The 1785 inn north conway, nh

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Last week, my sweetheart & I drove up to North Conway, NH for a few relaxing days at one of our favorite places, The 1785 Inn. This is our third straight year of going up there. This year, we decided to stay an extra night, making it three days & nights.

This picture shows the inn from across the street, a view from one of the groomed trails that leads into Whitaker Woods. There are several non groomed trails on which we love to snowshoe. Surprisingly, there wasn’t as much snow up there this year as we had hoped. On our first trip to The 1785 a couple years back, the snow was piled up 10 ft on the sides of the main road, Rte. 16. Snow plows were constantly going back & forth. Though there wasn’t as much snow this year, we still enjoyed getting out to snowshoe. It’s great exercise!

Breakfast was included for each of our three days at the inn. We always look forward  to the  French Toast or Belgian Waffles witPicture 014h homemade whipped cream & fresh strawberries, or the pancakes or eggs any way you like with bacon. The turnovers, cinnamon cakes, coffee cakes & muffins are all made by the folks at the inn.  In the dining room, on the wall to the right of one of the fireplaces, hang numerous food critic awards. The restaurant at the inn is a popular place among the locals.

The fireplace in the dining room is one of three active fireplaces within the inn, all of which are connected to the same chimney. An adjacent room to the dining room holds one of the fireplaces, and is a great place to sit & read, play games or just relax & enjoy the Christmas lights that hang from the ceiling’s wooden beams & outline the windows.

 Whitaker Woods Mt. Washington

While trekking through the woods, we saw a few cross-country skiers. We’re thinking of giving that a try on next year’s trip. The picture to the above right shows Mount Washington looming in the distance. On a clear day you can make out the outline of the weather observatory on top.

Of course, no trip to North Conway would be complete without stopping into the local shops. With this year’s trip being so close after Christmas, we were a bit more frugal with our money & didn’t do much shopping. We usually eat at the restaurant inside the inn one night, go out another, and always pack a cooler of food & beverages to keep in our room. We’re already looking forward to next year.

~The Pilgrim.

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Pilgrim, January 11th 2010 | Posted in activities, new hampshire, snowshoeing

Happy new year’s!

Hey everyone, I trust you all had a great Christmas & a Happy, but Safe, New Year’s celebration! If you weren’t able to get outside for some hiking or camping in 2009, I hope you will in 2010. I have some hikes already planned myself and, hopefully, can drag some people out with me to enjoy the outdoors. Yesterday, I was able to get out with a couple friends for some snowshoeing. Anything to get out & enjoy some scenery & fresh air!

A few weeks back, I received in the mail a copy of the 2010 edition of The A.T. Guide. For those of you who don’t know, David Miller ended his publication of the Appalachian Pages after 2009. From hereon, his new publication, The A.T. Guide, can be found at http://www.theatguide.com/. The forum, Appalachian Pages, is still up & running, and a really good source of info & guidance for hiking the A.T. It’s a good forum & a bit more friendly, in my opinion, than some hiking forums.

AT Guide

There’s an older entry detailing my supportive review of the 2009 Appalachian Pages. David has incorporated some excellent features in The A.T. Guide, including more maps & a better layout in a easier to use landscape design. I like the zip-loc bag included with the book, as it helps protect the book when stored in a pack. I give The A.T. Guide two thumbs-up, and look forward to using it in the coming weeks & months ahead. Check out the website and grab yourself a copy!

~Steve, The Pilgrim.

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Pilgrim, January 3rd 2010 | Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in AT, Book Reviews, appalachian trail, crude reviews, snowshoeing

Snowshoeing In Myles Standish State Forest

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Today I went for a short 2-2.5 mile hike in the snow, or snowshoeing. If you’ve never done it, but enjoy hiking, then you really need to give snowshoeing a shot. Myles Standish State Forest in Carver, MA has a number of trails that are good for cross-country skiing & snowshoeing in the winter. We’ve had a good droppage of snow on the east coast in the past few weeks. Last year was pretty mild, and it seems like nature is making up for it.

After leaving the Jeep in a designated parking spot, I headed up into the woods following a snowmobile route. Wish I had come here a few days ago, after that last snowfall we had, as the trail wouldn’t have been so packed from the machines. This is a road not open to vehicles.

100_0014 After about 15 minutes, I decided to go off road into the untouched white. When I re-entered the trail, I spotted some deer tracks here & there. In the distance was the scream of 2 snowmobiles several hundred yards behind me. That pretty much killed any chance of seeing some wildlife today. Other than that, it was pretty peaceful, save for the sounds of my snowshoes floating on the snow.

100_0026At one point, I followed along a route of power lines for about 20 minutes or so. There was the faint barking of a dog, sounded like a coon hound, then growing louder & louder. When I looked behind me, a truck was driving toward me. The man driving stopped and chatted for a minute. Said he was gonna let his dog loose in the woods, “see what he chases outta there.”

As far as what’s needed for snowshoeing, other than your normal hiking/backpacking gear, is a pair of snowshoes & maybe some poles. The snowshoes should be rated for your own body weight and for the type of snow you’ll be walking through. For some good tips on snowshoeing check out this site, www.backpacking.net/winter.html .

100_0025 Remember to always bring some water when snowshoeing and, of course, a snack. I almost always have some sort of trail mix in my pack when I head into the woods, but today I was in the mood for something a bit sweeter.

For the hardcore 3-season hiker, snowshoeing is a great way to help keep your muscles in shape for the hiking seasons. It’s an excellent cardio workout and definitely more strenuous than normal hiking, especially when climbing hills. Check your local ski shops about renting some snowshoes before you go ahead and spend a lot of money. Top of the line shoes can cost you over $300, but for the average person, there’s no reason to spend that much. The shoes I bought were a close-out sale, costing me less than $100. Whether you go alone or with a group of friends, it’s a lot of fun. Check it out!

~The Pilgrim.

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Pilgrim, January 20th 2009 | Posted in snowshoeing