Mt. Monadnock

Back on my birthday in May the family decided I got to choose the activity. I chose to hike up Mt. Monadnock in southern New Hampshire.

It's one of the most popular hikes near Boston. I didn't understand just how popular until we got there. I think the parking lot at the most popular trailhead could hold 300 cars (and there are multiple trailheads). The trail was as wide as a road most of the way, and filled with a constant stream of people. It was definitely the most people I've ever seen on a hike.

Those of us who grew up hiking on the west coast are spoiled by having hiked trails that were mostly built (or rebuilt) by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Depression. They built trails to common standards, including maximum grade. To meet that grade limit, they used lots of switchbacks.

Well, on the East Coast the trails predate any trail construction standards. They go straight up, over huge boulders or whatever else might be in the way. The trails are steep.

Nevertheless, the family made it very close to the top. We stopped out of the wind below the summit to eat lunch. Carol and Charlotte were tired and stayed where they were while Audrey and I continued to the actual summit.

The view was very pretty.

Afterward we stopped for ice cream.

It was a lovely birthday.

The geeks among you might like to read about the MIT's Haystack Observatory, which we passed on the drive to Mt. Monadnock. And this weird program that involved the observatory: Project Needles.

Ipswich River

We don't visit Mass Audubon's Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary as much as we'd like any more because we can't take Rhodie there. But today was a gorgeous fall day, so we decided to leave Rhodie at home and visit our old haunt.

We used to keep bird seed in the car for our visits but we were out. Fortunately there's a pet store right on the way near the sanctuary. I bet they sell a lot of bird seed.

The birds didn't disappoint. We got the usual torrent of chickadees. But today the nuthatches and the tufted titmice weren't as shy as they have been before and we got plenty of them to visit our hands, too.

People have been feeding the birds here out of their hands for a very long time. The bird population is very accustomed to it.

Hub on Wheels

There's an annual bike ride every September in Boston called Hub on Wheels. The highlight is that Storrow Drive, a major roadway along the Charles River, is closed for the event and cyclists get to ride on a road that is usually closed to us.

Last year Audrey and I rode the 10-mile route - the Storrow Drive portion - together. At the point where the riders on the longer routes split off, Audrey toyed with the idea of riding farther.

Fortunately we didn't. She hadn't had any training, and she was tired after 10 miles, and sore the next day.

This summer I asked Audrey if she wanted to ride the longer route. I told her we would need to do some training rides to work up to the 40-mile length of this year's route. She was game.

So, several weekends in a row leading up to the event we rode. First a little under 10 miles. Then 20 miles a couple of times. And finally 30 miles on the Cape Cod Rail Trail while were visiting the Cape with friends. When Hub on Wheels rolled around, we were ready.

Oh, before the Cape ride I also bought a computer for Audrey's bike so she could see her own speed and distance.

We had to get up at 6am to go on the ride. Audrey wasn't too excited about that.

I had stocked up on energy foods and had them stashed in my jersey pocket. Good thing. Audrey needed boosts now and then throughout the ride. But she powered through and we finished! Just over 40 miles on our bike computers. I was very proud of her.

She was a little sore the next day but not too bad. We'll see if she's game again next year.

The age minimum is 12, so Charlotte has another year before she has to decide whether to give it a go.

Here's the route: