A Tail Of Two States
Well, we are just over 9 inches away from the all-time recorded high for snowfall in this region - the record of 122 inches falling in Concord NH in 1873, some 135 years ago. Head south towards Boston however, a mere 70 miles, and you won't find any trace of old man Winter. In fact last week I took Cygnus down to Harold Parker State Park where we hiked the leaf strewn trails and circled the ice-less ponds, only an hour removed from our arctic landscapes. In the next week we'll make this trip again, mountain bike in tow, and begin Cygnus' training "beside 2 wheels"!
Locally it has been more of a challenge training and exercising the lil' guy with the snow piled substantially over his head. But thanks to bare sidewalks in downtown Concord and a well maintained network of snowmobile trails closer to home, I've been able to keep him moving and expose him to a variety of situations. We've made daily excursions together to the base of Mount Kearsarge which has several trail options to traverse. The trails are well groomed and hard packed making great terrain for hikers, puppies and snowmobiles. The wooded auto road ascending from the rangers gate takes you 3 1/2 miles to the picnic area offering a good hike and gorgeous views of the surrounding area along the way.
I can tolerate Winter but this one has proved excessive - I'm willing to settle for the bronze medal on that all-time list. Who am I to complain though, with more than a century of technological advancement over our ancestors, to say we had it "easy" compared to those 1873 folk would be a major understatement.



































