Foliage, Bridges and Rocky Coasts

We made a good call moving cities a day early. The weather in New Hampshire was marginal to lousy and pretty bad back in Niagara.  Though it was overcast Saturday, we did not expect much rain.  We had landed in Vermont but had not really visited.  Today we would address that omission.

We headed off with our friends and worked our way West.  Our first stop was Rollins State park in New Hampshire to climb Mount Kearsarge. The mountain is 2,937’ and luckily the road goes most of the way to the top.  As we drove over mostly high overcast changed to mostly cloudy and I was less hopeful that we would get some good views.

The falls colors were very nice though cloudy conditions make the the pictures seem muted, they did look vibrant in person.  Arriving at the Ranger station we paid our entrance but before the ranger would take our money, he stressed that it was pretty socked in at the top. 

Maybe it was our overall ignorance or just youthful exuberance but we threw caution to the wind and accepted the challenge.  The road from the gate to the trail head parking is 3.5 miles and the farther we went, the mistier it got.  We started to think we would be the only idiots doing, you know, driving through clouds to hike in a dense mist. Arriving at the parking lot we found several other cars, so apparently we were not the only only ones.

We had remembered our hiking boots which was good because the “easy” path was steep, wet and rocky.  The trail is only .55 miles each way so not a big hike. It was wet and very muddy in places. We worked our way up the trail and we’re greeted by several scenic overlooks.  We saw a stunning pallets of grey at each one.   The trick is to gaze out and really take on all the subtle shades of nothing.

 

When we finally reached the Summit, we were rewarded with more insides of the clouds. Luckily it was not so dense that we had trouble navigating or seeing each other. It was still fun and sort of cool to watch the cloud insides blow by.  In the airplane it happens so fast, you can't fully appreciate it. The walk down was a bit tricky with the wet rocks but we all made it safely and were soon on our way to our next stop which was coffee and hot chocolate.

Sufficiently fortified we headed out for Quechee Gorge. As we approached the gorge our friends' attention was distracted by an antique mall which made us detour a bit to look at hand made wooden bowls.  Undeterred by the delay, we completed the last half mile and parked to view the Gorge.  The consensus was that it was gorgeous. I read there is a trail down but that it had washed out and was under repair.  I did not wish any ill will on the path but I was secretly happy that we could skip that hike.  It seemed too vertical for me.

Our next stops were covered bridges, I had lined up four to view but after the second  bridge we were once again distracted by a sign for cheese.  Our friends really like cheese and we went off the path for about 10 miles to score a pound of the white gold. We followed the signs to Sugarbush Maple Farms. I had seen this in my research but had taken it off the list because it was on a dirt road.  Cheese is a powerful motivator for some and our friends we not deterred by some rough terrain.

Reading the description and travelling down the unimproved road, I had figured that no one would be at this place.  Boy was I wrong. It was a zoo, literally and figuratively. They had calves, goats, rabbits and who knows what else.  The overflow lot was full and people were everywhere.  The store was over full of people, it may be because they had free samples but to me it seemed like a lot of work for a few cubes.  As you entered they hand you two cheese samples, then three more.  They top you off with four maple syrup samples. After all the samples, they allow you the opportunity to buy these cheeses.

We escaped but our friends were compelled to get some cheese.  We then continued on to the final two bridges, ending our Vermont adventure.  Driving home we did have some rain but still enjoyed the leaves as many areas had good color.

We finished the day by eating way too much food for dinner at a local Mexican restaurant.  We still had the dual storms heading our way and we’re unsure how bad it would be but we planned to drive the White mountain forest so we headed off to bed to see what the morning brought.

Our rain luck ran out this morning.  The main rain from the two systems was slowly closing in but we headed out to see what we could see before it was too wet. We had some nice foliage in Vermont but headed North to peep more leaves.  One of the best places to peep is call the Kank or more precisely the Kancamagus Highway. It runs between Lincoln and Conway NH and is part of the White Mountain National park.

We stopped at the visitor center to pay our day use fee and hang out on the suspension bridge.  The Kank had some great views but soon after we started our drive the rains came.  These did not seem like they were part of either system but rather the interaction between them. Regardless it got pretty wet. The only advantage to the rain was that this was prime season and this was the prime spot. The smart people were waiting a day so it was not as busy as usual. Probably just us and the others that climb Kearsarge in the mist.

The great views were a bit muted due to the clouds and rain but we had some good color.  We did one small hike to a waterfall between hard rains.  I did get pretty wet but it was a nice walk.  After some lunch, we gave up and headed home to just relax for a few hours before eating again.  Sometimes you need a kick back day on vacation.

For our final day sightseeing the Northeast we headed down to Coastal Maine to sample the New England lifestyle. Actually we were looking for lobster and ice cream but that comes later.  We drove from New Hampshire to Kittery and drove North along the waterfront.   We actually had no real plans other than food, walking and views. The weather had moved through and we were back in the blue.

As we passed Fort McClary, I say a cool pier off to the right.  Our host was driving and I was navigating so I made some guesses and started issuing vectors.  At the end of a long road we came to Foster Park.  The pier was also as good as it looked.  It had a nice view of the ocean, land, observation station and light house.  Frequent blog readers will know we like light houses so this was a nice bonus.  It had been a military installation and you could climb about the old gun emplacements.  

We walked about exploring the area and then headed North.  Our next find was a nice little beach in York.  We didn’t do so much beach stuff like frolic in the water but we did enjoy watching the waves crash over the rocks.  While I was still wearing my Jacket in the 60 degree weather with the strong gusty winds, I did see beach goers with just a bathing suit and they were touching the water.

I looked up the temperature and it was a chilly 62.4 degrees.  No thank you.  We did see a surfer but at least he had a wet suit.  Our next stop we saw was a Wiggly Bridge.  Actually that was its name.  The small suspension bridge was a bit wiggly and lead to a small nature trail.

After completing the nature trail and returning safely across the bridge we headed for another lighthouse. The far South had been pretty quiet but as we headed North the traffic and parking situation got grimmer.  The good weather and holiday weekend had brought out the crowds and by the time we got to the Nubble Lighthouse, it was pretty bumper to bumper.  Somehow we scored a space right up front and had a great view of the lighthouse and the waves crashing onto the shore.

Our next challenge was lunch.  As you drive through the small towns they are packed with people and no place to park.  We eventually worked our way up to Ogunquit where we found a place to store the car and proceed to feast on lobster rolls.  Suitably fed, we took a short walk and then headed further North.  

We made it up to Kennebunkport and it was also pretty much a zoo.  After searching for parking by the ice cream store and coming up empty, our driver sacrificed and sent us in by ourselves.  Just kidding, we did an ice cream pickup while he circled. The store had some unique flavors.  CC got spicy Rocky Road.  I went with the more mundane Dark Chocolate.

We were tuckered out and headed home where our hosts made a sumptuous dinner topped off with cake and ice cream.  We hit the sack as we had a big day ahead of us.

Clouds, Mountains and Water (#15 Vermont, #14 New Hampshire)

The squeeze was on, the front was coming faster than expected and Tropical Storm Philippe was heading to Maine.  It was time to get going while the going was good. Just one hitch. There was fog forecast in New Hampshire for the morning so we planned a 10:30 departure to let it burn off. All forecasts said it would be clear by our arrival time. Again the forecasters need to do a bit better....

I had awoken to 100 overcast at our destination but I had confidence that things would improve.  Our departure from Niagara Falls was easy. The FBO had forgotten to fuel us but they got that fixed pretty quickly and we were soon heading East with a good tailwind.  Ground speeds were between 205-210 knots.  Remember this tailwind, fondly, because it was the only one we had in 14 plus hours of flying.

We also picked up our fifth great lake, or as most people say, all of the great lakes. We actually flew over Lake Ontario, I reached out but touching was just out of reach. We can say the plane has seen all of them which is good enough.

Our first stop would be Rutland Vermont to pick up the state, we would do the sightseeing later from New Hampshire. Rutland is challenging as it is in a narrow valley and we would be approaching perpendicular over higher terrain.  I don’t use the terrain feature much in Florida but it comes in very handy in the mountains.  It confirmed my planning and what I was seeing.  VFR it’s an interesting approach, I had already decided that I would not mess with it IFR as it does not leave much room in the event of an engine out.

Rutland was clear when we arrived. When we departed Niagara the clouds at Laconia had lifted to 500. The approach to Laconia only gets you down to 433 feet so this looked like we would be fine as it was supposed to continue improving.  As we descended to Rutland, Laconia went to 300 feet. Laconia is only about 60 miles past Rutland so this created a dilemma, keep going or wait. I decided to go. We had plenty of gas and there was an alternate gas stop halfway that did not report weather but based upon our observations was likely clear.

After landing at Rutland, we looked at the weather one more time and texted our friend.  She sent us a picture from the airport showing the clouds breaking up to the West so that confirmed our decision.  We headed first towards the alternate just to check it out. Once we confirmed it was good VFR, we picked up our IFR clearance and were given the RNAV 08 straight in. 

I had studied the plate the night before, re briefed it before Rutland and was set for the approach and a possible a missed.  We were cleared to the initial fix and got everything ready for an approach to minimums or worse.  We could see the low clouds hanging on the mountains and I did one last brief discussing how we would miss. I also alerted the controller as to the reported weather and made sure she was expecting us to fly the published procedure.  Just as we turned final, 14 miles out, I spotted the runway.

The clouds were dense on the East side of the runway but the West side was much better.  We followed the glide slope and did not go through a cloud.  While the field was 300 OVC, technically speaking, It was really VFR at the 08 threshold and IFR at the other end. I always like to prepare but I was happy to get an easy approach and meet up with our friend as opposed to flying a missed approach to our alternate.

One other factor helped reduce the stress.  We had about 4.5 hours of fuel starting the approach so I had no worry on range or alternates.  After landing we waited our turn to cancel on the remote radio outlet.  Once we had closed our flight plan we parked and met our friend. 

Changing the travel day worked out great. The weather was stunning and after a quick snack we went out boating on Lake Winnipesaukee. It was a great afternoon for a ride and unlike Niagara it was cool on the water. 

We closed out the day with Lobsters, fresh corn and the fixings.  We still had to deal with the impending rain but it was forecast to move through before our departure.

You had me at waterfall

We flew North for some cool weather.  It was cooler in the mornings but surprisingly hot in the afternoons.  Other than a high of 84, the weather was nice on Wednesday, it would not stay this way.  I woke up to a tropical storm heading North towards Maine and a front Heading East towards us. We were about to get squeezed in between.

The planned Friday flight from Niagara to New Hampshire and it was looking like it would be marginal weather at best and possibly hard IFR at worst.  Our destination does not have great approaches with low minimums so it was possible we might not be able to safely arrive.  The lowest only goes to 433', which I understood when I saw all the tall rocks around the runway.

We decided we would change our plans and go to New Hampshire Thursday. This condensed our  travel plans a bit but we were able to improves, adapt and overcome.  We made up for the reduced time by sleeping late before heading to Buffalo to see Lake Erie.  While we had seen it the day before, I once again had to put my finger in just because.  This was my third lake to touch, Superior and Huron were already done.  As expected the water was cold but not frigid, mid 60s.

From there we drove about an hour to Letchworth State Park which is home to some great waterfalls. Yes we had Niagara Falls which really steal the show in New York but these were quite renowned as well.  So we had to go see them and we also wanted to get a feel for this part of the country.

The terrain is beautiful.  The leaves were changing and the rolling hills are quite scenic.  The cities and the structures, especially around Buffalo are a bit bland.  Most seemed old and many were in poor shape.  It may be the harsh climate but I am not a fan of the architecture.  The town of Niagara Falls also seemed poorly kept up and while I expected that touristy vibe, I expected a brighter, cleaner presence.

Letchworth state park was very nice and well kept.  We started at the upper falls and walked a pretty challenging, as in lots of steps, and a  sloped trail to see the upper falls.  We then drove on to an easier trail to see the mid falls which were actually more impressive.  We also learned that after we walked down and up, we could have accessed the views easier by doing a bit more driving.  If only I had studied the map a bit.

After the mid falls, we stopped at  Inspiration point and were mildly inspired.  It is a nice view.  The final stop in the park was to view the gorge and watch the hawks and vultures fly.  The drive home was nice but we were getting hungry.  There is not a lot out there in the way of fine dining or dining in general.  I don't think rural New Yorkers get out much.  In the end we stopped at a gas station and took a chance on gas station food.  

I bought a sandwich which was surprisingly fresh and tasty.  We also got some nice cheese puffs and sodas.  This sustenance gave us the strength to make it back to the hotel.  Where we snacked on lounge food before our last item on our list which was to visit Canada.  Yes we had flown over but now it was time to go there.

The border tracker site said the wait to get to the USA was 25-30 minutes.  Not wanting to deal with the traffic and parking in Canada, we decided to walk.  Yes you can walk to Canada.  Our hotel was 2 blocks from the Rainbow bridge.  We double checked that we had our passports and set out.  At the bridge there is a sign pointing to the pedestrian walkway.  We went through the gates and soon crossed mid river into Canada.  The bridge has a unique view that was worth the walk.  

The entry to Canada was quick.  We were asked a bunch of questions like whether we had brought any weapons.  As Americans, they likely thought it odd that we said no.  My favorite was how long we would stay, I said maybe an hour and twenty minutes.  My guess is this not such an unusual reply.

Inside Canada, we walked the river and got much better views of the falls.  The Canada side is much better kept with lots of flowers and a fresher, cleaner look.  The Canadians have the better views of the falls too because of the geography.  On the USA side you are looking from the edge.  In Canada you look directly at them.

After viewing the falls we walked about the touristy area and then bought a milkshake which we intended to import back to the USA.  Returning we each paid the $1 fee to get back across.  It is rather odd.  You need 4 quarters so you put a $ in the change machine and then feed the turnstiles the quarters.  You would think the turnstiles could take $s and save a step.  

Arriving back to the USA, we were directed to window nine  where a nice officer let us in.  We chatted a bit with him and this ended up confusing another officer as we were directed to leave and the second officer told us to stop and that we needed to go through passport control.  Luckily officer at desk nine vouched for us and we were let free.  After a quick dinner and clean up, we had one more activity.   Last night we heard fireworks and I Googled it. In addition to nicer views, our neighbors put on nightly fireworks. At least until October 9th. 

This time we drove the 2 blocks to Niagara park and arrived 20 minutes early at 9:40. I thought we were way too early but most of the people were already there.   The falls were lit in red, white and blue,  again courtesy of our neighbors. At 10 sharp the fireworks began. They were smaller than some but s we were very close so it was a great show. It was short, about 5 minute and after the finale we scooted and drove back to the hotel to prep for our morning departure.