North Pack Monadnock

We are in New Hampshire for the long weekend, visiting old friends.  When planning the visit, Susie had suggested we could all go on a hike together, and of course I was excited by the notion.  However, after being here a while, it seemed unlikely.  They have two-year old twins (two years and eight or nine months), and that is just about the hardest age for hiking with kids: not yet able to hike far on their own, but way too heavy to carry very far.  I suspect hiking with Frankie could have been a motivating factor for the girls, the way it is for Alden.  However, these girls are in a serious nap resistance phase, and having company was not helping them go to sleep.  Susie suggested we three sneak out for a hike while she and Jason tried to strong arm the girls into a nap.  We were disappointed they couldn't join us, but definitely game for a hike.  We planned to meet up for soup in Peterborough post hike/nap. 

Susie sent us to Old Mountain Road to hike the Wapack Trail up to the summit of North Pack Monadnock.  Apparently, it is a short hike with great views.  I can confirm that it a short hike, along a super nice trail through charming and interesting forest, with the ever popular bog bridges and fun rocky ledges.  However, the summit was in a cloud, so I can't comment on the views.  Because of the low clouds, we did not continue along the Cliff Trail to make a lollipop loop; Susie had said it was worth it if there were views, but there weren't any, and we were all hungry and still hoping to meet up, so we headed back down.

Unfortunately, meeting up for soup afterwards didn't really pan out.  Jason and Susie had no better luck getting the girls down for a nap with us gone, so loaded them up and drove to Peterborough.  Apparently the girls slept some in the car, so that was good, but the hike took us longer than Susie had predicted, so we were still on the mountain when they arrived in town to eat.  Our slower pace is no surprise, of course.  Frankie is a great hiker, but velocity isn't necessarily his strength (or mine, for that matter).  Also, the conditions weren't optimal for speed.  It didn't rain on us during the hike, but rained much of the morning, and part of the drive over.  The wet leaves and rocks were slippery!  We all skidded a few times, no big spills, but extra caution was definitely required.  I am so happy we went, and looks forward to future visits when the girls are bigger and ready to take on the world.  Jason said he wants to take them up the 48.  Take me, too!

monkey see, monkey do

The out-and-back to the top of North Pack Monadnock is about 3 miles round trip, with about 850 feet elevation gain.  This portion of the trail is located in the Wapack National Wildlife Refuge, but the trail continues south, crossing through the Joanne Bass Bross Preserve, Miller State Park, and beyond, all the way down into Massachusetts.  It turns out the Wapack Trail is a 21.5-mile spur of the Appalachian Trail.  It also has the distinction of being the first interstate hiking trail established in the United States, first opening in 1923.  And that is definitely very cool!  So now, of course, I want to hike the rest of it.  More, more, always more... I am greedy like that.