Plainfield Ledges Path

It was still in the 40s, yes the 40s when we started the Meriden Ledges trail at 9 AM.  And of course it was cloudy and had rained so a wet trail   This reduced the number of walkers to 8 and 2 dogs.   But the trails were fine and not buggy if a bit wet and the last part when we climb the rocks was slippery but not so you couldn't go up if careful and there was a view as the fog lifted partially, not like a sunny day though.

 We saw quite a few efts on this trail and we went down a new way, a cross path to the so inclined trail which is a switchback trail   Nice to go up one way and back another.  It started misting when we got to the parking area but we did avoid rain.  We stayed at the top for awhile until the bugs found us and were back in the parking lot at 11:15.

We are off to do quite a few mountains this Summer and Fall.  However, this is my last post since I have written for a whole year already! I enjoyed writing the blog and wish everyone Happy Trails!

Marching at Myras!

A different focus this week.  I wanted to take wildflower pictures but didn't on the trails so I'm adding some from my yard.  Last week there was a nice bunch of spring beauties on this land but they have gone by now.

There were 15 of us and 7 dogs!  Lots of activity.  The walk is three miles and starts off Jenny Rd and goes through the woods to the class 6 road , Loomis. We walk on Loomis for awhile and then loop back on trails and across the field to where we parked our cars.  There were ticks but none on me thank goodness!  Hopefully everyone checked themselves over.

From my yard:  trillium (wake robin), starflower and jack-in-the pulpit.

We start climbing mountains next week.  First the ledges and gradually add more difficult mts, Tom, Ascutney, Cardigan, Holts Ledges on the Appalachian Trail.  Then some will do larger mountains and some will stay local on our trails.

Boston Lot Lake

It turned out to be a nice fairly warm day for our walk.  The website said it was a 5.5 mile trek but we did it in 1 1/2 hours and it wasn't five miles!   So maybe they added another trail to it.  Lots of wild flowers out, hepatica, trout lily, trillium (wake robin) and several more that I don't remember the name of.


This is a nice walk in West Lebanon.  You park on RT 10 by the Wilder Dam and walk a wide path up to the lake. A regular hiking trail goes around the lake and at one point you can look out on the lake to see the many birds.  We saw geese in the pond and baltimore orioles on the path down to the car.   This is a wonderful walk, some hilly sections but not many.

Here are pictures of us,  11 adults and 3 dogs!

Paradise Park Parade

Today was a lovely Spring day!  Fifteen of us and 2 dogs roamed around Paradise Park in Windsor for almost two hours.  We meant to take the trail to the hospital but instead took the trail to Juniper Hill Inn and then walked the roads to the hospital and came back via trails in park. We made a couple of wrong turns but eventually made our way back to the pond where we started.  it really was alot of fun to be in the woods again.,  The trails were fine and the bugs weren't out yet!  I had my camera but I didn't take any pictures.  Turtles were sunning themselves on sticks in the ponds.  There are two ponds in this location.

Afterwards six of us went to Boston Dreams for coffee and didn't get home until  1 PM!

Love it that it was 100% sunny and in the 60s.  Warmed up fast today.

Three Weeks Worth

I took off for warmer climates and missed 4 walks.  These three did not occur in nice weather.  The first one was on a snowy day and only 6 people showed up.  They walked on a side dirt road
and I commend their resilence!   The second walk had 12 or 13 people as the day was nicer and they walked Penniman Rd.  The third walk was on a rainy day and 6 walked then.  They were in Plainfield Village and stopped for coffee.

The number of people on the list is growing.  Two more names added since I went down South.

I didn't hike but I walked alot in Nashville, New Orleans and Pensacola.  Now I need to do yard work to get back in shape.

This week, real Spring walks start. The weather is suppose to be nice on Wednesday if you believe the forecast!

Penniman Rd walkers
Helen brought 2 of her grandchildren along.  Thanks to helen for organizing these walks.

Plainfield Village for Variety

Yesterday 15,  close to a record came out to walk a different route.  We elected to walk on mostly paved roads.  There were fewer dogs in tow but it didn't matter as a touch of Spring was in the air.

It warmed up today finally!

The route started at the Plainfield library,  went down Daniels road. Then to Mill Village. Spencer rd and then back to the village via Westgate Rd with a detour  down Hayward.

Paved roads are best in mud season and the trails are either muck or ice.

Mud Season Stroll

Today there were 14 of us and 6 dogs.  We walked on Platt Rd from the covered bridge.  An easy walk for us.  What a difference a week makes?  The dirt roads are muddy and not fun to walk on so we walked on a paved road.  Then we went to Annie's for coffee and lots of laughter.

Not many with hats and gloves and no one freezing.  Nice to see the strong sun too!  Snow is melting fast and we are ready to see it go.

The photo above is of the waterfall on Blow me down brook by the blow me down covered bridge.
It is officially Spring!!!

Winter Walks

OK,  it is late March but we are still doing winter walks.  Today we went behind the school in a different direction from last week.  There were five of us who came at 10:00 AM where it was a balmy 20 degrees. We only walked for about an hour.   No dogs but some photos to add tomorrow
when the main walkers arrive and I take more photos!   One of us did see a robin so there is hope!

Wednesday ten of us and six dogs took one of the snowmobile trails that go into Grantham.  We hiked to Chase Pond and enjoyed the wide trails.  We did see two batches of three snowmobiles each, once on our way out and once on our way back.  It is a wonderful walk and very peaceful.  The weather was cloudy and only 21 degrees when we started at 9:00 AM.   Several walkers are going to start travelling.  Winter hikes are great but we are ready for Spring.  It is suppose to be warmer this weekend.  But we still have loads of snow.

Pictures coming soon!

Spring!!? Two Treks

Tomorrow is the first day of  Spring, the calendar says but here in Western NH it is still very much winter weather.

To ensure we don't suffer from cabin fever, two walks were organized.

Tuesday five of us and one dog went on the trails behind the school past the old ski chalet and then out in the fields to the Garfield smokehouse and back.  It took an hour and a half.  At 10 AM it was all of 10 degrees maybe but the sun was bright and that helped a lot .  It actually warmed up to 38 degrees yesterday.

Today eleven of us and five dogs ventured out on snowmobile trails off of Croydon turnpike. We hiked to the snowmobile clubs warming hut which even has an outhouse in the middle of nowhere!

These are wonderful wide trails and the weather was a tad warmer at eighteen degrees at nine in the morning.   We all love being out in this area so if it isn't muddy next week we will go back and go to Chase Pond!

We are all ready for Spring but I must admit hiking on snowmobile trails here and the groomed trails behind the school was great fun.

It is clouding over as I write this so we may get snow, rain mixture later.  It never stops.

I have a few photos of us taken at the start of today's hike so check back later

 One taken by me and one by Penny.  Still a winter scene.

March Madness

Last week 10 of us and 5 dogs walked the Hell Hollow Road loop.  I only walked for about 40 minutes because of another commitment but the rest stopped at Sydell's for coffee near the end of the walk. It was icy on the roads and cloudy with snow flurries that morning. No exciting news to report. This is a five mile walk but with the stop at Sydell's , a slight break at maybe 4 1/2 miles but right after climbing a hill.

This week we walked early on Tuesday doing the Camp Rd circuit to the stone house and back, another five mile trek. Today was delightfully warm but we aren't fooled as a major storm is in the works for tomorrow, thus March madness.  You get fooled in March as the sun is warmer and the time changes so right now at 5:30 it is still 50 degrees and bright sun out.  What storm?   There were 8 of us and 3 dogs.

Next week? maybe snowshoes are in order again.  We will wait to see how much snow.sleet, freezing rain, ice mixture we get and my driveway is finally without ice! If we do get the storm I would prefer snow over the mixture.

These two walks we do often as we get in the mileage and they are close by.  The trails aren't attractive right now as it is the start of mud season.

Penniman/Underhill Update

Yesterday on a cold late February Wednesday  eleven hardy walkers and two dogs met at the town garage. We walked a slightly different route, taking Penniman to Underhill and then walking to RT 120 and turning around to walk back to Penniman. We then walked to the Cornish town line and turned around and went back to the town garage.  The beautiful Franklin fields on Penniman are always a treat to see.  This is slightly under a five mile walk.  The dirt roads are icy but they sure beat the trails.  Rain in february is NOT appreciated by anyone because of the ice when everything freezes up again.

Many of us went to Marys to have coffee in her warm kitchen.  Next week roads again unless we get lots of snow!

Farnum Trail Trek

Today there were nine of us and three dogs.  We were back on snow shoes  as there is a lot of snow in the woods.  We started at Pam's house  on Columbus Jordan Road  and went on trails behind her house and then we crossed over to join the Farnum Trails on the other side of the road.  Beautiful trails and a nice Oak and Pine forest.  After 1 1/2 hours, most of us walked back to Pam's on the road but two opted to follow trails back

Then we had coffee and goodies at Pam's in her beautiful sun filled  living room. Though there was no sun and it started to snow again.  Some of us are a little sick of snow but it sure was nice out in the woods  today!  And the snow beats rain which is in the forecast for Sunday :(

Croydon Turnpike/ Chase Pond Climb

Today there were only five of us and no animals.  We met at the end of the turnpike (which is a deadend dirt road these days ) and walked on fairly wide snowmobile trails for about an hour. We went past Chase Pond which is a large and pristine looking pond.  No houses to be seen. We decided to not walk on the pond on the way back but to retrace our steps.  The weather was cold and very sunny. We started at 5 degrees and ended two hours later at only 10 degrees.

We will be back before Spring.  There were 5 snowmobiles who passed us , they must see some beautiful country back here.  No roads, a few mountains and Corbin Game Park are about it.

Two Weeks Worth

Last week 13 of us and five dogs walked on Porter Rd.  We started at 10 AM as it was cold again but once you start walking you don't notice the cold.  This walk starts at a cul de sac so we usually  don't get traffic,  someone was driving along looking for a lost dog but we didn't see one.  This is the walk with the three alpacas.  We have seen owls before but not this time.

This week we went from Helens house to Moses Pond.   This is a woods trail and with very little snow easy walking with good boots or yak tracs.  It took about 1 1/2 hours.  We started at 9 AM even though it was only 10 degrees but it was so sunny, it warmed up fast.  There were 10 of us and 3 dogs.  We went on Tuesday because of a snowstorm predicted for Wednesday which happened!

This walk is one of my favorites.  So peaceful.  The pond is large and only one house on it. Seen at a distance. Several walked on the ice, then back to Helens for coffee!  A loop trail is in the works to connect with the Spencer Lot.  We will try it out in the future.

I took some photos so check back. The pond and one house in the distance.

Two Weekly Walks: Updated 1/22/14 The Hardy Hikers!

I am going to combine this weeks and next weeks walks since we are repeating locations.  Have a nice picture of 12 of the 14 of us and most of the 5 dogs.  We did the Hell Hollow Rd loop which is about 5 miles and has some lovely views and today with the sunshine and warmer temperatures ...just a delight for all.

Next week we will most likely repeat another road walk unless we get snow.  The rain pretty much eliminated most of our snow.

Here is the pic!

Today 1/22/14 Ten of us and three dogs walked Camp Rd to Hopkins and then back.  it is a shorter walk, about three miles maybe because of the cold.  It was -3 when we started and only about 4 when we finished about an hour and fifteen minutes later.  The dogs were glad to be out as their owners haven't been on the roads so much lately and they were frisky. The rest of us were bundled up and didn't seem to mind the cold.

The picture of the barn added below was taken by Barb today, but it was on our walk last week as the barn is on Lang Rd.  What a great picture!   Still not enough snow to snowshoe unless we get some on Saturday.
With the wind chill it will be cold the next few days.

School Switchback

Today our plans to snowshoe were derailed as it poured on Monday and the beautiful fluffy snow
that a few of us snowshoed on Sunday is now icy and crusty!  Three of us took advantage of the milder temperatures and nice snow to go out on snowshoes on Columbus Jordan Road on Sunday for a glorious two hours.

Today the normal Wednesday walkers added yak tracs and ski poles to walk on the trails behind the Plainfield School where we normal hike up to the ledges.  Today we opted for a less traveled trail known as the switchback trail which is well named.  The trail wasn't as icy and we saw the interesting knotted trees that I need to take of photo of next time we are there.

There were eight walkers and 3 dogs today.  The weather was sunny and though cold, about 8 degrees at 10 AM as we started an hour later, the wind had died down and it was very nice on the trails. We were out for an hour and a half but went at a slow pace because of the conditions.

No photos again!