Day 1: The Adventure Begins!

A thousand thank you’s to our friend Yvonne, who gave us a ride to Notchland, the southern terminus of the Cohos Trail, where we set off!

Due to the fact that we had ditched our families, jobs, and other worldly responsibilities for the next 12 days, we got a later than ideal start, and hit the trail around 11:30 a.m.

It was a beautiful day, clear skies with temps in the 70’s.  We headed out on the Davis Path with our fully loaded (35+ lb) packs and began the ascent to Mt. Crawford.  Spirits were higher than the peaks we hit that day!  Water was plentiful along the trail.  As the day began creeping into dusk, we had not made our intended destination (Dry River Crossing) due to our late start.  We found a clearing about a mile south of Mt. Davis, and made camp under a full moon.  The Mountain House meals were still novel and hit the spot after our first day.  The mini bottles of Bailey’s Irish Cream didn’t hurt, either!

We settled in for a good night’s sleep, still naive to the challenges ahead.

Bear Bags vs Canisters and Other Gear

Armed with our list of must-haves, we took a trip to our Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) store in Concord, NH.  The staff there was awesome!  Everyone who helped us seemed to have some personal experience with the gear we needed, but never tried to push us into buying anything we didn’t think we needed.

One of my big worries was whether or not we needed a bear canister or could hang a bear bag.  Our sales associate said that black bears in Northern NH are not as familiar with human habits as those in the Smoky Mountains, or as aggressive as the grizzly bears out West.  He suggested we buy the waterproof bags used for water sports.  The waterproofing also minimized the escape of odors that might attract an animal.  Hanging a bear bag is easy; we bought some nice forest green parachute cord, and I practiced my throwing technique!  If you’re not familiar with how to do this, there is a ton of information online.  I actually just found branches that were high and far from the tree trunk itself and looped my line over those.  I’m happy to report that my food stayed safe the entire trip!  Carolyn used a homemade bear tube made from lightweight PVC pipe.  She was able to carry this on the outside of her pack; the screw-off ends made for easy access.

We bought another waterproof bag for our electronics (cell phones, cameras, solar chargers) and things like ID, passports, money.  These bags, along with our pack covers and our new EMS rain jackets kept us nice and dry on our two days of damp weather.

Best purchase ever: down jackets!!!  The high peaks and chilly nights never made us uncomfortable.  They stuffed right down into our packs and didn’t add much weight.  I will never hike without mine again.  Ever.

 

Time to Start Training!

With a 165 mile trek ahead of us, one would think we had been doing a lot of hiking to prepare ourselves.  That would be the smart thing!  But alas, our physical activity has only involved a lot of running and a little cross-training thrown in here and there.  We’re in good enough shape to run a marathon or half marathon, but will that enough to be able to climb a few of the White Mountains (including Owl’s Head, a 4,000-footer), and schlep through bogs and fields and valleys for 11 nights and 12 days?

I decided I am too old (and maybe a little too smart) to try to go from zero to hero.  I also have new hiking boots and know better than to wait to break them in on Day 1 of our journey.  There’s also the whole issue of carrying a 35 or 40 pound pack day after day.  I’m not a thin person, but I have the collarbone of someone who’s missed a few meals!  It tends to take a beating from backpacks and seat belts.

My husband Joe and I picked a nice, hot Saturday in July to hike Mt, Chocorua (3475 ft with an elevation gain of 2500 ft).  We have hiked this mountain many times in the past; its close proximity often made it our choice for our maiden hike of the year.  We chose the Piper Trail, a 9 mile round trip to the summit and back.

I loaded my pack with our lunches, extra water, and other weighty items, bringing the whole thing to 20 pounds.  Then I laced up my new boots and we headed off.  The humidity was high, but there was a slight breeze at times, helping to ward off the flies and other pesky bugs.  By the time we were halfway up the trail, my clothes were soaked through with sweat.  But my pack was comfortable and my boots felt great!  Little victories!

The view from the bald top of Mt. Chocorua is always gorgeous!  You can see lakes and several of the White Mountains.  It was a little hazy the day we visited, so Mt. Washington was a barely visible speck of white in the distance.  The breeze was brisk enough to dry out my sweaty clothes before it became chilly.

The trip down was uneventful.  The Piper Trail has several water crossings, so it was nice to be able to splash some water on our arms and faces.

The injury report was minor:  slightly sore collarbone and quadriceps for a couple of days afterward!

Our next hike was Blue Mountain (3750 ft with an elevation gain 1559 ft) in the Adirondacks with Carolyn and her two kids.  It was another hot and humid day, but we knew if we tackled the 4 mile round trip, we could cool off later in Limekiln Lake!

Again, I loaded up the backpack (Joe likes having his own sherpa!), laced up the boots, and we took off.  Having a 9 and 12-year old with you is a good excuse to go a little slower, because this was a steep trail!  At the top was a fire tower, which afforded a beautiful view of the Central Adirondacks.  There were also hundreds of dragonflies!

Injury report:  none!

I definitely need to squeeze in at least one more good hike between now and the Cohos adventure, but I’m feeling much more confident.

Setting up our route

Kristie, my friend and business partner, is either trying to kill me or prolong my life through excessive exercise. First there was the half marathon, then the Lake Placid Marathon, then the 200 mile Reach the Beach relay, and now a two week hike along the Cohos Trail.
It has been a number of years since I have backpacked much, but she has convinced me.
Due to business, family, and life obligations, we have set a higher mileage per day in order to finish the trail in 11 days. In the White Mountains and much of Northern NH, camping is limited by where it is allowed. This is partly due to the newness of the trail, the use of private lands, and preservation of the region.
In the coming days we will finalize our route and post for others to comment on and offer advice.
At the moment, we are reeling from the realization that The Balsams Resort is closed for renovations. This was a big selling point for Kristie to convince me to join her! And someone should notify the publishers of 1000 places to see before you die!
As we nail down our final plans, I wake up nightly and text Kristie
one more idea, thought or fear, remembering the joy is in the journey, and knowing this will be an event to remember. The key to our success will be in the planning!

Gear Check

Carolyn is a very experienced hiker, having summited all 48 of New Hampshire’s 4,00 foot peaks ten years ago.  My long distance hiking consists of a couple of Boy Scout hikes on the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway trail.  Both of those were wet and one of those includes a bit of a wrong turn … Nevertheless, we are both anxious to get out there again!

I began to do a mental inventory of the gear I already had, and what I needed to replace.  Backpack, tent, sleeping pad, Jet Boil stove, water purifier, headlamp – check!  My hiking boots were probably a half size too small, so a new pair was a must.  My sleeping bag is neither lightweight or warm, so that goes on the shopping list as well.  As two women hiking alone in the wilderness, we have some concerns about our safety, both from crazy human beings and the moose we are guaranteed to see.  I’m afraid of guns, so I think high powered pepper spray may be the way to go.  One our bear hunting patients highly recommends bear spray.  Trip to the self defense section of Kittery Trading Post is on the list now!  Speaking of bears, we’ll need a bear bag or can for our food.  I’ll need to check my rain gear, especially with my history of crummy hiking weather.

Food and clothing will be easy.  We’re okay with eating trail mix and freeze dried food for 12 days, as well as not necessarily looking (or smelling) our best!  Plus, as we plan our route, we’ll include resupply points.

What are we missing?  Let’s hope we figure that out before we hit the trail!

“I’ve got an idea for our next adventure!” I announce to my friend and business partner Carolyn one morning last fall.  Her eyes slightly roll as she braces herself and says, “What now?”.  Let me pause by saying that Carolyn is a good sport and has gone along with all of my recent mid-life crisis ideas, including running our first marathon to commemorate my 50th birthday two years ago.  This time my announcement came on the heels of Carolyn finishing a half marathon while I finished my 3rd full marathon in a total soaking downpour in Portland, Maine a few weeks prior. 

I excitedly dug through my tote bag for the article I had found in the travel section of the most recent Boston Sunday Globe that had me so excited.  “We’re going to hike the Cohos Trail!”

The Cohos Trail is a 162 mile trail through northern New Hampshire that stretches from the White Mountains to the Canadian border.  It’s remote, even by New Hampshire standards.  But it’s also close and doable.  Each of us had mused about someday hiking the Appalachian Trail, but the idea of giving up 4-6 months of our lives put this out of reach.  We’re athletes, we say.  We’re tough, we say.  We can do this, we say.  Carolyn orders 2 copies of guidebooks and maps, and so it begins …