Date: 2018-11-05
From: Lyme-Dorchester Road

To: Trescott Road 
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: light rain

It was 29° when I started hiking this morning at 6:45am. There was no wind, and no rain. I had my puffy on, so I was comfortable as I started going UP. I was early enough to catch the morning birds. Those tweets and chirps put a big smile on my face.  That¢s what I was doing, smiling, when I took a wrong turn. I was only about 15 minutes in when I found myself retracing my steps for the first time today. Back on trail I was keeping a close watch for blazes. All of these leaves make it so easy to get off trail. That¢s when I came across a random rock wall. I often wonder why these walls exist. Before my day was over I saw 3 of them. I remember thinking they would be great for snowball fights! I was only two miles in when I popped out onto a road. As I was approaching the road I could see my first big climb waiting patiently for me on the other side.  I was doing some deep thinking While making my way towards that UP. I was thinking to myself how nice it is to have only MY thoughts floating around in my mind. At that moment I was reflecting on our country¢s current political situation. With elections going on there¢s lots of thinking to be done, and it¢s so nice to NOT be inundated with others words of persuasion. All I heard was the breeze in the trees. I¢m free to think and feel however I want. About half way up I began to sweat. I stopped and dropped pack to take off my puffy. It barely fit in my slack pack with all of my rain gear. I was pretty sure my chicken salad sandwich was smashed.  I went right back into deep thinking mode. These thoughts brought me all the way up to my first view of the day. It was windy up there! I pulled my puffy coat back out and put it on. This began a pattern of puffy on, puffy off...all day long.  Leaving the view the trail was nice wide and obvious! I was so happy to have a path I didn¢t need to second guess. It brought me to a ski slope with a ski lift. The lift is not in operation yet, but there was a privy so I took advantage of that. When I came out of the privy I began to systematically look for a blaze. There were none to be found. Time for Guthook¢s. I had completely gone the wrong direction from the view. Ugh! Off trail again!  When I got back, I found the trail. It was entirely covered with leaves. I am seriously having a difficult time discerning the trail from the forest. Once on trail, I had a quick down. In no time I was going back up to Moose Mountain. This mountain has twin peaks. I made it up the north peak quickly. There was a shelter about a mile past the peak, so that was my planned lunch break.  This area has really bad signage. I was close to the shelter, but never saw it. I took a break on ledges yesterday, but I never saw how to get to that shelter either. I pulled up a log today and just enjoyed my lunch right there on trail. Soon I was on my way to south peak. I found myself doing my best to stay out of the mud. New Hampshire has a lot of boggy areas. The excessive rain this year has made it worse. Often times the trail itself has becomes a flowing creek.  I don¢t know if it was the water, bog, or leaves, but I found myself lost...AGAIN! Really? Three times! One more time I retraced my steps. I think I spent an entire hour today just re-finding the trail. There¢s only 9 hours of daylight now, so I cannot waste 1 of them lost. Not sure what I¢m going to do, but that¢s got to change. Eventually I did make it up South Peak of Moose Mountain. The view was phenomenal! I¢m so grateful to have been given another day full of views!  From there it was pretty much all down hill to my extraction point. On the way I crossed paths with 3 day hikers. I was thinking to myself I wasn¢t going to see anybody today, then there they were. They said local hiking is down because it¢s hunting season. About 5 minutes after we parted ways I heard a gunshot. That was the first gunshot for me today. There was one more to follow.  On my way down I saw a fat grey squirrel collecting his winter bounty. I hiked out through a series of fields. Then down to where Papa Big Swig was patiently waiting. Until Next Time Blue Raccoon (2018)Where¢s your faith?