Date: 2011-08-30
To: Monadnock Sunapee Greenway Prep Hike
Miles today: 0.0

Longstride & Silver Girl completed the 2nd of our 3 planned AT prep hikes. Beginning on 8/21 and finishing on 8/25, we hiked the 50 mile Monadnock Sunapee Greenway trail. Once again, we were blessed with outstanding weather and smooth hiking. Day 1: 8.5 miles - Mt Monadnock State Park to Spiltoir ShelterWe arrived at Monadnock State Park on Sunday at 9:30 AM. The trail to the summit (where the MS Greenway trail begins) is only about 2-3 miles, so we were standing on the summit by about 10:45 looking north towards our destination. After descending the steep Dublin Trail on the north side of the mountain, Crossing Old Troy Rd at the base of the north side of Mt. Monadnock, we hiked through about 6 miles of relatively flat hardwood forests before reaching our days destination at the Spiltoir Shelter. We had the shelter all to ourselves, so we set up our tent inside. 5 minutes after we set up, a thunderstorm rolled in. The rain and thunder continued off and on for the next several hours, but it didn't matter to us. During a break in the storms, we took a short walk over to the Howe Reservoir (the water source for this site) and enjoyed a very peaceful moment looking out over the still water and setting sun.Day 2: 11.8 miles - Spiltoir Shelter to Crider ShelterAfter settling into our sleeping bags last night, a rather violent thunderstorm rolled in. One lightening bolt struck fairly close to the shelter. It was all over by about 10 or 11 PM though and we woke the next morning to beautiful sunshine and cooler air. Today's hike was marked by the diversity of the terrain that we walked through. In addition to the typical trail walking through the woods, we also encountered a significant amount of walking along dirt roads, old logging roads, and a paved road road leading up to the center of Nelson, where we had lunch. Nelson is a very small town with a church, library, and a small grassy town common. We had our lunch on the grass at the common and were joined by a friendly mutt who came over to have his belly rubbed. I guess he took a liking to us, because when we got up to continue hiking, he made it clear that he was coming with us. There was nothing we could do to stop him. He stayed with us on the dirt road for about 1/2 mile before going down a driveway, where we thought we lost him. 5 minutes later though, he was back...and with a friend - a chubby lab who also wanted his tummy scratched. The two of them continued following us for 2-1/2 miles up the trail until we reached busy NH Rt 9, where we were finally able to outfox them by crossing the road under a culvert instead of over the road where they had anticipated us to cross. We hope they found their way back to Nelson. After a long walk along an old logging road, we arrived at our day's destination, the Crider Shelter, at about 3 PM. Again, we had the shelter to ourselves.Day 3: 13.4 miles - Crider Shelter to General Washington ShelterAnother beautiful day today with crystal clear air and 100 mile visibility. Today was our favorite day, with beautiful views from the fire tower atop Pitcher Mt, Hubbard Hill, Jackson Hill, and Oak Hill. Blueberries were also still on the bushes at these higher elevations, so we were able to indulge in some tasty natural treats along the way. The hike today was more strenuous with the ups and downs over the aforementioned highlands. Arriving at the General Washington Shelter at about 3:15, we set up our tent inside the shelter (we were alone again) and promptly walked the .3 miles into Washington Center, were we indulged ourselves with ice cream and sodas. A great day.Day 4: 11.2 miles - General Washington Shelter to Moose Lookout Shelter.Today began with another stop at the the Washington General Store, where we picked up some drinks and chatted with a couple outside who were very interested in our hike. Today's hike consisted of a long dirt road walk out of Washington down the the trail head of Lovewell Mt. I felt a hot spot on my baby toe while ascending, so I changed into a thicker pair of socks which eliminated the problem. The rest of the day consisted of a beautiful descent off of Lovewell Mt and the up the long and gradual rise towards the Mt Sunapee ridge line. The day was gorgeous, with long sections of pretty beech trees and pine forests bringing smiles to our faces. We arrived at the shelter at 2:10 and were once again alone. Tomorrow we only have 5.5 miles to the summit of Mt Sunapee and then a couple of more miles down to the parking lot at the base of the mountain.Day 5: 8 miles - Moose Lookout Shelter to Mt Sunapee to parking lot.We got an early start today at about 8:10. Last night was extremely windy and when we awoke, the weather looked a bit threatening. Continuing along the Mt Sunapee ridge line, the trail broke out onto a ski trail of Mt Sunapee about 1/2 mile below the summit. We paused for a break on this trail to visit the spot where Ann's father's ashes were spread. Arriving at the summit lodge of Mt Sunapee, we started to feel a few rain drops, so we quickly got a picture of ourselves on the deck of the summit lodge and made the descent back down to the parking lot, where we arrived just before noon time. All in all, we had a wonderful hike. The weather was for the most part beautiful, the trail conditions were excellent, the views were outstanding, and we felt strong the whole way. In October, we are planning our last prep hike, which will be a 4 day circuit in the Smoky Mountains of NC. Can't wait! 6-1/2 months and counting! Happy Trails.