My first entry of 2020! The COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down back in March, so I have not been able to visit National Park sites or travel out of NH much. I am lucky to live in the gorgeous and wild White Mountains of NH, where COVID has stayed away compared with most other parts of the country, so following Stay At Home guidelines has been fairly easy. I’ve spent the year working on the NH Grid and White Mountain redlining. I hope to finish both those massive goals next year. Then I will have this next chapter of my life to start…the one that will last the rest of my life.
I am excited to think I will spend my days hiking National Scenic Trails, National Park Sites, National Wildlife Refuges….and National Recreation Trails (the ones designated for hiking). I added the recreation trails to my massive bucket list because why not? I figure it will take me through my 70s to finish all this. Which is fine by me. I do wonder if I will lose my sanity hiking all these trails and visiting all these places solo (I have no intention of ever marrying again). Probably not. There are other happy wanderers out there who will understand my urge to constantly explore and walk. We’ll find each other, even if it is “only” on the internet.
I am still having a rough time with my youngest, who is now 15. She and I had a big blow-out this past week, so when I woke up this morning I didn’t feel like hiking a difficult hike in the White Mountains (I need to finish gridding and redlining before turning my total attention to this National Everything quest). I therefore decided to drive an hour or so southeast and do my first official Wildlife Refuge visit. Great Bay NWR was what my soul needed today. Pretty, simple, easy, and free of people. I enjoyed my visit and took my time walking the two short trails.
The first trail, Peverly Pond Trail, starts right by the parking lot and takes the wanderer on a half mile loop stroll to and from the pond. The entire footpath is a raised boardwalk and is wheelchair accessible.
The second trail, the William Furber Ferry Way Trail, is a two mile loop that takes the hiker down to the Great Bay where Mr. Furber operated a passenger/livestock ferry in the late 1600s. It’s an easy wooded walk with lots of songbirds flying overhead and fat furry squirrels scurrying nearby. There are nesting Bald Eagles too, though I didn’t see any (I believe they are more common in winter).
Pre-1992, this wildlife refuge was part of an Air Force Base. You can see the cement bunkers behind a fence on the first part of the Ferry Way Trail.
This will probably be my one and only entry for 2020 since the snows should arrive any day now, and COVID-19 is going to get worse before the vaccine arrives. Travel restrictions will continue into next summer, probably. At least I can keep hiking the White Mountains until the pandemic is under control. I am so thankful for where I currently live!