White Mountains

Yesterday, I got to hike with my dog in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Its been five years since I was here last. BP (Before Parenting), we would go hiking many times each year. But even though we have been away a long time, the trails around Franconia Notch, North Conway, Gorham are as familiar to me as wood path I walk my dog on each day. "Oh, there is the path we took in March when the snow was up to our hips and we swore each time we plunged into the snow with our heavy packs." "How did we every climb up and down Mount Washington in one day several times in our young lives?" "How about when we slept in Madison Hut when it was full, bunks stacked 4 high and filled with smelly exhausted hikers just like ourselsves!"

Yesterday, I picked a "modest" hike since I didn't want to tire out "penny" who has never hiked more than a couple of hours before. And she doesn't feel so comfortable on rocks so this trail was mostly in the woods. Still, the Seven mile round trip took us to a beautiful outcropping that gave views of the entire presidential range. The mountain tops were shrouded in fog and ice. Down below, the leaves were blazing red, orange, and yellow. We met only four people the whole day even as the valley below is filled with leaf peepers. We were both very tired at the end. "Penny" had some yummy leftover salmon for dinner. We slept long and deep.

Hoping for many more mountain retreats in the months and years to come.