Sometimes you’re in a spot in life and you wonder, why did I put myself in this situation? Then, hopefully, you try to convince yourself that it is because the hard and scary moments in life are the ones that make it worth living. Well, I’m sure the people throughout history that said those cliché lines like, “what comes easy won’t last, what lasts won’t come easy” said them after the fact. I mean, who really believes that in the moment? It is just something used to get by, and that’s exactly what I’m trying to do, get by.
My life has been pretty good, and in a lot of ways I’d say pretty easy. The challenges I’ve had have all been ones I could face and overcome, to some extent or another. Sure, I’ve failed, had my heartbroken, and broken bones. Both physical and mental pain has come my way, but usually I try to avoid it; don’t most of us? It’s a scary, anxious feeling to be facing some sort of pain, but to avoid it doesn’t make sense in the long the run, according to those cliché sayings I was talking about above. Maybe, that’s why I did this, to face a fear? That would be nice, to think of this effort as a brave one. Or, it could’ve been the whim that it was; you know my spontaneous nature making yet another decision for me. Was I fed up for working for the man? We look for simple answers to questions that are posed simply, but in reality they are not that simple, and that is the case here. All I know is that I am in a town where I know no one, starting my own farm, with about as much experience farming as the amount of people I know here, 0.
I came home from Mexico because of the corona virus, my plans of staying in Latin America uprooted, and that’s okay. When I arrived back in Massachusetts I needed to adapt to the present situation, a pandemic. Well, I don’t have experience with that, and turns out nobody alive on this earth has experience with it, so I began pondering how I could adapt, what could I do? Hmmm, a go to with so much time is to get a job and work, check. See old friends, check. Spend quality time with family, check. Get back in shape, check. But I wanted more. You could even say I needed more because I’m a dreamer, that’s what I do, I daydream.
Ever since I was a little boy I can remember daydreaming long hours away in school, thinking of adventures and different scenarios and how I would handle them. Here I am, 26, and not much has changed, except for the fact that I now have the independence to act on them (oh how I long for childhood boundaries again). The new job I got when I was home was for a farm, which incorporates a side of ecology, being outdoors, service to others, and hard labor; four things I really can get behind for a day well spent. Naturally, I began dreaming about getting out of my parents house, and not working for somebody else, while farming. Now, I don’t know exactly when it turned from a daydream to a reality, but it did.
Here I am typing this, getting my thoughts out, trying to figure this all out for myself, from my room in Vermont, fifteen minutes down the road from the newly leased farm. There is so much opportunity that I have stumbled upon here. From the land itself to the connection I’ve made with the person who owns the land. Now I’m wondering, pondering, sometimes even fretting if my skills, capabilities and knowledge will match the amount of opportunity. Can I make it happen? The truth is yes. I can and I know it. I also, know it won’t be any easy feat. But hey, as another cliché saying says, “the fundamental level of success is doing the hard things first. If you go for the feared thing first, the rest of the day is easy”. Maybe that’s why I made this decision; I’m just trying to make the rest of my days easier.
Author: Kurt Kauppinen
Arctic Happenings
Quick recap: I ended up at a husky farm, which was not suitable for me (due to floor scrubbing n’ more). I quickly scooted out of there and had an amazing night in the wilderness, before the start off my next day brought me to my next journey. Hopping on a bus, headed to a new husky farm, which I barely spoke with, I wondered, “what am I doing, and will I even be picked up at the bus stop?” Having my worries relieved I was picked up and told I’d be training 26 dogs for a 1,200 km race, while living in a tiny home.
Puppies will NOT be still for a picture 🙂
Have you ever noticed how leaving a familiar place and making a change can be nerve racking, even if that familiar place was one that you disliked? I was nervous arriving on this husky farm called Akaskero, which is home to over 500 dogs. I Wondered if the people were going to like me, if I would like them, and heck, what being around 500+ dogs would bring.
I step out of the car and the first person I meet is Jerry, a famous veterinarian from the U.S. who is travelling all around Europe to teach about dog handling and care. In the first few hours of my experience at Akaskero, I’m filled with knowledge, exactly what I was looking for from this experience. The workers come up to me, they introduce themselves, I’m taken care of, brought to a grocery store, and then have a beer with a French and a German. What was I thinking? People seem to be caring, and want to do good no matter where you go. This just strengthens my belief that people are innately “good” and needless to say (but I will say it anyways :p), my worries fade.
slabs of local Norwegian Salmon in the kota
My worries for hunger fade too as I find myself the next night sitting around an open fire in a Kota. Salmon is being cooked in the traditional Finnish way with it nailed to a board and stood next to the fire. My senses are being filled, shadows dancing from the fire light, the smell of roasting salmon, the feel of thick reindeer fur under me, and the sounds of three different languages being spoken around me at once. A smile pops on my face as I revel in the present moment.
The northern lights, which were talked about in “Winterdance” (poor camera quality)
Of course, with all the foreign languages being spoken, I find myself speaking my native tongue with the only American, Jerry. We reminisce about New England, the clam chowdah, Dunkin Donuts (no donuts were harmed in the making of this blog), and of course he says, “pahk the cah in the hahvahd yahd.” Man, if I had tickle for every time I had heard that maybe it’d actually be a genuine laugh. But in all seriousness, it’s intriguing exploring the world of dog sledding through Jerry’s mind, and come to find out he knows Gary Paulsen, the author who wrote the book that inspired this journey of mine. Actually, he doesn’t only know him, but is good friends with him. I tell Jerry about “Winterdance” and its influence on me, and he laughs saying, “I trained and gave Gary 4 of the dogs that he ran the Iditarod with in that book.” I begin to realize the interconnectedness of it all, and feel I am where I should be.
duh tiny abode
This feeling was only heightened after I crossed the border to Sweden and I arrived at my tiny house. Nowadays I wake up with a view from my front porch of the dog kennel where 26 racing dogs live. These dogs are super athletes. Yes, they have names like Zephyr, Kobuk, Yeti, but really the names should be like Dean Karnazes, Scott Jurek, Floyd Mayweather, or Tom Brady. Actually, that just wouldn’t do them justice because these dogs, in terms of endurance, blow any human being out of the water.
The other day, for an easy training day, they did over 75km, more than a marathon, and not to mention while pulling an ATV. But that’s what you gotta do when training for a 1,200 km race. What gives these incredible animals the real upper hand in nature and allows them to perform these races is their bodies’ ability to switch their metabolism to burn fat, compared to humans who mainly run off of carbohydrates. In a race of 1,200km, the dogs will burn about 12,000 calories a day and they’re only 40-60 lb beings. Imagine this, an 8 year old boy taking down 24 big macs! Now the documentary “Super Size Me” didn’t shut down McDonalds, but I have a feeling seeing that would.
On that easy training day, we had put the dogs on the gangline and they were ready to run. The excitement from the dogs was unreal. The only thing I could compare it to is a bag of popcorn in the microwave, but instead of kernels popping, it’s jumping barking huskies. They were off, and with power! The training session ends because the musher of 30 years who I am learning under decides the dogs feet are getting too banged up from the rough ground. This is what makes a good musher, knowing the dogs. It’s really not about driving the sled as much as building a relationship with the animals. Dog sledding is not a science, it’s a philosophy.
Playing fetch with my favorite dog, Rusty.
This is where I went wrong. Coming here I had this Western mindset, I wanted to be told everything, to have all the information given to me, and be rich with knew knowledge. But in an art where there is no right way of doing it, only wrong ways, this is not how it is mastered. Sure, I could ask “what” and “who” is this? I would get the answer that is an Alaskan husky and his name is Rusty, but that tells me nothing about the true nature of the dog. All it does it categorize him so that I can tell him apart from another breed and another Alaskan husky. However, to truly understand and know the dog one must observe it with a silent mind. In Taoism this is called kuan or “wordless contemplation.” This is the secret to the art of mushing.
Maybe this wordless contemplation is what the Chukchi tribe discovered 4,000 years ago in order to use sled dogs to survive. When this nomadic tribe hitched the first dog to a sled it allowed them to extend their hunting grounds in a time of food scarcity. A relationship was formed between two different species, which relied on each other for survival in the harsh Siberian conditions. In order for this to continue the musher needed to know the dogs, and the dogs needed to know they could trust the musher. If the musher observed the dogs, and could see what was best for them, then the dogs trusted him/her.
The skies look like this for the majority of the hours of light.
This is essentially what I am trying to recreate, but without the “survival castaway” drama. I am doing this with 26 dogs, and at the end of the day I find I’m happy. But the weird thing is by society’s standards I shouldn’t be. I’m living in a small house on the back of a truck, I constantly pull dog hair out of my mouth, I don’t have much money and am making none, the little clothes I do have smell like dog, and there is 2 hours of light a day (we lose 25 minutes of light a day, so if you divide, add, do an algebra equation and carry the 1…that means the sun will not rise in 5 days!). However, just typing that out gets me stoked! We need to define happiness for ourselves. Maybe you do define happiness by the million dollar job, the large house, or being famous, but I would challenge you to think critically about that. Go out, learn what it is that makes your insides sing and do it.
Customers heading out!
Arctic (Mis)Happenings
Latitude 46 degrees north, 203 kilometers into the arctic circle, 243 sled dogs, and I’m 2 weeks in with a 14 hour a day 6 days a week schedule. Sleep is lacking. It sounds like a shitty situation, and as I put my right foot down into a fresh pile of dog poop, I hear a squish, I almost slip, and then realize how literal that term is. Over the past 2 weeks I’ve become a master pooper scooper, and a detailed analyzer of all things excreted. Now I’m struggling to understand why I’m here.
I have to think back to why I came – it was for knowledge. I wanted to learn how to train, take care of, and of course, run sled dogs in the arctic.
Bering trying to figure out how to get that treat 🙂
How does one come to want this in life? It’s simple, from Gary Paulsen, you remember him, the young adult author who wrote “Hatchet.” Turns out not only are his characters in his books bad asses, but he’s one too. Plainly put, with no science behind it, Paulsen ran the Iditarod and wrote a book about his experiences called “Winterdance” and this inspired the hell out of me, and from that point on I knew I needed to learn how to run dogs.
Fast forward two years from that read; I’m in the arctic circle of Finland, next door to where dog sledding originated some 4,000 years ago in the cold winds of Russia’s Lake Baikal. I’m here on a work exchange with a husky farm called Hetta Huskies. I give my labor and in return I learn the things I talked about wanting to learn. The reality though is only one end of this deal is being upheld, and fortunately for me, it’s my side. You know, it’s always worst for you to not keep your word than it is for someone to not keep their word to you. I see that it’s hard to teach someone when you have 243 dogs. All you have time for is to tell them what to do. It’s been a blur. Cutting 110 lbs of frozen meat a day with a hatchet (36,500 lbs a year!), 
harnessing, running, de-harnessing, petting puppies, feeding, cleaning, annnd breath. So, now that I’m across the Atlantic in a foreign country what, do I do? Do I keep cleaning the women’s house who owns the business, or get out?
Well damn right I didn’t come over to my ancestor’s country to find myself literally scrubbing the floor of some Brit! Sayonara and tah-tah Mo-F@$#%! I say as I walk out (in my mind of course:)).
I believe if something isn’t going right, change it. There might be some guilt there, as there was in my situation. I felt bad leaving early, and even worse when it wasn’t received well. I made a mistake. It’s okay, We all make them; lets try and leave the guilt behind because mistakes are how we learn. We shouldn’t let guilt hold us back from changing our existing situation. Instead of feeling guilty, and accepting our position, admitting our mistakes and changing them is what’s best.
I was now on the foreign streets of the 800 person town, walking with just a backpack. I was disappointed, I felt like a failure. I had come all this way for a dream, and now where was I? Where was I going? I figured I’d go to the one camping spot on top of a hill I had heard of, and only heard of. “There’s a fireplace on top of that hill over there” and “If you go up that hill there’s a 3 sided shelter on top” were the two things I’d heard. I swear Forrest Gump’s voice came into my head and said “you just gotta walk up the hill” and in a true Miley Cyrus fashion I made the climb. As I did I realized I had a lot of happiness flowing through my veins because of where I was at, and my new situation. This is exactly why I had left Hetta – I was unhappy. It didn’t matter that I was unsure if the future would be better or worse, because what I had learned from my mistake at Hetta was I could always change my situation if needed. Or did I learn anything at all?
“It’s too cold to get up”
Because at that moment I decided that the next day I was going to go to another husky farm.
With the decision made I reached the peak. Upon arrival I saw a suh-weet Kota, a tipi like structure that the indigenous Sammi used, with a giant fireplace, and wood already there. Score! A fire and roasted garlic is all I needed while listening to some podcast I’d never remember as I fell asleep.
I woke up to an awe-inspiring sun rise that was like a symbol of rebirth from my old situation into my new beginning in Lapland. I scrambled around to get my camera, taking pictures, then 15 minutes later again, and again. Each time thinking it’s the most beautiful part of the sun rise. 
Anyone who’s tried to capture the beauty of the sun rising or setting knows how this goes. Except this far north the sun rises for about 2 hours, so you have more than two ticks, as the English would say. I felt like a squirrel at a full bird feeder, taking the food and scramblin’ back for more, but the food wasn’t going anywhere.
With the morning sun risen the day was in full swing. Skeptical and faithless, but trusting nonetheless in my plan I hopped on a bus towards the new husky farm. I had no phone, no wi-fi, and apparently I was being picked up by the owner who I had exchanged e-mail with maybe twice. The obvious question crossed my mind, what if he’s not there? Golly, I didn’t even think of plan B, but I figured I’d get to that letter if that part of the alphabet needed to be sung. It didn’t. I was picked up in a Volkswagen truck, and told I’d be living in a tiny house while helping train 26 dogs for a 1,200 km race. Lets see where this brings me.
Look at all those furry butts!
33 Winter Backpacking and Camping Tips
Being out in the winter brings on new challenges, which calls for different ways of overcoming these challenges safely and efficiently during your trip than any other season. You must be prepared with appropriate gear, enough experience for the adventure you’re embarking on, and an adequate amount of research (area, weather and etc.). The list of my 33 winter backpacking and camping tips are bits of knowledge I have accumulated from experience, research and advice from other experienced outdoorsmen. However, this list does not contain everything you need to know (none the less a lot) and if after reading it there are any questions or other tips you have please comment and I will try my best to answer any questions.
1.) Take in about 4,000-6,000 calories a day.
– body burn more in winter to stay warm
– take foods you like, you’ll be eating a lot
+ Carbohydrates (50-60% of caloric intake) burn quick for fast energy.
-simple sugars (kindling for fire in body) ex. Chocolate and most candies
-complex sugars (sticks for fire in body) ex. Pasta and rice
+ Fats (25-30% of caloric intake) take the longest to metabolize, providing long term energy.
– These are the logs to the fire in your body
-ex. Pre-cooked meats, cold cuts and butter
+ Proteins (20% of caloric intake) are the building blocks of tissue (recovery and repair) and hold off hunger
– These are also logs to the fire in your body
– ex. Pre-cooked meats and jerky
2.) Drink 2-4 quarts of water a day.
– 1 quart = 32 fluid oz.
– Can always melt snow in a pot, but not pure snow, meaning you need to mix water in a pot with snow (snow won’t melt just on its own)
3.) Eat while moving (don’t take long lunch breaks) so you don’t cool down and need more layers when stopping.
– have food and water in reachable areas to avoid taking off your pack and stopping
4.) Cook dinner before dark (it’ll be much warmer).
– use a white gas stove, they don’t freeze
– don’t touch white gas bottle with bear hands it will be extremely cold since they don’t freeze
5.) Don’t sweat! Don’t shiver!
– keep taking off or adding layers when necessary so you maintain a comfortable temp. (you’re going to be doing this a lot)
6.) Don’t let any pieces of clothing touch the ground (ex. When taking off gloves put in chest area of jacket).
7.) Bring a thermos so you can have hot drinks on the trail or when you awake.
8.) Be very organized.
9.) Sleep with boots in sleeping bag and socks on thigh area (to dry).
– Put boots in bag (stuff sack) so they don’t get your sleeping bag or you wet
10.) Bring both gloves and mittens.
– mittens for warmth
– gloves for dexterity
– and both for a back up
11.) Use two sleeping bags to insulate yourself from the snow and or cold ground.
12.) Fuel plan on using 1/4 quart per day per person if you’re melting snow and 1/8 quart if not melting snow per person.
– Bring one extra day’s worth of fuel in case of bad weather (same goes for food)
13.) Do not eat snow. It can lead to hypothermia.
14.) Water can be stored in a pot overnight by boiling and then burying in snow (snow is a great insulator).
15.) Can store water bottles upside down to keep the mouth and cap from freezing. Also put vaseline around the mouth of the cap to keep it from freezing.
– use a wool sock to insulate water bottle and keep from freezing
16.) Stomp down snow on campsite area, use snowshoes if available then let snow sit for a few minutes.
– stomping snow will melt it a little, let it sit and freeze
17.) Cold temperatures decrease battery life, bring extras.
18.) Bivy sack adds about 10 degrees Fahrenheit to sleeping bag.
– no room for gear or bag bring cover for it
– never breathe inside bivy sack or sleeping bag it will create condensation and get wet
19.) Go to bed early (when sun sets it will be cold) and wake up late (sunrise will warm the earth).
20.) 3 ways to warm up.
– move
– eat
– layer up
21.) Eat a fatty warm meal with protein before bed; fats metabolize slower and will last longer.
– cheese will give you vivid dreams “Sweet dreams are made of cheese”
22.) Can lose up to 70% of body heat from head.
– old saying “If you’re feet are cold put on a hat”
23.) Don’t constrict the blood flow to feet/toes by wearing too many socks or tightening boots too much.
24.) Water mixed with something such as Gatorade will freeze at a lower temp.
25.) Be aware of signals your body is sending you.
– examples: shivering, mumbling, numbness, skin color
26.) When stopping add layer before you cool off too much (stopping long enough to cool down).
27.) You can cool off quicker than you can warm up.
28.) Be flexible in your route plan. If weather or other circumstances change, your route or trip may need to be cut short for safety.
– “sometimes you need to wimp out so you can wimp out again”
29.) Put extra layers inside sleeping bag in case you get cold at night. Also warm layers up in bag before putting them on in the morning.
30.) Put Nalgene with hot water in sleeping bag when going to bed, this will warm up any part of your body you need it to (ex. Feet).
31.) Keep food by you when sleeping (help you warm up) and a thermos in your sleeping bag in case you need a hot drink to warm up in the night.
32.) Wear a custom necklace with skin protection (for face or exposed areas), a whistle and any other small necessities (compass) on it.
33.) Know how to appropriately use all your equipment and know that it all works.
– test and check gear before going out. Always can look up how-to-use videos
Winter backpacking is a great experience with little to no crowds. This is brings more peace to your hike, but also more danger. Let someone know where you are headed (route plan) and when you plan to be back (day and time). In addition to this leaving your route plan under the seat to your car is a good idea. I hope you can all get out during this time of the year to safely and responsibly enjoy the great outdoors!
Mt. Hancock (4420′) and South Hancock (4319′) Loop
About a mile in on flat and easy terrain the sun began to hit the top of the trees of the forest I was in. As this was happening I heard the birds begin to chirp, it was if they were waking up and wishing all the living things around a good morning. After pausing and taking in the experience I kept hiking/jogging to the first junction of the hike (1.8 miles in). Here there are signs from the AMC that will guide you to the peaks of Mt. Hancock and South Hancock, follow the sign. Then hike another .7 miles on flat easy terrain to the second junction of the hike. Take the right,
Sign for second junction (Thanks AMC!)
following the sign that says Hancock loop (pictured right). Then proceed another 1.1 miles to a trail split. Up until this trail split all the terrain on the hike is easy and mostly flat. During the time of year I went (early January) you will need microspikes for the ice on the trail and the river crossings. Once at the trail split to begin the Hancock Loop trail you will have the option to go right to South Hancock or left to Mt. Hancock; I chose to go up south Hancock first because the trail to the summit was a little shorter. This trail is quite steep, however once at the top (.5 miles) you can walk about 30 feet to a lookout and get some humbling views. The views will remind you how small you are and that humans don’t rule the whole earth. This southeast view looks out into complete wilderness as far as I could see and there was no sign of human impact in sight (roads, houses etc.). After taking in your view start your journey to the second peak walking the 1.4 mile ridge. This was such a peaceful and easy ridge hike and my favorite part of
icicles formed that fell to make a pretty sound on their journey to the ground
the hike, partly because of the few, but pretty ridge views. Also the icicles that had formed on the pine needles kept falling off and making a wind chime type of sound, adding more amazement to the adventure. You arrive next at the 3 way intersection at the top of Mt. Hancock, follow the sign to the southwest outlook only about 100 yds away. The views are great, and again you have no sight of
View from outlook on Mt. Hancock
human impact as far as I could see. Next follow the sign that says loop junction (.7 miles) down to the trail split from earlier. This trail is steep so take your time on it. Once you arrive follow the signs and take the trail out the same way you came in. back to the road, which you will cross, up to the parking lot where your car still is (hopefully). CHEERS!
FYI
- The trail starts about 600 feet down and across the road from where you park (Hancock overlook)
- If you are doing this hike in the winter bring microspikes and snowshoes. I didn’t need snowshoes, but bring for good measure especially if there is new snow on the ground.
- The trail is easy and flat for the first 3.6 miles then it becomes very steep.
- There are a couple of small river crossings, nothing deep or major, but be careful on them especially in the cold when there is ice.
- Bring enough food and water for the total 8.6 mile hike. took me about 3.5 hours with a good amount of jogging.
Getting There
Exit 32 off of I-93. Head east on the Kancamagus highway (Rt.12) like you are heading to Loon Mountain. It is about 20 minutes from exit 32 or about 10 minutes (7.5 miles) after you pass Loon Mountain. You will take a very sharp turn before the parking lot, on this sharp turn there is a sign that says parking 600 feet; by this sign is where the trail head begins. Park your car in the Hancock Overlook, walk to the end of the parking lot to where there is a trail, take this down to the road, cross and begin your hike!!
Mt. Moosilauke (4,802ft) and South Peak (4,523 ft)
An amazing hike, one of my favorites that will give you great views for not too much of a climb. I started this hike up
White trail markers to follow
the glencliff trail. It starts off real pretty and easy taking you through a couple of fields where you can look up and see the mountains you’re about to climb hovering over you. In the first .4 miles the trail enters the forest and then splits, stay left on the glenncliff trail. following the white trail markers for 2.6 miles (which has really only one steep section the whole way) until you reach the South Peak junction. Here you will come to orange trail signs, make sure you follow the one that says “Southpeak .2 miles”. Once y
ou take this trail you will have spectacular 360 degree views at the peak and will be able to see the ridge that goes right up to Mt. Moosilauke. This first peak is an ideal spot for a break or just taking in the sights. Then go back down to the junction and follow the orange sign (pictured right) that says Moosilauke summit .9 miles. The ridge over to Moosilauke is so nice and flat and you may have the urge to run it! Once you start ascending again get your cameras ready because you will be entering the alpine zone (above tree line). After the total 3.9 mile hike (4.1 with south peak) out you have reached the top of Moosilauke and boy are the views something else! On the day I went we were above the clouds and spent as much time as we could up there. So much that we couldn’t do the loop we wanted to so we went back down the way we came. Once you’ve finished your roughly 8 miles (6.5 hours) of hiking for the day you will be back on the old logging road you started on and then back to the parking lot, where hopefully your car still is!
Views from the top of Moosilauke
FYI
- This hike does not have a whole lot to it. The biggest thing is be prepared! Weather can turn quickly up in the mountains and especially in the alpine zone.
- If the weather turns and you are not prepared for it do not go into the alpine zone because the conditions will only get more extreme here.
- Make sure you have enough food and water for the 8 mile hike (always better to be over prepared)
- Follow the signs and you’ll be good!
Getting There
Getting to the trailhead in Glencliff, NH is pretty straight forward, however the first turn off of Rt. 25 onto High St. can be easily missed. Starting your way to the trailhead take exit 26 off of I-93 onto Rt. 25 West, stay on this route taking the first exit on the rotary you come to. After the rotary you stay on 25 West (merges with 118 for a bit) for 20
Parking lot sign for trailhead
miles until you see High st (Glencliff,NH) on your right. Stay on High St. for about 1.2 miles until you see the parking lot on your right. FYI if you cross the town line past Glencliff you have gone too far and missed the High st. tu
rn. Also the parking lot is right across from a healthcare facility sign (pictured right)
Tenney Mountain (2,349 ft)
Today I wanted to do a fairly easy, short hike near me, so I decided on Tenney mountain. This ski resort mountain has been closed for the past few years, but is in the stages of re-opening for the 2015-2016 season. This makes the hiking a bit easier since the trails are cleared just like on any other ski mountain. There are ski maps around the base
Condition of the trails with a nice views of the land and rainbow.
of the mountain that you can look at before starting your hike to pick the route you want. However, if you are looking for a more gradual and a bit longer of a hike there is a dirt road that winds up to the top. Either way the trails are cleared with good footing and nice views the whole way up; although it can get muddy and wet so be prepared. Once at the top you are greeted with a wide northeastern view. You will be able to see the windmills on the ridge to your north and a large amount of other mountains in the Plymouth area. The top is a great place to be this time of year since there is almost no one up there (I saw no one the whole time). Also you can either sit on the chair lift or the other chairs they have up there, which are great for unwinding, reflecting or maybe just have a snack.
Views at the summit on top of the chair lift.
Once you’re ready to come down you can take any route you prefer; since all the trails lead to the resort you don’t need to worry much about getting lost.
FYI
- Look at the maps on the base before you get on the trails. You will be able to tell the steepness of the trail by its difficulty rating on the ski map.
- You can still come and do this hike mid-winter just know the trails will have skiers on them so wear your snowshoes or ski skins and stay on the side of the trail.
Getting There
From interstate 93 take exit 26 onto Rt. 25 headed West. Stay on this route until you come to a big rotary you will take your second exit on this rotary, which brings you onto route 3A. Drive on 3A for about 1.8 miles and the Tenney Mountain Resort you will be off of it on your right hand side. There is a big sign that you can’t miss. Pull in, drive up and you will have arrived at your destination. Hop out of your vehicle ready for a great local hike!
Sign off of Route 3A where you will pull into.
Pemigewasset River (Livermore to Plymouth)
Hanging out in an eddy at Livermore right before doing a peel out.
With this indian summer we’ve been having this winter in New Hampshire I decided to take the canoe out after hitting the slopes at Loon Mountain this morning. That doesn’t happen very often. So I took advantage of this nice weather and decided to go down the Pemigewasset River. My friend Becky and I started at Livermore Falls in Campton, NH and ended up right behind the courthouse in Plymouth, NH. It was a fun 1.5-2 mile stretch of the river where you go over a few rapids mainly all class 1 with maybe an EASY class 2, all depending on the CFS that is. Today the CFS was 846 this means 846 square foot cubes of water are moving past a single point in one second. Make sure to check the CFS before you go out on any moving body of water. With that being said this part of the river is doable for a beginner to novice paddler at the CFS we had today (give or take some). When starting you can park in the dirt parking lot of Livermore Falls, next portage your canoe down to the beach where you will see an abandoned bridge and this is where you put in. You will be right above the first rapid and you are now at the start of your adventure, which shouldn’t take you more than 45 min. You know you are close to the end when you go under the I-93 bridge in Plymouth, this is only about 1/3 of a mile to the end. Then once you get to the courthouse there will be a boat launch to take your canoe easily out. Grab your second car that you parked by the courthouse, there is 25 cents an hour parking or you can go right past the senior center where there is free parking in the dirt parking lot. Strap your canoe up, go get your other car and you have completed yet another adventure! If you have done this part of the river good for you, it is serene, wild and beautiful, all in one!
FYI
- Check the CFS
- Too little CFS and the river will be too shallow to paddle in some parts
- The higher the CFS the more water will be flowing, which means the rapids will be more difficult
- Wear a PFD
- Park one car at the beginning and one at the end (unless you have another plan)
- You can portage around any of the rapids you don’t feel comfortable going over
- You can make this trip longer if you choose (both distance and time)
Getting There
To get to Livermore Falls ,travelling on I-93 take exit 25 onto Holderness Rd. (175A). Then in one mile you take a left onto Rt.175 , travel on this road for about 1.8 miles until you see Livermore Rd. on your left. Take this left and not far up you will see a dirt parking lot on your left where you can park your vehicle. There is gate that you will portage your canoe past and down to the beach.
Getting to the courthouse or senior center near where you will park your second vehicle take exit 25 off I-93 as well. Go right onto Holderness Rd. (Rt.175A) and take the first left right before the rotary onto Green st. All the way at the end is the free parking in the dirt parking lot. Between the courthouse and the dirt parking lot you can pay to park for 25 cents an hour.
Adventure Challenge #1 Completed ✔
It was nearing the end of October and another month’s rent was going to be due. I was not happy with the commute I was taking everyday to my University so I had been looking for apartments closer campus, however, I could not find one that me suited me. I started to get the idea of camping in the woods by my university. I wondered how can I live out of a tent while still going to classes? Where would I make my food and keep my belongings? Is it even legal? Soon this idea started to build on itself just like all ideas do. I looked around the woods and found a spot that was close enough for me to walk to my classes. Then I thought I could use the on campus kitchen to make and keep my food in. When it came to my belongings I would keep them spread out in different lockers, friends houses, in my car, and in my tent. As for my last question I figured I would have my tent hidden so no one would know and that question wouldn’t have to be answered. I started to think I was ready to make this change.
Uncertain and worried that this new experience might not go as planned I asked myself what’s the worst that can happen? The answer I got was that I fail. I know Failure isn’t all that bad, it is necessary and if we learn from it, it’s a good thing. So I went for it;the day before my next month’s rent was due I moved out. I went down the trail, into the woods and cleared a spot where I would sent my tent up. My next stop was to get the supplies I didn’t have and needed (camo tarps, lantern, organization bins and a pee bottle). I got my campsite set up and was pleased with it except for the fact you could see it from the trail. So I started building a wall out of branches, vines and dead plants. Once this was complete my campsite was blended in. Now I needed to get my organization down.
I put almost all my clothes in bins in my tent. My school books, shoes, more clothes and other miscellaneous stuff I kepted in my trunk. Towels, bathing suits, hygiene products, and dirty clothes I kept in the universities lockers. My tv, mini fridge, speakers and a big duffel bag full of stuff I left at a friends house. I was organized and feeling confident about this adventure.
The first few nights in the tent were cold, but I started to learn to bundle up more at night. Then I was noticing a lot of condensation in my tent, so I would keep the door open to let my breathe circulate. The first week I was learning and getting use to it, making adjustments where they were needed. I never really missed a meal I would do all my shopping at the grocery store, storing my food at the on campus kitchen and making it there as well. This was a great experience because I was meeting people on campus that I would never have before; people coming and going around the kitchen. A very nice lady, Sarah, had her office across the hall so every time I went in we would chat and have some good conversations about each other and our days. This was going on for a couple of weeks and it seemed like it could last a while even though the weather was getting colder since it was November.
Then one day I pulled into where I usually park my car and there were crowds of people including police and the search and rescue teams. I had no idea why and went back to my tent to check things out. As I was getting back there the K-9 unit came out of the woods where my tent was. They were looking for a missing student who was last seen by the woods near my tent. I assured them that the tent was mine and not the missing students and they barely questioned me, I assumed they had bigger fish to fry. Everything went on as normal and I kept sleeping in my tent, going to classes, and eating 3 meals a day.
The beginning to the end of this experience started one Friday night. It had rained hard on Friday night and Saturday morning when I arose I noticed the river I was sleeping next to had risen so much it was going over the river banks. I pulled my tent uphill bringing it out of it’s hiding spot. In about 20 minutes there was a foot of water where my tent was and I had to stay with a friend that night because of all the flooding. The next day before my hike I went to my car to grab my microspikes, next to my car was a cop car and I knew exactly why they were there. I ran back into the woods and to no surprise a cop and another man were checking out my tent. I called out to them and told them that it was my tent. I explained my situation to them to which they were very understanding. I told them about how it had flooded, that I was just out there for the experience and they thought it was cool. However, they did not know whose property I was on so they said I probably could not stay there. I told them I would be out in a couple of days. Although what happened next made me leave sooner. That night when I arrived back at my campsite I noticed my tent was not there, but some of my clothes and my sleeping pad my were strewed across on the ground. I saw my tent upside down on the river bank with all my clothes in it. Someone had come by and tried to throw my tent with all my clothes in the river! Fortunately, they were unsuccessful because of the thick bushes on the bank stopped it from going in. I grabbed my stuffed together and organized it for one more night of sleeping. When morning came I packed up in the rain and headed out. I could not take the chance of someone coming back again and maybe successfully throwing my stuff in the river.
I couldn’t chance staying there now that people knew where my spot was. It was good while lasted, but all things come to an end, both good and bad. When I first thought about taking on this challenge I didn’t think I would actually do it, it was just an idea I was playing around with in my head. However, I can’t imagine not taking it now. This change that I made not only in my location, but also in my lifestyle for 22 days was an exciting experience that made each of my days a little different than last. I proved to myself that if I could imagine something I could do it, giving myself a new sense of confidence. I was rewarded almost every night before I went to bed by seeing the stars while brushing my teeth, making me realize how much the little things matter even in a universe so vast. I was scared at first of taking this chance into the unknown, but when I embraced this change the fear went away and personal development took its place.
Adventures like this where you make a volitional change are important because you are knowingly going into the unknown and most people are scared of what they don’t know; just like people who say they are scared of the dark, these people do not actually fear the dark itself they are scared of what they can’t see in the darkness, the unknown. However, having this fear is many times necessary for self improvement. Without fear you cannot have courage, courage is the ability to do something in the face of fear, it is your triumph over fear. Wielding courage Strengthens us, you become stronger and more confident with every fear you face and overcome. You become a new person with every courageous act you do, taking fear out of the world and putting bravery in its place.
Adventure Challenge #1
Change is a natural part of life it happens whether we like it or not and if you can overcome your fears and make the changes you want then you are starting to take the necessary steps to create personal growth your in everyday life. Focus on a change you want to make in your life whether it be internal or external. Pin-point one area where thinking about this change scares you a little bit because you don’t know exactly what to expect for an outcome. This could be anything from being yourself around others/the person you want to be (internal change) to quitting your everyday job (external change). For this challenge you are going to take a risk by making a change, the adventure of this risk comes from not knowing what will happen. You are going to make this change hoping and expecting for a positive outcome and most times than not it will be, but you just don’t know. However, if you’re not entirely happy with the ways things are going, something has got to change. These new experiences will open up new opportunities in your life, which will add excitement.
When was the last time you derailed from your normal routine? Routine is the killer of time, it makes the days fly by because they are all the same, creating days that are hard to differentiate one from the other. So take a leap of faith, make this change something that can lead to bigger and better things. But! Don’t hesitate if you’re going to do it, do it balls to the wall (full steam ahead) or balls tucked into bed (not at all). Then once you have started this new change, embrace it; get as much out of it as you can and just maybe it’ll be the best decision you’ve ever made!