We hadn't expected much having never heard of this spot but were surprised to find a developed trail system and beaches from which people were fishing. We hiked around a half mile and felt much better afterwards.
Here is a trail map.
Sunday, June 16, 2019
Goggins Island, Leeds, Maine
Goggins Island is a small public use area and canoe portage spot along the Androscoggin River in Leeds. We came across it on our drive back from New Hampshire as we were looking for a place to get out and stretch our legs.
We hadn't expected much having never heard of this spot but were surprised to find a developed trail system and beaches from which people were fishing. We hiked around a half mile and felt much better afterwards.
Here is a trail map.
We hadn't expected much having never heard of this spot but were surprised to find a developed trail system and beaches from which people were fishing. We hiked around a half mile and felt much better afterwards.
Here is a trail map.
Saturday, June 15, 2019
Hiking and Camping in the White Mountain National Forest (New Hampshire)
I love the White Mountains. At 750,000+ acres, there is so much to see and explore. The forest offers miles of hiking trails through diverse environments including dense forests, ponds, alpine mountain peaks, and mountain streams.
My son and I spent two days exploring trails and camping off the Kancamagus Highway (Rt 112).
Lincoln Woods and Franconia Falls
The Lincoln Woods Trail is flat and wide with a slight incline. As a former railroad bed, it still has several railroad ties in place. The trail begins at the Lincoln woods visitor center and heads up into the Pemigewasset Wilderness. We traveled on the Lincoln Woods Trail for 2.6 miles before reaching the Franconia Falls Trail. After an additional 0.4 miles, we came to Franconia Falls. This is a relatively easy hike with little gain in elevation, and we saw a few runners and dog walkers using the trail while we were there. Here is the trail map.
Lower Falls Scenic Area
The Lower Falls Scenic Area is a parking area with a short walk to an overlook of a falls. During our last visit here, my kids and I swam under the waterfalls. Due to the water and air temperatures today no one was swimming. This is a short easy walk with nice views.
Rocky Gorge Scenic Area
The Rocky Gorge Scenic Area is another short, paved handicapped-accessible trail. It leads to beautiful views of Rocky Gorge, a narrow gorge with a waterfall. Here is a trail map.
Covered Bridge Campground
The Covered Bridge Campground is one of several Forest Service campgrounds off of the Kancamagus Highway. It's a fairly straightforward campground, offering a picnic table, fire ring, and flat piece of ground to put a tent on. There were relatively clean pit toilets located at various points throughout the campground and a water spigot. There are no showers located in this campground; however there are showers at the Jigger Johnson campground 6.5 miles away.
Our camping experience was marred by an abundance of mosquitoes, a neighbor that greatly enjoyed 80's rock well into the night, and the proximity of the campground to the highway (this probably isn't usually an issue, but our trip coincided with Laconia Bike Week and therefore several groups of bikers were driving through the area).
Its worth noting that we had no cell phone coverage with Verizon, AT&T or T-Mobile throughout most of the Kancamagus Highway, with the exception of a few limited spots of Verizon and AT&T coverage by a few of the overlooks. We relied heavily on the InReach to communicate with the outside world.
Sunrise at the Sugar Hill Overlook
Sugar Hill Overlook is a short distance from the Covered Bridge Campground and provides nice views of several of the mountains in the area. We took advantage of this by getting up at 4:30am to take pictures of the sunrise.
Sabbaday Falls
Sabbaday Falls is a 40 foot waterfall which can be reached via a 0.7 mile (round trip distance) trail. There is a nice overlook platform from which to view the falls. Here is the trail map.
Champney Falls Trail
The final hike of our White Mountain trip was Champney Falls. This turned out to be an incredible hike, with views of both Champney Falls and its neighbor Pitcher Falls. The water levels were sufficient to allow the falls to be flowing and yet low enough to cross over the stream into the gorge under Pitcher Falls.
The round trip distance was approximately 3.5 miles. Here is the trail map. Note that there were an abundance of mosquitoes, so bug spray and mosquito netting is definitely recommended this time of year.
There is the option to continue on the trail to the summit of Mount Chocorua, for a total roundtrip distance of 7.8 miles. We chose not to do so on this trip but will likely return in the future.
My son and I spent two days exploring trails and camping off the Kancamagus Highway (Rt 112).
Lincoln Woods and Franconia Falls
The Lincoln Woods Trail is flat and wide with a slight incline. As a former railroad bed, it still has several railroad ties in place. The trail begins at the Lincoln woods visitor center and heads up into the Pemigewasset Wilderness. We traveled on the Lincoln Woods Trail for 2.6 miles before reaching the Franconia Falls Trail. After an additional 0.4 miles, we came to Franconia Falls. This is a relatively easy hike with little gain in elevation, and we saw a few runners and dog walkers using the trail while we were there. Here is the trail map.
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| Note the railroad ties still in place. |
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| Franconia Falls |
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| Franconia Falls |
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| Franconia Falls with mountain view |
The Lower Falls Scenic Area is a parking area with a short walk to an overlook of a falls. During our last visit here, my kids and I swam under the waterfalls. Due to the water and air temperatures today no one was swimming. This is a short easy walk with nice views.
Rocky Gorge Scenic Area
The Rocky Gorge Scenic Area is another short, paved handicapped-accessible trail. It leads to beautiful views of Rocky Gorge, a narrow gorge with a waterfall. Here is a trail map.
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| View of the falls from the rocks |
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| There is a bridge spanning the gorge |
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| View of the gorge from the bridge |
The Covered Bridge Campground is one of several Forest Service campgrounds off of the Kancamagus Highway. It's a fairly straightforward campground, offering a picnic table, fire ring, and flat piece of ground to put a tent on. There were relatively clean pit toilets located at various points throughout the campground and a water spigot. There are no showers located in this campground; however there are showers at the Jigger Johnson campground 6.5 miles away.
Our camping experience was marred by an abundance of mosquitoes, a neighbor that greatly enjoyed 80's rock well into the night, and the proximity of the campground to the highway (this probably isn't usually an issue, but our trip coincided with Laconia Bike Week and therefore several groups of bikers were driving through the area).
Its worth noting that we had no cell phone coverage with Verizon, AT&T or T-Mobile throughout most of the Kancamagus Highway, with the exception of a few limited spots of Verizon and AT&T coverage by a few of the overlooks. We relied heavily on the InReach to communicate with the outside world.
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| There was also a picnic table, not shown. |
Sunrise at the Sugar Hill Overlook
Sugar Hill Overlook is a short distance from the Covered Bridge Campground and provides nice views of several of the mountains in the area. We took advantage of this by getting up at 4:30am to take pictures of the sunrise.
Sabbaday Falls
Sabbaday Falls is a 40 foot waterfall which can be reached via a 0.7 mile (round trip distance) trail. There is a nice overlook platform from which to view the falls. Here is the trail map.
Champney Falls Trail
The final hike of our White Mountain trip was Champney Falls. This turned out to be an incredible hike, with views of both Champney Falls and its neighbor Pitcher Falls. The water levels were sufficient to allow the falls to be flowing and yet low enough to cross over the stream into the gorge under Pitcher Falls.
The round trip distance was approximately 3.5 miles. Here is the trail map. Note that there were an abundance of mosquitoes, so bug spray and mosquito netting is definitely recommended this time of year.
There is the option to continue on the trail to the summit of Mount Chocorua, for a total roundtrip distance of 7.8 miles. We chose not to do so on this trip but will likely return in the future.
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| Champney Falls |
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| Pitcher Falls |
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| Pitcher Falls and its gorge. For perspective, my 6'3" son is visible in the middle left of the picture. |
Thursday, June 13, 2019
Biking Vermont: Stowe Recreation Path and Island Line Rail Trail (Vermont)
We spent the day exploring two of Vermont's nicest bike trails - the Stowe Recreation Path and the Island Line Rail Trail north of Burlington. We finished our day with short walk in Waterbury.
The Stowe Recreation Path is approximately 5.3 miles long and runs through Stowe and the surrounding area. It is flat and paved and features nice views of mountains and streams. The first two miles travels through the town of Stowe, after which it heads out into the countryside past farms and fields. Here is a trail map.
The Island Line Rail Trail follows an old railroad line north of Burlington, offering great views of Lake Champlain, the Adirondacks in New York, and the mountains of Vermont. The trail is 14 miles long and starts south of Waterfront Park in Burlington. It is flat and the first part is paved, later turning to a dirt path and finally a crushed stone path as it heads across a lengthy causeway. There is an option to take a bike ferry to finish the trail as well as complete a longer loop on the New York side of the lake.
We started at Waterfront Park and rode 10.1 miles north to the bike ferry. The trail rides along the shore of Lake Champlain, past residential neighborhoods, through a nature preserve and across most of the causeway before coming to an end near the north end of the causeway at the ferry dock. Here is a trail map. We encountered strong headwinds leaving the causeway and rode in the rain for the final 5 miles, but it was still an excellent ride.
After riding 31 miles today, we finished our day with a short, yet very rewarding walk. (Trail map here).
The Stowe Recreation Path is approximately 5.3 miles long and runs through Stowe and the surrounding area. It is flat and paved and features nice views of mountains and streams. The first two miles travels through the town of Stowe, after which it heads out into the countryside past farms and fields. Here is a trail map.
The Island Line Rail Trail follows an old railroad line north of Burlington, offering great views of Lake Champlain, the Adirondacks in New York, and the mountains of Vermont. The trail is 14 miles long and starts south of Waterfront Park in Burlington. It is flat and the first part is paved, later turning to a dirt path and finally a crushed stone path as it heads across a lengthy causeway. There is an option to take a bike ferry to finish the trail as well as complete a longer loop on the New York side of the lake.
We started at Waterfront Park and rode 10.1 miles north to the bike ferry. The trail rides along the shore of Lake Champlain, past residential neighborhoods, through a nature preserve and across most of the causeway before coming to an end near the north end of the causeway at the ferry dock. Here is a trail map. We encountered strong headwinds leaving the causeway and rode in the rain for the final 5 miles, but it was still an excellent ride.
After riding 31 miles today, we finished our day with a short, yet very rewarding walk. (Trail map here).
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
Cabin Camping, Little River State Park (Vermont)
Little River State Park is located near Waterbury, Vermont and a short drive from both Stowe and Burlington. It is on a large lake and offers boat rentals, boat ramps, a beach, and miles of trails. The park is located where a town once stood before it was flooded in the 1930's. There are still some structures from that time period in the park.
The park has a number of campsites as well as cabin rentals. We rented a cabin and we're glad we did. The cabin was clean and had a bunk bed (with mattresses) and a futon which folded out into a queen size bed. The cabin also had a small table with two chairs, a light and four electrical outlets, a smoke detector and fire extinguisher, and a combination lock for the front door. Outside it had a covered porch with picnic table and a fire pit. There was also a 30 amp RV outlet. We brought our own sheets, pillows and sleeping bags.
Our cabin was conveniently located near park restrooms and showers. These were very clean, fully functional bathrooms. The showers were coin operated (quarters only) and also clean. We observed park staff cleaning the facilities while we were there.
We stayed two nights at the cabin and were very pleased. The park was quiet and despite other nearby sites being occupied, we barely heard our neighbors. We also didn't notice any mosquitoes while we were there.
Due to weather and time contraints, we didn't have the opportunity to hike, swim or rent boats while here. We did go for a short walk out to the Waterbury Dam one night (trail map here).
The park has a number of campsites as well as cabin rentals. We rented a cabin and we're glad we did. The cabin was clean and had a bunk bed (with mattresses) and a futon which folded out into a queen size bed. The cabin also had a small table with two chairs, a light and four electrical outlets, a smoke detector and fire extinguisher, and a combination lock for the front door. Outside it had a covered porch with picnic table and a fire pit. There was also a 30 amp RV outlet. We brought our own sheets, pillows and sleeping bags.
Our cabin was conveniently located near park restrooms and showers. These were very clean, fully functional bathrooms. The showers were coin operated (quarters only) and also clean. We observed park staff cleaning the facilities while we were there.
We stayed two nights at the cabin and were very pleased. The park was quiet and despite other nearby sites being occupied, we barely heard our neighbors. We also didn't notice any mosquitoes while we were there.
Due to weather and time contraints, we didn't have the opportunity to hike, swim or rent boats while here. We did go for a short walk out to the Waterbury Dam one night (trail map here).
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| Outside view of cabin. |
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| The park supplies sheets; however, they were in rough shape. The mattresses themselves were in good condition. The futon folds out into a queen sized bed. |
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| Another view of the inside of the cabin. |
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| I don't usually take pictures of bathrooms, but this was the nicest campground bathroom I've ever seen. |
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| View from the Waterbury Dam. |
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| Walkway on the Waterbury Dam. |
Green Mountain National Forest (Vermont)
At approximately 400000 acres, the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF) occupies a large portion of Vermont and offers hiking trails, sightseeing, winter recreation and other activities.
After visiting a college in the area, we took three short walks off of the Middlebury Gap section and the east side of the GMNF north of Rt 125.
First, we stopped briefly at the Robert Frost Interpretive Trail. This is a flat, easy trail with plaques placed at various points along it featuring poems by Robert Frost. We hiked a portion of the trail and enjoyed reflecting on Frost's poems in a natural environment (trail map here).
Our next stop was Texas Falls, also off of Route 125 in Middlebury Gap. Texas Falls has observation platforms and a bridge from which you can view a series of falls. Here is the trail map.
Our final stop was Moss Glen Falls, which was a short easy walk off Route 100 in Granville (there is also apparently a Moss Glen Falls up by Stowe). This is a very scenic waterfall that takes little effort to get to. (Here is the trail map).
After visiting a college in the area, we took three short walks off of the Middlebury Gap section and the east side of the GMNF north of Rt 125.
First, we stopped briefly at the Robert Frost Interpretive Trail. This is a flat, easy trail with plaques placed at various points along it featuring poems by Robert Frost. We hiked a portion of the trail and enjoyed reflecting on Frost's poems in a natural environment (trail map here).
Our next stop was Texas Falls, also off of Route 125 in Middlebury Gap. Texas Falls has observation platforms and a bridge from which you can view a series of falls. Here is the trail map.
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| Texas Falls |
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| Texas Falls, further downstream |
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| These butterflies were grouping together on the trail |
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| Trail on far side of the stream |
Our final stop was Moss Glen Falls, which was a short easy walk off Route 100 in Granville (there is also apparently a Moss Glen Falls up by Stowe). This is a very scenic waterfall that takes little effort to get to. (Here is the trail map).
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
Quechee Gorge (Vermont)
Quechee Gorge is known as Vermont's Grand Canyon. At 165 feet deep, it is Vermont's deepest gorge. There are trails on both sides of the river and a bridge spanning the gorge which offers stunning views down the entire length.
My son and I are taking a trip to visit a college in Vermont. On our way, we visited Quechee Gorge and hiked the 1.4 miles on the trails on the east side of the gorge. The trails were wide and well worn with views of the gorge and the dam at Dewey's Pond. The trails are fenced along the length of the entire trail to prevent people from climbing into the gorge.
Here is a partial trail map (operator error, sorry!)
My son and I are taking a trip to visit a college in Vermont. On our way, we visited Quechee Gorge and hiked the 1.4 miles on the trails on the east side of the gorge. The trails were wide and well worn with views of the gorge and the dam at Dewey's Pond. The trails are fenced along the length of the entire trail to prevent people from climbing into the gorge.
Here is a partial trail map (operator error, sorry!)
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| View of the top of the gorge, from the dam |
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| View mid-gorge |
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| Bottom of the gorge |
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| The trails were wide and well worn |
Saturday, June 8, 2019
Down East Sunrise Trail, Take 2 (Ellsworth to Franklin Crossing)
When I last biked on the Down East Sunrise Trail on April 28th, the trail was muddy and flooded in spots. It had been ordeal to slog through and I was happy it was over.
Today we returned so my son could run his final 20 mile run before his marathon. It was like a completely different trail and a pleasure to ride on. The trail was dry and hard packed.
We started around 7 am and encountered only a few ATV's during the first half of the trip. On the return trip, many more ATV's were on the trail but most were courteous and respectful.
There was a convenience store at the halfway point.
Bug spray and sun screen were essential. Mosquitoes were out in force but fortunately the spray we used worked well.
Here is a trail map.
Today we returned so my son could run his final 20 mile run before his marathon. It was like a completely different trail and a pleasure to ride on. The trail was dry and hard packed.
We started around 7 am and encountered only a few ATV's during the first half of the trip. On the return trip, many more ATV's were on the trail but most were courteous and respectful.
There was a convenience store at the halfway point.
Bug spray and sun screen were essential. Mosquitoes were out in force but fortunately the spray we used worked well.
Here is a trail map.
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| This beaver didn't stick around long enough for me to take a better picture. |
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| Great views from the trail. |
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| Many turtles, little space. |
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| The 19th mile. |
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