Columbus Day Weekend 2013

It is not often you get to exercise Thoreau's Civil Disobedience and amuse the Amish in the same day.  Every year we celebrate our wedding anniversary on Columbus Day Weekend, a three day weekend for us living in the Bay state. We spent three days away visiting family, exploring the area, and enjoying all the foliage in abundance.

Saturday we traveled southwest to Pennsylvania and spent a long and enjoyable afternoon with Mike's Mom, two Aunts, and his grandmother, Gammy, who turns 99 on Monday.  The time together was precious and filled with the telling, and retelling, of many amusing stories of the past. Gammy was quite the prankster and successfully pulled pranks on her daughters and husband every April Fool's day.  Mike and I are so grateful we could take the day to be with them all.
While in Williamsport, just before our family visit, I stopped by the Little League World Series field.  I love baseball, but even more than the Red Sox, I love little league.  I love that the kids play their hearts out and aren't even getting paid.  to me, it means more than the professional game.

Saturday night we headed into Somerset, PA, just south of Johnstown to spend the night.  Sleep was essential so we could accomplish all we had planned for Sunday.



As part of this trip we had brainstormed ideas for places to visit in Pennsylvania that we hadn't yet.  The hiker in me has wanted to work on more of the state high point list. When I suggested a hike, Mike was happy to oblige, and support me in this endeavor.  Even better, the Maryland state high point was quoted as only an hour away so we could do both! I had half thought of adding in West Virginia but decided I was pushing it.  As ambitious a hiker as people believe I am, truth be told, I am not a fast hiker, and partly because I don't like to rush through the woods, I like taking my time.  We headed out in the morning to find Pennsylvania's state high point upon Mt. Davis, the highest summit of Negro Mountain in the southwest corner of the state.  We were taken on many backroads, came across an Amish buggy, and smiled knowing we were in Amish country.  The Amish here lived right alongside the non-Amish.  In the deep fog we found the picnic area and High Point Trail Head.  The deep fog would keep us from any great views but the temperature was nice, the foliage was pretty, and the company sweet.  The trail was only a mile and the summit easy to find as it was well marked and had a tall observation tower.  Many interpretive signs at the top pointed out geological features as well as some legends of the area.  Mike took some quick pictures of me reaching my 8th state high point.

Next we headed down to Maryland's state high point found on Backbone Mountain, also in the south western part of the state.  I drove while Mike navigated. We didn't have the greatest service so he did his best to find the shortest route down. At one point he directed me to take a right turn. I was reluctant because the turn would lead us down a dirt road and there were mailboxes at the end indicating it was more of a driveway.  He insisted I go down and assured me that no farmer was going to come running out of the house with a shotgun yelling at me for driving on his property which was exactly what I feared. Next I feared this dirt, muddy road would damage my car with a very low carriage. I could hear our mechanic lecturing me now about driving on some bad roads.


  The road turned from dirt to just a field and then to a trail in the woods. I finally insisted we turn around, there was no way I was driving through the woods.  We did pass a couple who were working on their barn and they said they wondered why we were driving up past them, the last farm.  I did throw Mike under the bus and blamed him and bad directional information.  Turns out it was a road, but a road that had a dead end.  As we turned around we passed a group of Amish folks walking through the field near the "road" and as they saw us they started laughing. I can't be sure but am guessing  they were making fun  of us and our reliance on technology for directions! Even the Cow grazing near the road gave us quizzical looks.

 The farmers helped us navigate back to the main road and we made our way through Maryland and then to West Virginia where the trail begins.  Just before arriving at the trail head we stopped by the acclaimed, maybe not so widely, smallest church and smallest post office in the lower 48 states.  They were well maintained and very cute.  Amazed they are still functional as well!



We found the Maryland trail head right on 219 and parked on the side of the road.  Technically we would be trespassing as this was National Forest Land. There was no tape or signs to close it so inspired by Thoreau, we hiked anyway.  The trail was a lot steeper than PA's but wide and very pretty with all of the foliage.  We ran into one other family hiking for the day.  The sun came out giving us amazing views.  The top had a huge clearing and the summit was well marked with signage.  There was a marker indicating the boundary of Maryland with West Virginia as well.  At the top there was a mailbox with certificates for anyone who completed the climb! First time I have come across that. Mike took my picture with the number 9 indicating my 9th state high point achievement.

Below are a few more pictures from the Backbone Mountain Hike:

After our two hikes and many hours exploring the area, including a stop at a gift store in the small town of Accident, Maryland, we headed back to our Motel. We didn't rest long, we headed north to Johnstown to enjoy a Mexican meal and see the movie "Gravity" in 3D.  Great movie, though wish they had used unknown actors.  

We headed back to Massachusetts on Sunday but included a visit to West Point Military Academy and took a guided tour of the campus.  We learned many interesting historical facts, traditions, and were amazed at the beauty of this very historic site.  This top picture is of the museum, we didn't have enough time to thoroughly explore all of it.  It is the oldest military museum in the country.

 Below is the original military chapel, still operational in practicing protestant services and the site of many weddings after cadets graduate!

 Interior of the chapel. It was neat to see the signatures of previous superintendents at the academy including Douglas MacArthur and William Westmoreland.

 As we left West Point heading north on 9W, I pulled over to snap this quick picture looking down on the campus.

Thanks for reading! Although I wasn't very still during the weekend, the memories made will be well worth it!  Go spend time outside with our Creator :) 

Into the Woods of the Past

This hike took me back in time 400 years to the time of Robin Hood, King Arthur, and Sir Lancelot.  And I crossed one more item off my "to do" list! I finally experienced the King Richard's Faire held every Autumn in Carver, Massachusetts.  My husband and I both dressed up for the occasion to join in the fun.  Very thankful for a friend loaning out costumes for us to use! I chose to be a "lady in waiting" while Sir Michael dressed as my knight in shining armor.  The experience is definitely better when you don costumes.  Here Mike and I are posing with a friend from the faire:

The character's running joke: "please make sure you don't cut my head off in the photo!"
          Another great part of the day was meeting friends from church at the faire.  They had encouraged me to dress up and I am so glad I did!  They have spent a lot of time and creativity on their costumes, making them authentic and part of the ambiance.  Here is a quick pose of myself with them:

The faire was just the right size so you could experience everything in a single visit.  We spent 6 hours there and enjoyed it all.  There is a lot to do for kids as well and anything not appropriate for kids was marked so there were not surprises! Shows were plentiful and repeated throughout the day so you could catch them all!  We saw magicians, agile elderly men, jugglers, fire eaters, crazy women, big cats, and jousting matches.

The shows were very interactive as well inviting folks from the audience to join in and become part of the act! The cat show had several different species of tigers, and a monkey. The liger unfortunately has retired due to his age but hopefully some of his descendants will make an appearance in shows to come!


    This elderly man was quite humorous but so impressive doing tricks while standing on an unsupported ladder and then balancing on just his head while spinning on a doll.  And lots of food to be consumed!  Not cheap but part of the experience.  You buy food tickets in lots of 5, and buy food with your tickets.  Mike had a nice Cesar chicken wrap, and I tried the big turkey leg.  We then had 3 tickets left, just enough for a coffee on a chilly fall day! The turkey was salty and very filling, I couldn't eat even half of it!

Another experience was the visit to the privies-aka toilets!  Your typical trailer portable toilets, glad they were there, but not the fanciest of facilities!

I found a great souvenir-a new journal made with old fashioned tanned leather and recycled paper. Can't wait to finish my current journal so I can start writing in this :)

There were lots of shops, with artisans selling goods they hand make: pewter, wooden bowls/cups/puzzles, glass ornaments, costumes, leather shops, blacksmiths, and many others.  There are a lot of costumes and accessories for sale to create your own ensemble.

There was a final jousting match and our very own Sir Vincent won!

And my husband took a sweet shot of me (trying to look serious) in my favorite setting: the woods:

 

So much fun was had stepping back in time and enjoying the King's woods! 

Fleeting moments

A lot of people say that Fall is the best time to hike. I agree for many reasons-less bugs, perfect temperatures, great lighting conditions, and perhaps the best reason is the short window to see magnificent colors! I love every season for its own reasons but truly do enjoy Fall hiking.  This weekend, my friend and I both are taking it slow for health reasons but still fit in a local, beautiful walk through a park with ponds, bridges and smooth trails.  The trails we experienced are part of Trout Brook park in Holden, MA.

This park is beautiful for just about anyone, of any interest.  Dogs are welcome on leashes, bikers are allowed on most trails, fishing is permitted in the pond, and for treasure seekers there are geocaches, letter boxes and munzees all throughout the park! Lots of nature to behold as well, such as this dragonfly I caught a reflection of:

As I mentioned, my friend and I were taking it easy so just followed a few trails through the forests, over some bridges along the brooks.

One trail led up to a wide open, colorful meadow:

The only downside to the park is that trail maps and markings can be a little confusing, so leave along some breadcrumbs!  There is an old broken down damn a little ways down the brook, and some of the trail blazes are unique, as are the trail names.  This walk proved to be very therapeutic after a busy week and knowing I couldn't take on any strenuous hiking.

Definitely a place I recommend people check out:  http://www.townofholden.net/pages/holdenMA_recreation/troutbrook

Enjoyable anytime of year! One caution, there is hunting allowed on some of the property so wear bright colors during hunting season.  Get outside!!

Mt. Moosilauke: slow and steady

A slow but steady climb up and down Mt. Moosilauke via the Beaver Brook Trail on 28 Sept 2013

One truth that I try to live out is that discovering and pursuing your passions is an important aspect to making your life meaningful. I have found two passions in life, one that I created a living out of: teaching adolescents and the other keeps me healthy, both physically and mentally: hiking.  Friends and family often point out the importance of my faith as well but I can’t really call that a passion, it is more of a necessary component to living just as oxygen is.  The title, “Be Still and Hike” definitely applies to this post as I was feeling very overwhelmed with work, not the teaching part but rather all the other additions to our jobs as teachers as of late, and having a hard time enjoying life, rather was just going through the motions.  I knew a hike would ease some of the tension and was overjoyed finding I had a Saturday free and clear along with a perfect forecast! My goal was to attempt one of the many 4,000 foot mountains in north/central New Hampshire.  A year ago I stumbled upon an old hiking guide from 1972 put out by the Dartmouth (college) Outing Club (DOC) about Mt. Moosilauke.  It drew me in and at my latest book store touring found an updated map book of the area.  By Thursday night I was researching the trails and planning the day.  Due to the drive, I knew this would take all day.  My husband was willing to join me but offered to let me enjoy it alone knowing I treasure solo hikes.  I was a little presumptuous in opting for the “shortest but most beautiful route.”  The fact that the trail was also part of the Appalachian Trail (AT) was another incentive to try it out.  Friday went by quickly and my mind was pretty much on the next day’s hike throughout work.  My husband and I went out Friday night for a “cheap date” to see Nashoba play Wachusett in football (congrats Nashoba!).  I am glad I did because reality hit me that I should plan for a chilly hike.  When we got home I packed and tried my best to fall asleep; always hard to do when you’re excited about the next day’s hike. 

As suspected, I didn’t get up as early as I’d like due to a late night but was out of the house by 8 after eating a huge bowl of oatmeal, my go to meal for any lengthy excursion.  Traffic was delayed three times, twice for construction, once for an accident but I made the trail head parking lot by 10:45 and paid the daily fee of $3.  Normally, I brag about how hiking is great because it’s free but you have to pay for most NH hikes.  I was amazed that the colors were already turning this far north and the blue sky made for a picture perfect day.  It was a little chilly so I kept on my long sleeve shirt and long pants and packed a hat and gloves.  Knowing I had to battle with daylight, I hurried but made sure I had my headlamp and poles.  I have hiked in the night a few times, sometimes on purpose, sometimes not.  Either way have found the headlamp and poles work pretty well to get me back safely. The trail head was clearly marked with signs and a map. I had the map in my bag and headed right on the trail to get going.  I walked quickly so I could summit in plenty of time to enjoy my time on top for a bit as well as leave plenty of daylight for the return trek.  The first sign I came upon listed distances to key aspects of the trail as well as a warning.  Anyone who knows me knows that these warning signs are more of an invitation to me rather than a deterrent.  I was ready for a challenge! Here is the sign:

The most striking component to this trail was the long beautiful cascades coming from Beaver Brook-the trail name.  After crossing a few brooks (another place where poles come in handy) and two bridges it wasn’t long before the trail started to climb and the cascades began.  It was beautiful and I was intrigued by the built in steps nearby.  Here is a picture I took at the start of the climb:

This feeling of intrigue faded quickly, however, as the trail grew steeper, slippery, and steps were accompanied by hand rails due to their precarious locations.  The cascades were beautiful but I didn’t stop long to admire them because so much focus was spent on careful ascension of the wet slippery leave covered rocks.  I kept telling myself this couldn’t last for long and it was better than ice.  Three fourths of the way up I was amazed by the views behind me and focused on the beauty to come at the summit.  

The trail reached a shelter and started to level out at the 1.5 mile mark.  I was unsure about the leveled ground, expecting it to climb again but the trail wasn’t bad at all. There was a trail juncture at 1.9 miles and then the trail became a challenge again as there were more large stones than ground making up the trail.  Again, carefully foot placement was key which is both physically and mentally exhausting. Silently, I often prayed for strength to finish and also wisdom if there was a need to turn back before reaching the summit.  I kept calculating the math in my head of how much time I needed to have enough daylight for the return, particularly for the steep part along the cascades.  Closer to the summit was a beautiful alpine forest with lush moss covering the ground and small pines that smelled like Christmas.  It was moist and muddy but that gave the forest a very healthy feel over the dry ones I hiked in the western part of the country.  The closer I came to the summit, the more hikers I ran into, they were all encouraging me and letting me know I wasn’t far and it was worth it.  I know many people worry about me hiking alone but I honestly feel safer hiking in the woods than I do driving my car on the roadways.  The hikers I meet are always encouraging and pleasant.  I have taken steps to keep safe but won’t go into all those now as I have rambled quite a bit here! Here is a picture of the Alpine forest:

The summit: after a final trail juncture at mile 4, I was only 4/10 of a mile from the summit.  As I often do when fatigued I started counting steps. 250 steps works out to 1/10 of a mile at my stride so I counted down a tenth and then as I started counting again I broke the tree line and my fatigue was all but forgotten by the beauty.  There were very tall rock cairns marking the rest of the trail, lots of hikers mingling about, and magnificent 360 degree views of God’s creation all around.  It was too much to take in.  I did find the summit post, took a picture and then was asked to take a picture of a young man and he gladly took mine as well at the sign.  I took a few other pictures, tried to eat something but typically have no appetite in the midst of hiking.  It was cool at the top and I slipped on my hat and gloves, regretting that I left my coat behind in the car.  I spotted one late north bounder (nobo on the AT) at the summit, reorganizing his gear.  I have learned how to spot a thru hiker by their heavy dirty backpacks and graceful ease of flying on the trail as if they had no weight on their back at all.  Later on I met some newer backpackers, brand new backpacks, short hair, no facial hair, and not so quick on their feet.  I have no excuse but travel quite slow, well at least on steep parts.  Wanting to have as much time as possible to descend I took only a few pictures and then headed back down the way I came. 

The descent: The movement quickly rewarmed me and I made for a quick pace until I hit the boulders.  I took my time on them and could feel my legs lose strength in them. During this time the AT hiker I had spotted on the summit was returning on the trail towards me and asked for the name of the trail.  He seemed worried he had taken a wrong turn.  I assured him he was indeed on the AT North, would hit the shelter soon and road crossing 2 miles later.  I offered him my map and some fruit but he declined and thanked me.  I dream of being a long distance hiker but if I can’t be that then being a trail angel would be my next consideration.  I began to take breaks frequently to hydrate and let my knees rest.  My knees have begun showing signs of arthritis and the moist climate doesn't help the matter in addition to having not had a big hike since mid-summer.  I had promised myself, pride aside, I would take the steep cascades part of the trail very slowly.  Going slowly gave me a lot of time to think.  I also let many hikers pass by, many of whom checked on me to make sure I was ok.  I assured them I was just going slowly.  During some of this thinking time I realized I would struggle as a long distance hiker, especially on steep parts like this with a 30-40 lb backpack on.  At the same time I was having my conversations with God, not out loud unless I just missed a bad slip or fall.  I was grateful to Him for my health to have this hike, his creation to enjoy the beauty, and my husband who encourages me to follow my passions.  I am also learning to be grateful for my job, even on the toughest days and take to heart a lesson learned recently from a friend’s facebook post-that I need to look at others as God sees them.  It’s easy for me to see a student as a good person covered in a lot of tough layers, some of them filled with hurt and frustration.  Naively I assume that adults should be as I expect them to be and I realize all of them have things going on as well.  We are all fighting battles and some don’t have hope, trust, or supportive friends and family to keep them going.  I am grateful to have all of those, in abundance! I did pray aloud at one point as I walked out onto a ledge on the cascades and couldn't see the trail. I walked back up seeing if I missed a turn and watching the sun drop in the horizon panic grew in that I was on a side trail.  I went back out to the ledge and this time looked down, and there they were: the steps and handrails that look so differently when you are descending.  I prayed for strength to get down this steep ledge and thanked God I didn't get lost!  

In the last part of this hike, as I pulled myself over each slippery rock, and even slid on my bottom several times to safety, I never gave up.  I felt a huge triumph as I reach the flat ground and squishy mud under my boots-a sweet sensation after traversing so many rocks.  I happily splashed through the brooks not caring if I got wet as I was already covered in mud.  My car was one of the last in the parking lot but a site I always treasure after a long hike.  I was happy to take my boots off and change my socks and shoes and head on back home feeling so very accomplished.  The hike took 3 hours 20 minutes to summit and another 4 hours to descend with about 20 minutes spent at the summit. 

Some stats including the very slow pace heading back down the cascades at mile 8:  

The Gadabout Bibliophile

Today my wanderings took me away from the woods and dirt paths towards quaint towns and into old mills, a garage, and a barn, all converted into treasure troves of books.  Inspired by an article in Yankee magazine highlighting some of the best used bookstores in New England, I created a day trip for my husband, a fellow book lover, and I to explore some of these unique peddlers.  Typically, I visit bookstores whenever I am exploring a new place; this time it was reversed and we visited new towns while the bookstore was the primary destination.  

Total driving consisted of 269 miles and the day lasted 12 hours.  As time is important to me, I mapped out our potential bookstores as best as I possibly could and estimated the time.  One bookstore in Vermont was too far north and today’s hours could not be confirmed so I took that off the list as well as a bookstore down in Connecticut near the coast.  As the day went on, I had to take off another bookstore, “The Shire” in Franklin, MA due to it’s closing time making it inaccessible later in the day.  To make up for some of the bookstores I couldn't get to, I added one in Brattleboro to our trip and one in Newburyport.  Below is the map of our final trip and we traveled clockwise, another tradition of mine.  

We started the day heading west on route 2 towards Montague, Massachusetts in search of the Book Mill situated on the Sawmill river.  We found it easily enough and were very impressed by the grounds. There were mill buildings painted in a deep red with white trim spread throughout the property adorned with small gardens and stonework walls.  The store wasn’t quite opened so we checked out the attached Lady Killigrew cafe and bar.  This was a welcoming cafe, that offered  great tasting coffee in a comfortable setting with tables chairs in addition to a counter with bar stools.  Before we would leave Mike and I grabbed a lunch to go from their menu. The store opened just after ten and I explored all of their little rooms set up in different places of the mill.  The books were well organized, the store was very clean, and open windows allowed for the soothing sound of the river flowing just outside to drift in while browsing.  The staff were friendly and helpful but not very chatty. The store and cafe offered free wifi and several folks were taking advantage of that both at cafe tables and throughout the bookrooms in makeshift desks and comfortable sitting chairs.  I found the prices reasonable and selection satisfactory.  This is a bookstore and cafe I would definitely revisit!

http://www.montaguebookmill.com/

And here is the Cafe-the book store is to the right and river just outside the windows:

Next we headed to Vermont on our way to some New Hampshire bookstores. Since we were passing near Brattleboro, I used my “Yelp” app to research any decent used bookstores.  Brattleboro Books came up and had good reviews so we set the gps to the mountain view town.  Again, we were able to locate it no problem but did have to pay for parking.  $.60 and hour isn’t too steep though! This bookstore was compact and was packed with books.  The prices were a little high compared to the previous bookstore but reasonable.  It didn’t take me long to browse the store and find some more hiking companion books.  The store owner was polite and helpful here as well. http://www.brattleborobooks.com/  As we left, we headed to a bookstore across the street, Everyone’s Books, they sell new books for “Social Justice and the Earth.” Pretty large store with a lot of local interest and helpful staff.  http://www.everyonesbks.com/  

After a brief visit in Vermont we drove into New Hampshire’s small towns.  We drove along route 9 and passed two of my recent hiking spots: Mt. Pisgah and Chesterfield Gorge.  Henniker is the home of New England College and a had lots of traffic due to the weekend being move in weekend for their students. We found the Old Number Six Book Depot off on a side street in a residential home.  There was a sign out front otherwise we would have not believed it was a bookstore.  Parking was available in a large driveway and the entrance was just passed a cluttered porch to a former garage.  We were greeted right away and overtaken with the size of the store.  It was a lot larger than it seemed from the outside.  This was by far the largest collection of books I’ve ever seen, probably more than most libraries.  The owner, Ian Morrison, is a former history professor from NEC, and very personable.  When I asked him if he turned his book collecting into a business he laughed it off and said it wasn’t a collection, it was a disease.  He started collecting books on history and wanted to own everyone, and then started to collect bargain books, and it just grew from there. Despite the extensive collection, it was amazingly organized.  Some of the categories were on topics I haven’t even heard of like “Pulsars and Quasars.” This is a bookstore I highly recommend everyone who loves books try to visit.  It had the biggest collection, was organized by topic and author, and the owner was the friendlies gentleman! I had to use the restroom (another plus!) and he told me to follow the pink string.  Sure enough, there was a pink string near the entrance and it ran along the floor by book shelves, up the stairs and past more bookshelves, through several rooms and ended at the restroom way off to the corner.  Another fascinating aspect of this store were the comics he had taped along the ends of bookshelves, I had fun reading many of them when I wasn't looking over book titles.  http://www.hennikerbookdepot.com/

The entrance is through the door of the dark brown building, past the porch collection of items:

Here is a video Mike took wandering through the store: bookstore walk through tour

Our second bookstore to visit in New Hampshire would bring us down to North Hampton along route 1.  We found the location easy enough in a large yellow barn.  There were For Sale signs posted all over it but they were open.  The staff shared that sadly, due to lack of business, they would need to sell and relocate all the books, probably to Maine in a warehouse.  He was very friendly and personable. He shared part of the history of the store and the demise of both Antique and book stores due to many adults just not shopping at them anymore.  This barn was filled floor to ceiling with paintings, antiques, books and other artifacts.  There was a strong musty smell in the barn that was divided into many rooms on two floors, fifteen rooms alone for the books! Many of the books were in ziplock bags which made it difficult to pick up and flip through, the prices were a bit high and it was difficult to navigate through the rooms.  I do wish the owners good luck, their collection was definitely impressive.  http://www.drakefarmbooks.com/

It was not almost five in the evening and we wanted to try to hit one more store.  It was too late to go to Franklin, MA so we looked for bookstores near 495 and found several in Newburyport, MA.  We headed down to the Tannery Mill stores and visited the Jabberwocky Bookshop, a real treasure!  Their collection wasn’t as large as some of the previous stores but it was new, staff very helpful and pleasant, and it included a great toy store! I found a book I had been looking for and we really enjoyed the atmosphere of the renovated Tannery Mill.  http://www.jabberwockybookshop.com/  

Lastly, we were hungry since lunch was eaten shortly after our first bookstore so we hoped to find seafood in the Newburyport area.  We were very fortunate to get seating at the Starboard Galley Grille and have an ocean view while we ate.  Their food was prepared quickly and tasted amazing!!  I tried Fisherman’s stew for the first time, excited it was gluten free, and loved it.  After a long fulfilling day we headed home.  I disciplined myself to write this before opening up any of my newly purchased books! I made sure to buy at least one from each shop, not a problem at all!!  Primarily I bought new hiking companion guides but also some books on/by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  Not a bad day: lots of book browsing, New England rivers, Lighthouses, a visit to the ocean, mountain views, old mills, lots of history, great tasting seafood, small towns, and of course, great company!  Thanks Michael for accompanying me on my little bookstore adventure! Oh by the way, we agreed that our favorite of the day was Old Number Six Book Depot :)