphosed into an adrenaline-fueled drive: let’s do this.
A day hike of North and South Twin Mountain via the North Twin Trail and the North Twin Spur provides a double dip on the White Mountain Four Thousand Footers list with some of the best views in all of New Hampshire. On the lengthy side for a day hike, this adventure has a good mix of challenging and easy going terrain. The most notable obstacle is the triple crossing of Little River, which can be dangerous when the water is running high. So, naturally, we gave it a go in mid-May.
Hiking with kids is always an adventure. There’s a slippery slope between family fun and total meltdown (see Exhibit A), and believe me, when your child has a conniption in the forest, other hikers are around to hear it. The following tips are a recipe for happy trails on your next family hike, allowing you and yours to build lasting outdoor memories everyone will be excited to do again.
In the Northeast we’re fortunate to have Acadia National Park and all its scenic wonders, but did you know the National Park System is comprised of 84.6 million acres of natural, historic and cultural areas?