August 4 and 5: Lancaster and Stark "Escape Storms" Days

We spent the evenings of August 3 and 4 at Lancaster Motor Inn in Lancaster; these were bookings made a couple days earlier in anticipation of severe thunderstorms that were supposed to head our way that Friday and Saturday. Turned out Friday was gorgeous (of course)...we enjoyed our Bonus Rest Day #1 (August 4) though. We ate pizza, we rested, and we ambled around Lancaster.

Nancy Spaulding picked us up on the 5th and brought us back into Stark; we had booked an evening at her B&B, the Stark Village Inn, for that evening. Bonus Rest Day #2 (during which it did storm, so we felt justified in taking at least this day off) saw us enjoying her lovely and cozy establishment near a picturesque river and covered bridge.

Sage resting in the living area of Stark Village Inn

Alex hanging out

As I wrote in a previous post, Nancy Spaulding is the go-to person for all things Cohos Trail. Need a ride or a shuttle from Point A to Point B? Call Nancy to arrange it. Need a place to stay in Stark during your thru-hike? Stay at Nancy's. Need a resupply point in Stark? Nancy's your woman. She really is a dynamo and she provides great service for those on the trail. Her number is 603-636-2644.

Alex, Nancy Spaulding, and Sage

Tomorrow's post will be on our journey from Stark to Old Hermit Shelter.

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Post- Hike Notes

The Cohos Trail is a rugged and tough hike through New Hampshire's wild northern backcountry. If you are from out-of-state and only have experience hiking western trails, or if you have never hiked mountainous territory in New England, then please understand that these trails are not graded for horses/mules, that New Hampshire doesn't believe in switchbacks, and that weather here can and often does turn on the drop of a dime. This is one of the most difficult areas to hike in the USA. Our trails are full of boulders and roots, and the path is sometimes only as wide as your foot. We have ticks, thorns, snakes, mosquitoes, spiders, and blackflies everywhere on the trail. If you're really lucky, you'll find ground wasps too. (Yes, we also have moose and bear, but moose and bear really aren't a concern unless you decide to use your food sack as a pillow. Leave them alone and give them space, and they'll return the favor). Given the above, you will...

August 11, 2017. Happy Corners/Pittsburgh to Deer Mountain Campground

About 19.6 miles with perhaps around 1700 feet of elevation gain. Route 3, Danforth Road, Prospect Mtn Trail, Ramblewood Link, Covell Mtn Trail, Round Pond Brook Trail, Bog Bridge Trail, Magalloway Road, Route 3, Falls in the River Trail, Idlewilde Spur Trail, R&J Chaput Trail, Lower Black Cat, Middle Black Cat, Upper Black Cat, Sophie's Lane, Route 3 Our next to last day! We left our cabin around 6am, turned right (left if you are coming from Young's Store), walked a tenth of a mile along Route 3, and turned right onto Danforth Road. One walks this road for about 1.4 miles before turning onto a normal trail. Use the map combined with the Databook to make sure you are on the right track, for the blazes are sparse. The map clearly shows you should walk right at this intersection... ...and then again at a next one, but when one comes to a junction up high, underneath what looks like two private residences, one in both available directions, turn lef...

August 12, 2017. Hiking Day Eleven: Deer Mountain to Canada!

Sophie's Lane and Fourth Connecticut Lake Trail 7.5 miles with about 900 feet of elevation gain. It rained overnight, but we didn't care; it's usually a pain to pack up a wet tent, but this was our last day and we didn't have far to go. We even slept in -- instead of getting up at 5am and heading out by 6, we slept until 7:30 and headed out around 9. Sloths! It took about five minutes to get back to Sophie's Lane and start heading toward Canada. We stopped to say hello to this little guy/gal along the way. Sophie's Lane is easy walking. It's a very pleasant way to spend your last few miles -- you're on a nice country road that feels flat the entire way. We tried to slow our pace since our ride wasn't supposed to arrive at the border until 5pm; with the way we were walking, we were bound to get there hours earlier. We couldn't seem to not hike quickly, though...quickly was our natural pace now and it felt strange slow...

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