A Hike in the White Mountains

Rachel in the mountains

After Tropical Storm Arthur washed out most of the 4th of July celebrations in Boston (moving an abbreviated Pops concert and early fireworks to the 3rd).  

After sitting around the house on a wet 4th, our cabin fever propelled us to take a little hike.  Rosie came up with this suggestion for a hike in the White Mountains at Crawford Notch.

It would only be 5 miles.  Maybe 3 hours at a "normal" pace or 5 hours at a "relaxed" pace.  It featured climbing up to the top of the Frankenstein Cliff (named after a German artist who lived in the area, not the famous monster) and then passing the Arethusa Falls, the tallest non-seasonal waterfalls in New Hampshire.  Sounded good.

Hike to the Frankenstein Cliffs and Arethusa Falls

Google Earth view of the hike.  The photo of me is at that bald spot at the top center of the map above.

Crawford Notch station

So off we went. After a couple of near-rear end collisions with the tourist drivers on I-93, we made it to Twin Mountain for lunch. From there it was a short drive past Crawford Notch station, one of my favorites. It is maintained by the Appalachian Mountain Club and served in summer and fall by a single round-trip train from North Conway.

From the parking lot we set out.  Of course, son #2 took off at his own pace, not to be seen for hours where he was waiting for our return.  Rosie and I set out on the climb.  In short the trail was up.  And up.  And up.  And, for variety, some steeper up.

The trail went up.  And up.  And some
 more up!

Rosie says, will it ever descend?

From time to time, you could get a good view of the mountains all around.

Frankenstein Trestle

After hiking north for a half mile or so, the trail turns west and passes under the Frankenstein Trestle which soars over 80 above the trail.  The trestle was built in 1893 by the Portland (Maine) & Ogdensburg Railroad as part of its route through the White Mountains.  Later it became the Mountain Division of the Maine Central Railroad, with freight trains traversing the line into the early 1980s.  Since 1895 the Conway Scenic Railroad runs a daily passenger in summer and fall.

Frankenstein Trestle soars over the trail

The Frankenstein Trestle many years ago, before the forest grew up around it.

The Frankenstein Trestle from Google Earth.

Historic Marker

After passing the trestle, we passed this long waterfalls cascading down the face of a portion of the Frankenstein Cliffs.  There are two ways to reach the vantage point of this photo.  One can climb the rock pile between the trestle and falls, or follow the zig-zagging trail.  We took the trail.

Frankenstein Cliffs Overlook

After the waterfalls, we had about another 100 feet up before we were treated to the magnificent views from the overlook.  The view looks to the south through Bartlett Notch in the general direction of Conway.

The view

Looking down on Route 302

The mountains beyond

Rosie and I, atop of overlook.

At the overlook, we chatted with a family group who stopped for lunch to rest and enjoy the view.  One of them, who had taken the trail maybe 20 years ago, said the trail would easily descend from here and we didn't want to go back the way we came up.  So on we went.

But there was no "down" just more up.  And some more up after that.  Then there was a little bit of down, followed by up and then steeper up.  Seems we still had another 80 feet to rise before we reached the peak of the trail.

Waterfalls and Streams

Well eventually, we dis start descending, which went on for miles.  Along the way, the trail crossed many streams and there were a number of waterfalls where the streams cascaded down the face of the cliffs.

Mountain streams cascading over rocks crossed the trail as several points in the descent

Rosie checking her phone for another way across the stream, perhaps.

Arethusa Falls: the destination of the 2nd half of the hike.  Its 140 foot drop is the tallest non-seasonal waterfalls in New Hampshire.  (The Dryad Falls is taller but the stream is intermittent.)

After the falls, it was still over a mile and a half back to the parking lot.  While it was mostly down, it still was a bit of an effort at the end of the hike.  About a half mile before the end, by left hiking boot "blew out" with the soul falling off.  I had to shuffle back to the car.

All in all, we did the trail with stops in about 3 and half hours, which is not bad for not having hiked last year while recovering from a procedure.   It always feels great at the end of the hike.

We stopped at the rest area overlooking Mount Washington and its namesake hotel just to take in the view.  (Turned out, there were folks who were tailgating at this rest area, too!)

Mt. Washington and the Presidential Range, with the Mt. Washington Hotel.

Our Garden, so far this spring

Spring is a season of changes, little changes week by week.  From the bare earth, buds come forth.  The early spring flowers arrive.

Eventually, the bushes and trees bud and then leaf out, first in the palest of delicate greens, and then becoming the more mature greens they will display all summer.

The March flowers in the front planter

Tending the garden is one of my ways to stay in tune with the seasons, particularly in spring:  the jonquils in March into April, the roses in May and June, the Mayflowers in June, the day lilies in July.  I love to measure the passing of time by the changes in nature, even here in the city.

Here's a quick tour of our little garden this spring.

A bed of impatiens

The rhododendrons in bloom in late May 

The June roses blooming in late May.

The window boxes hanging out on the patio while the building is painted.

I Hate Winter Hair!

We have had a really brutal, cold, and dry winter. It's horrible for hair!  It's all dry and sometimes frizzy.  But without it's normal curl, it just drops straight, especially after I've been wearing a warm wool hat on a single-digit degree day.

For someone with relatively short hair, and a bit thin in the front, it can be a disaster. Tell me about thin hair!  A year or so ago, a cousin said I look just like my grandmother and great aunt who had thin hair, especially in the front!

The photo on the left below was last May, when at least I could get some curl in my short, somewhat thin hair.  Yes, I do get it colored; being "distinguished" with gray is oversold, in my opinion!  Last time I got a color and cut, and my stylist teased up a few waves on top, a homeless guy on the street asking for a smoke said I looked like "a young Rod Stewart!"

After a complement like that, I'm thinking winter isn't all bad if I can only just hide my hair under my nice, warm winter hat all the time!

At least in the spring and summer,
I can get some curl in my hair.

A young Rod Stewart?  I don't
think so!  But I like the "young" part

Strolling Along Trolley Line No. 9 Trail

Whenever I visit my relatives west of Baltimore, I always try to take a walk along the Trolley Line #9 Trail.

The trail follows the abandoned right-of-way of Baltimore's Route #9 trolley, which ran from downtown Baltimore at Charles and Lexington Street out following Edmonton Avenue until it ended.  From there, the trolley line when through the woods and a steep rock cut to its destination at Ellicott City.

Trains ran from the 1890s until the mid-1950s when it was partially replaced by buses. In the photo on the left, a car on the #9 line meets a car on the #14 line at the loop at Rolling Road. Today, there is no transit service along this route.

On the left below is a map of the tracks from Catonsville to Ellicott City.  The routes ran out Edmonson Avenue in Catonsville until its end.

The portion of the line beyond Edmonson Avenue became a rails-to-trails project in the 1990s, resulting in the present paved walking and biking trail, about a mile and a half in length.

The trail is builit on a boarwalk through the tall rock cut by Westchester Avenue.  The rocks were cut by hand.

The trolley line followed a stream for most of its run.  Today, the stream can be seen next to the path, adding to the scenic interest of the trail.

A trail through the woods connects Trolley Line #9 Trail with Banneker Park.

The Trolley Stop, a restaurant and bar we like to frequent is at the end of the trail.

Looking into Ellicott City.  The original Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (now operated by CSX Transportation) crosses the main street at the east end of Ellicott City.

The abutment and piers remain where Trolley Line #1 crossed Oella Avenue and the Patapsco river before entering Ellicott City.

Close-up of the stone block pier that once supported Trolley Line #9 just outside Ellicott City.

Dusk over Trolley Line #9 Trail where Westchester Avenue soars over the deep rock cut near Ellicott City.

Summer Time and the Living Is Easy

 "Summertime, 
And the livin' is easy ..."

This week the temperature hit the 90s (32 to 35 deg C).  While so many complain about the heat, I just love it!

The heat forces us to live differently.  We have to slow down.  We have to seek out the shade, and drinks some cool beverages.  We have to take it easy.  

The heat offers us the opportunity to get out of the run-around, over-committed lives we lead.    It offers us the opportunity to just sit there and take in the surroundings.  We can quiet our busy minds and rest our souls.  A good day in the 90s and the lyrics "and the livin' is easy" just clicked with me.

Having the week off with no travel plans, I left the air-conditioning inside and just sat out in the shade of the patio each day.  Just to enjoy the warmth and take in the surroundings, maybe do a little light reading.

Talking to my friend Gregg the other day, he echoed these thoughts, too.  Living without air-conditioning, he also finds he has to slow down in the heat.  He recommended just leaving all technology behind in the house, and just taking in the environment around me.

Then our pastor this morning, preaching on Luke 10 about sending out the 72 disciples in pairs, made not of how they were to travel simply, without excess baggage.  In the same we, he challenged us and himself to strip ourselves of the excess baggage of life, be it possessions, the ever-present technology (phones, tablets, laptops, always "con-nected" and always making demands of our attention), or the tyranny of so many demands and deadlines that often leave us with life living us instead of us living life.  (The last item describes my typical day at work, with multiple projects to manage, each with its own schedule, deadlines, and little "fire drills" that come up.)

Luckily, I have one more week before I return to work.  Another 7 days of opportunities to take the opportunity of summer, when the livin' is easy.

Happy summer!