out in the woods with granite state off roaders!
pam and i have been doing quite a bit of trail work around our neighborhood--up over town hill to the boggy area above bear pond. but last sunday was pretty glorious, so we decided to get up higher and look at the sun shining down on a bigger view. we headed to wolfboro road to hook up with the AT and get to south peak on moose mountain which looks down on the broad goose pond 'valley' and to the south.
when we parked where the road goes into the woods, i noticed right off wide muddy tire tracks. i didn't think much of that until about a half mile up, i realized the tracks were pretty fresh--probably that morning. soon after i decided that, i heard engines rumbling ahead. soon after that, we caught up to a group of seven off road vehicles of all sorts--but all jacked up, with oversized and knobby wheels.
as we went by i heard at least three, "hey koby" greetings from former students. older and bearded, it was hard for me to identify any of them, but josh w and toby p might have been a couple of them.
it was cool that hiking was faster than four wheeling. i suppose that isn't always the case, but nice for us today. up at the height of land where the AT intersects, we split off the road, aiming for south peak. no vehicles would be on this trail. soon enough you couldn't even hear them. at the summit, it was clear and the view was indeed big. i took a shot of pam at rest with a snack.
things were quite all the way back to the AT-wolfboro rd intersection. five vehicles parked tucked into little niches here and there told us why. the drivers and passengers were going up through the woods--this time 'off trail' again and on foot. (later in the week pam brought home the valley news with an article about the plane wreckage up on south peak and how folks are now hunting for it. we suspect that was what this group was doing.)
headed down the road back to the car, i enjoying the peace and quiet. i recall thinking, "good, we got past all that hub-bub..." not quite. in another half mile or so, i started hearing more engines coming toward us. sure enough, it was another group. a young woman in the front vehicle greeted me as i came up to them, "hey koby..." it was allonda, another former student. this time there were at least twenty trailing off roaders.
when i got by i looked back the long line and snapped a picture. pam was ahead of me and all i could think now was, she would be livid. this was not what we had come out for. we had at least another half mile or so to the car and i hung back hoping she might recover as it got quiet again and was so lovely.
by the time we got to the car, she gave me a kiss and mentioned that she was glad we had come out, despite the four wheeled intrusions. driving home along goose pond we came up behind a bike rider, going along--only he wasn't pedaling. pam gave one last groan, "that's a gas powered bicycle! all these engines are smelling up the air!!" she probably even said "...my air!!!" but i won't mention that.
fortunately, when we got out of the car at home, i got another kiss and she confirmed that it was indeed good to go outside and play!
pam and i have been doing quite a bit of trail work around our neighborhood--up over town hill to the boggy area above bear pond. but last sunday was pretty glorious, so we decided to get up higher and look at the sun shining down on a bigger view. we headed to wolfboro road to hook up with the AT and get to south peak on moose mountain which looks down on the broad goose pond 'valley' and to the south.
when we parked where the road goes into the woods, i noticed right off wide muddy tire tracks. i didn't think much of that until about a half mile up, i realized the tracks were pretty fresh--probably that morning. soon after i decided that, i heard engines rumbling ahead. soon after that, we caught up to a group of seven off road vehicles of all sorts--but all jacked up, with oversized and knobby wheels.
as we went by i heard at least three, "hey koby" greetings from former students. older and bearded, it was hard for me to identify any of them, but josh w and toby p might have been a couple of them.
it was cool that hiking was faster than four wheeling. i suppose that isn't always the case, but nice for us today. up at the height of land where the AT intersects, we split off the road, aiming for south peak. no vehicles would be on this trail. soon enough you couldn't even hear them. at the summit, it was clear and the view was indeed big. i took a shot of pam at rest with a snack.
things were quite all the way back to the AT-wolfboro rd intersection. five vehicles parked tucked into little niches here and there told us why. the drivers and passengers were going up through the woods--this time 'off trail' again and on foot. (later in the week pam brought home the valley news with an article about the plane wreckage up on south peak and how folks are now hunting for it. we suspect that was what this group was doing.)
headed down the road back to the car, i enjoying the peace and quiet. i recall thinking, "good, we got past all that hub-bub..." not quite. in another half mile or so, i started hearing more engines coming toward us. sure enough, it was another group. a young woman in the front vehicle greeted me as i came up to them, "hey koby..." it was allonda, another former student. this time there were at least twenty trailing off roaders.
when i got by i looked back the long line and snapped a picture. pam was ahead of me and all i could think now was, she would be livid. this was not what we had come out for. we had at least another half mile or so to the car and i hung back hoping she might recover as it got quiet again and was so lovely.
by the time we got to the car, she gave me a kiss and mentioned that she was glad we had come out, despite the four wheeled intrusions. driving home along goose pond we came up behind a bike rider, going along--only he wasn't pedaling. pam gave one last groan, "that's a gas powered bicycle! all these engines are smelling up the air!!" she probably even said "...my air!!!" but i won't mention that.
fortunately, when we got out of the car at home, i got another kiss and she confirmed that it was indeed good to go outside and play!
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