Hi Friends:
Any opportunity to go to the top of Mount Washington is an adventure that should not be missed, regardless of your mode of transportation: Hiking, driving, taking the motor coach, or the Cog Railroad.
It used to be for just one day a year, but now, the Mount Washington Auto Road allows a certain number of ATVs (and motorcycles) to go up, daily, during the Summer months. Carol and I, and her brother and sister-in-law, didn’t want to let this opportunity slip by, so we bought tickets well in advance, to “ride into the clouds” on our side-by-sides.
Regardless of how it is “at the bottom” of the Mountain (sunny, 75-80 degrees), you must be prepared for what awaits you at the top: “The World’s Worst Weather.” You will never understand the meaning of why this is the most dangerous mountain in the world until you experience it for yourself.
We’ve been blessed to have gone up the mountain many times, and each time, it is a totally different adventure. This time, for example, we saw “the cave” for the first time, and were able to film 4 of the Cog Railroad trains at the same time. I have never seen 4 trains at the top at one time: 3 of the custom-built biodiesel locomotives, and in an unforgettable experience, we saw the MW2 … Steam Engine # 2, The Ammonoosuc, built in 1875 and manufactured in New Hampshire at the Manchester Locomotive Works … an authentic coal-fired steam locomotive… I have learned since that when multiple trains are dispatched, the steam train is always last in line behind the diesels.
Enjoy the video of our trip “into the clouds!”
Category: HAPPY TRAILS
Happy Trails: Jericho Mountain State Park
Hi Friends:
A beautiful lake, surrounded by Mountains.
Jericho Mountain State Park (also referred to as Jericho Lake State Park) is located just outside of Berlin, New Hampshire.
As beautiful a spot as it is, it has in the last few years taken on even more popularity with the addition of ATV trails.
With 85 miles of ATV trails within the Park, it is also linked to the 1,000 mile “Ride the Wilds” trail system. In fact, this was the first network of all-terrain vehicle trails on state land in New Hampshire.
There are many different points of interest along the trails, like “The Windmills” on top of Jericho Mountain (2,454-feet), and the awe-inspiring views from The Warming Hut. We’ll cover each of these locations in later videos.
Many of the ATV trails are also snowmobile trails during the winter months. The trail system is operated and supported by the Androscoggin Valley ATV club and by the White Mountain Ridge Runners Snowmobile club, both of Berlin. The ATV club hosts the Jericho ATV festival that takes place every summer at the park near Jericho Lake. Through a maintenance agreement with the state, the club is primarily responsible for the trail maintenance of the ATV trails. They do a great job, and for many, these were the first trails ridden, and the Park has been responsible for introducing many, many riders to the trails.
We’ve been to Jericho Mountain State Park many times. Last Summer, I was able to take photos of the area around the Lake, and the Welcome Center. I think it will serve as a great introduction to the beauty of the Park, and surrounding areas.
You can ride downtown in Berlin, New Hampshire (and Gorham), and you can ride your ATV on the highway … until about a quarter of a mile from the Park entrance. To get to the Park, if you are on an ATV, you have to leave the Highway, and “go around” through the woods, and ride this trail to the Park. So, the first few slides you’ll see is of this “entrance trail” to get to the Park.
Easy to say “I can’t wait to get back out there,” as, like most of you right now, you “can’t wait to go anywhere!”
Every year, I seem to look more and more forward to Summer, and for us it’s always an added bonus. Keep in mind that we had snow here on Wednesday, just 3 days ago. Tomorrow, Sunday, there is 3”-6” of snow in the forecast. That’s three to six inches. Yeah … we’re looking forward to Summer. A week from yesterday is May 1st. ‘Ol Timers here will speak of the time, when they were in School, when they had to cancel May Day celebrations (remember when that was a big deal?) because of snow. So, yes, especially this year, looking forward to when the Lake, and the Mountains look the same as in the video.
Hope you enjoy the video!
Bless and Encourage Others By Sharing This:
Trippin’ Through the North Country
Hi Friends:
Several years ago, around the second week of June, a close friend from Georgia joined with our family for a visit. I had asked him to share his pictures … which he did … a few years ago …
I knew I would get around to them …
I think this was his first time in the North Country, so we tried to get in as much territory as possible.
I’ll never forget something my Mom said shortly upon their arrival. Looking out from our front porch (some folks call it a deck), she was in awe as she exclaimed:
“Everything is so green!”
Early June, and they already had brown grass in Georgia. Up here, the snow wasn’t that far from making its exit, and we had gotten a lot of rain.
We’ve been to all these places many times since, and taken a lot more pictures in each individual location (which we’ll share along the way), but all these photos were taken by our friend, and we want to fulfill our promise to him first.
I’ve working on these photos for about 2 months, long before there was any threat of our current situation. I’ve thought about whether “now” is a good time to share them. For 2 very different reasons, I think now is a good time:
- I just sat through the slides again, and the same thought comes to mind:
“Everything is so green!” Keep in mind, it’s still Winter here, we still have snow in the yard (got several inches last week), and the forecast calls for 3-6 inches of snow in 2 days. Yeah … looking at all that green … clear skies … shorts and t-shirts … Yeah, it seems like a good time …
- I have written much about how one of the great blessings we so often take for granted in the United States is the ability … the freedom … to just get in our vehicle and travel … from place to place … from state to state … what a great blessing, what a great freedom that is … that we often just take for granted.
Looking at these slides, covering a few states in a few days … at our leisure … traveling “all over the place” … stopping wherever and whenever we wanted … I’m thinking that I won’t ever take that freedom, that blessing, that privilege for granted … ever again …
Just being able to do that, again, would be “Trippin’!!!”
Blessings to you and your family.
Bless and Encourage Others By Sharing This:
Happy Trails: Riding the Success Trail
The North Country is so beautiful, and there are over 1,000 miles of connected ATV trails to enjoy. As a life-long hiker, I’d always dreamed of hiking these mountain trails I had read so much about, as a child.
Well … after well over 10 years of living in the North Country, I could count all the hikes I’ve been able to complete on part of one hand.
My brother-in-law, an avid outdoors enthuist, came up to visit one weekend, and he brought along an ATV … then, on another trip soon thereafter … he brought up a “Side-by Side.” The rest became part of our history …
The very first trail we rode, and still one of our favorites, is the Success Trail.
We love all of the bridges … a lot of bridges … and, mountain views. Plus, the trail is well maintained by local ATV Clubs.
This is something that Carol and I can enjoy together, and let me just say that there are places, beautiful, spectacular places-close by … that I didn’t even know existed.
I guess it’s about time to start sharing our travel adventures … we have been so blessed, and even more blessed to be able to share our adventures with our friends.
Blessings to you, and your family.
And … yes … Happy Trails to you …
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