I knew the weekend was going to be great when Stella mentioned that we could go to the coast and see the seals in Plymouth. I guess it is an Ohio thing, but they are not used to there being several towns with the same names; Plymouth, NH is much different than Plymouth, MA and about 150 miles from the coast. Besides that small little issue there really wasn't too much to do in Plymouth. In fact the only reason we even stopped there was to break up the 3 hour drive to Mt. Washington and start our vacation an evening early. Plymouth was a nice enough town, but I guess like all on NH just small and pretty desolate. We had a mediocre meal at some random restaurant and we got a cheap room at the Red Roof Inn. It was exactly what you would expect for $86 and it even had a good breakfast in the morning. 
The real adventure started Saturday morning. We checked out of the Red Roof at about 7:30 and started our hour drive up into the state parks. I remember the area from my Reach the Beach race in September and it was every bit as beautiful. We were welcomed to the area with signs every few miles warning us about moose and the large White Mountains and the Presidential Range.
I planned like I was my dad and had a map with highlighted roads, a written out agenda, and a time table. I am proud to say we got to the parking lot only 30 minutes behind schedule and were on the trail by 9am. We started on the Am
monoosoc Ravine Trail, which is rated as difficult but passes through the Lake of the Clouds Hut and is about 4.5miles long. I came prepared unlike Stella who only brought a rain jacket. I had three bottles of water, a backpack, winter gear (hat and gloves), rain gear (jacket and pants), food, two knives, dry sacks, and rope. I know I went a little overkill but I had all the gear and was eager to use it all. The one downside I quickly realized is that all your gear must be packed tightly. I made the mistake of just strapping down my nalgene with a caribener and the swaying bottle quickly tired me out. 
monoosoc Ravine Trail, which is rated as difficult but passes through the Lake of the Clouds Hut and is about 4.5miles long. I came prepared unlike Stella who only brought a rain jacket. I had three bottles of water, a backpack, winter gear (hat and gloves), rain gear (jacket and pants), food, two knives, dry sacks, and rope. I know I went a little overkill but I had all the gear and was eager to use it all. The one downside I quickly realized is that all your gear must be packed tightly. I made the mistake of just strapping down my nalgene with a caribener and the swaying bottle quickly tired me out. 
The trail itself was beautiful. I did my research and if you have any desire to climb Mt. Washington I would recommend the Ammonoosoc Ravine Trail. It starts right on the Base Rd and follows one of the rivers up the mountain. It has many great spots where you can stop and over look the ravine and many waterfalls. Also, you feel like you are doing serious hiking, the trail is well cared for, but at times you are climbing near vertical rock walls or scaling mile long segments bouncing from rock to rock. I agree that this was a harder trail, but it was so rewarding to finally get to the the Lake of the Clouds Hut. I was impressed how much work the AMC does and the hut is no little building, it holds about 80 beds and lets you come in for free to warm up. At this point too, we were above the alpine zo
ne and the temperature had dropped nearly 30 degrees from the warm 70 at the base. Stella was glad I brought extra gear and I gave her my hat and gloves. The alpine zone was like walking on a different planet. The trees immediately stop and you are met with a completely rocky environment. Also, those lakes, more like ponds, very tiny but cool to see them about a mile up the mountain.
ne and the temperature had dropped nearly 30 degrees from the warm 70 at the base. Stella was glad I brought extra gear and I gave her my hat and gloves. The alpine zone was like walking on a different planet. The trees immediately stop and you are met with a completely rocky environment. Also, those lakes, more like ponds, very tiny but cool to see them about a mile up the mountain. The most crazy part about our hike was that at the Lake of the Clouds we ran into a group portaging a canoe to the summit. It was about a 16ft aluminum canoe and I remember portaging from my last outdoor trip, it sucks, never mind climbing a mountain. The last half mile of the hike was through the alpine zone and it was all rock, even though we could see the summit it took us about another hour to reach the observatory. We really lucked out on our trip and had a clear 360 degree view of the area. However, as nice as the view was it was kind of disappointing to see people just pulling up in their cars. I guess the best part of the climb was in fact the climb and the sense of accomplishment of doing the climb.
It took us 4 hours to climb Mt. Washington. We were ahead of my pacing and I decided we were going to take Jewell Trail down. This trail was supposed to be easier and a little longer. I thought it would be better because descending is difficult and we would get to see another part of the mountain. The trail followed the train path for a little then broke off to another ravine. Unlike the trail up it hugged the evergreen trees and the trail was much narrower with vegetation all around. I am glad we didn't ascend on this path because there aren't many viewing spots and most of the time you are hidden under the trees. Yet, I did find a few opportunities to run close to some cliff edges despite Stella's disapproval.
That night we stayed at the AMC Highland Center Lodge. It was recommended to us by Stella's supervisor and was amazing. I felt like we were staying in luxury. As we arrive they are having an appetizer hour with wine and beer. Our room was a 4-person bunk that we had to ourselves overlooking a nearby lake and train station. That night for dinner we met a group of 4 men from CT and had dinner family style. The food was outstanding and it was great to share our experiences with complete strangers. I also got to hear about the Foreign Service from a man that just retired from it and it may be another possibility after the Peace Corps.
The next day we headed to Arethusa Falls, the tallest waterfall in NH. We figured since it was Sunday and early we might as well get in a short day hike before heading back to Boston. It was supposed to be a challenging hike 1hr each way. It felt eerily familiar and was a nice hike after our odyssey the day before. By this point Stella and I could take any hike and we were passing people left and right to the falls. After the falls we planned on heading back and stopping at Flume Gorge, but got sidetracked and decided to hike Frankenstein Cliffs on the same path. This was a 3 mile loop that took us up to the top of 2500ft cliffs.
Again the trail was rough with many steep sections and lots of rocks. Of course Stella and I didn't have a map and we just kept assuming we were heading in the right direction. It is amazing when you are hiking how easy it is to lose your orientation about distance 0.2 miles seems like an eon on the trail. Well we finally made it to the cliffs and it was worth the spontaneous decision. Stella and I sat right on the edge of the cliff with our feet dangling over the ground over 1000ft below. We both agreed that the view was much more rewarding than Mt. Washington. Although much lower, we could see the waterfall off in the distance where we were hours ago and see my car even further. Also, we had a view of the entire canyon. 
Again the trail was rough with many steep sections and lots of rocks. Of course Stella and I didn't have a map and we just kept assuming we were heading in the right direction. It is amazing when you are hiking how easy it is to lose your orientation about distance 0.2 miles seems like an eon on the trail. Well we finally made it to the cliffs and it was worth the spontaneous decision. Stella and I sat right on the edge of the cliff with our feet dangling over the ground over 1000ft below. We both agreed that the view was much more rewarding than Mt. Washington. Although much lower, we could see the waterfall off in the distance where we were hours ago and see my car even further. Also, we had a view of the entire canyon. 
This really was the perfect trip and many things happened to fall in our favor. Each day we were hiking we were enthusiastic, but got rightfully tired. It just so happened each day that when we hit the "wall" the point where we were ready to be done, the end was no more than 30 minutes away. Also, I am very adamant about eating at local restaurants and avoiding chains. As we were driving home I wanted a family restaurant and we stopped at the first place we saw. What was on the menu, but a whole story explaining how the restaurant is family owned and how they want to make it the most "warm" restaurant possible.
Over this weekend I grew to appreciate nature and hiking. I had an amazing time and will not forget how awe inspiring those views were. I realized I don't need big fancy games or toys, just a good pair of shoes and company. In addition, I learned to love the time I am in. I just took it all in stride with no clear expectations. I am used to being so frugal with my decisions, but with Stella I just want to make her happy. Who cares if i is a few extra bucks for a root beer float, it makes the meal more fun. It was the perfect weekend of being outdoors, but we were still comforted with the luxury of a warm dry bed at night. I think I need a few more trips like this until I am ready to through hike anywhere.
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