Post Hike Dining in the White Mountains

Admit it; one of the best parts of hiking is the post hike dinner. After the hike you are muddy, hungry, and you have great hiking stories that should be told over a hearty meal.  Also, if you are anything like me, you have eaten nothing but Pop-Tarts and Mountain House dinners for the past few days. This means your restaurant choice is a crucial decision. Below are my top picks for post hike chow and good times.

1. Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery : North Woodstock, NH

This place is so good that I almost go hiking just for an excuse to eat here. It is the perfect combination of ambiance, food and location. The menu is full of hiker favorites like meatloaf and Death by Sandwich (see below) which is several pounds of tasty. It is impossible to leave this place hungry. Take a look around as you enjoy your meal, this place used to be a train station and I think that is pretty neat. Oh yeah, it also helps that it is a brewery with plenty of tasty beers on tap. Lastly, it is right off I-93 which is great if you are coming from Mount Washington, Moosilauke, Waterville Valley or just about anywhere in the Whites.

Death by Sandwich is not an exaggeration

2. Tilton Diner : Tilton, NH

Tilton is a must stop on almost every hike. This is a diner straight out of the 1950s with bee-bop music, chrome on the inside and a pink exterior. Here you will find a lengthy menu full of classic diner fare. I highly recommend a black and white milkshake with a Cadillac. No I am not talking about cars. Tilton’s “Cadillac” consists of pancakes, eggs, bacon, toast and hash browns for under $10; everything you need after getting off the trail.  Hikes and skiers are a common sight here so you will feel right at home. It is located close to the junction of I-93 and I-89 so it is on the way home from most hikes. It is also right next to a gas station so you can fill up your gas tank after filling yourself up.

3. Moat Mountain Smokehouse and Brewing Company: North Conway, NH

I have been known to drive up to 30 minutes out of the way just to eat at the Moat. Eat here if your hike takes you anywhere near the North Conway region.  This is a classic White Mountains brewpub. The menu has plenty of tasty options but I am partial to their burgers and the beer menu which has something for everyone. The Moat’s only downside is that it might be too popular and is usually packed; waits up to 45 minutes are not unusual.

4. Muddy Moose Restaurant and Pub : North Conway, NH

When the Moat is packed you should head straight for the Muddy Moose. This White Mountains themed restaurant caters to hikers with great service and food. The friendly wait staff always asks about our hike or skip trip. The food is mountain themed with items like the “Mountain Climber’s Steak Sandwich” or the “Trailside Burger”. However, I am partial to their “Smokey the Burger” which is smothered in barbecue sauce and cheese. 

Next time you head to the Whites don’t settle for a gas station hot dog for dinner. You deserve better and thankfully you have plenty of options.  

Cycling from Hadley to the Montague Boookmill

The loop ride from Hadley to the Montague Bookmill reaffirms everything I love about cycling.  It totals 35 flat miles that travel through the Franklin Country countryside on designated bikeways that lead directly to the Montague Bookmill for a perfect mid ride lunch break.  

Hadley/ Sunderland

I started my ride at the Hadley Elementary School parking lot because that was as good a place as any From there I headed north on Route 47 towards Sunderland; following the Connecticut River on a hill free ride through farmland and the village of North Hadley. The roadside scenery personifies New England with distant rolling hills, tobacco barns and plenty of historic farm houses. You also pass several farm and ice cream stands if you are in the mood for a mid ride snack.  8 miles later Route 47 crosses Route 116 and the Franklin County Bikeway begins. 

Franklin County Bikeway

Genius, bliss, relaxing and inspiring are just a few of the words that come to mind when I think of the Franklin County Bikeway. It is a 44 mile paved loop of low traffic country roads through Greenfield, Deerfield, Montague and Gill with spurs reaching into Northfield, Sunderland and Leverrett. It was designed almost 20 years ago to enable transportation without cars. 

However it didn’t take long for people to realize that the bikeway is also a great destination. It is possible to ride the whole route and see only a handful of cars. All you need to do is follow the bikeway signs and enjoy the ride as it takes you past waterfalls, scenic lookouts and working farms. I wish I could stay on bikeway forever but this ride only allowed me to spend about 12 miles on it. 

The Montague Bookmill

The Montague Bookmill  is what you get when you combine a used bookstore, used record store, an antique store, a fancy restaurant and a café/ bar within a 1840s gristmill; it has to be seen to be believed. Your eyes will thank you if you do see it as It is situated just aft of Montague Center on the banks of the Saw Mill River which screams classic New England. It is also directly on the Franklin Country Bikeway which makes its Lady Killgrew Café a very popular cycling destination. I had a summer sausage sandwich, salad and a cookie while relaxing outside; life doesn’t get much better.

The Ride Home

Eventually it was time to return to the real world, but thankfully 15ish miles of pristine cycling stood between me and reality. I simply followed the Franklin County Bikeway signs to continue my ride on traffic free roads that eventually led me back to the intersection of 47 and 116. From there I just followed the same road I started on and was back at my starting point in no time. Along the way I must have seen 50 other cyclists riding everything from cruisers to triathlon bikes. It was a great day to be on a bike.

Westfield River: Knightville Dam to Huntington

The Westfield River between Knightville Dam and the Huntington General Store has it all. This 5.2 mile run takes you through Class II-III rapids, drops and rock gardens with beautiful hill town scenery on the shore. It has something for paddlers of all abilities and is my favorite kayaking run.  

This river section makes up the first 5.2 miles of the Westfield River Race’s expert course. This run is so special because it features plenty of rapids and challenges yet it is relatively low risk; depending on water level. There is nothing on this run that you can’t get through by paddling and leaning down river. I should also note the scenery along the river; it is beautiful! This run takes you through a state park where you feel miles from anywhere.

We put in at the base of the Knightville dam in Huntington. The water was flowing at 700ish CFS, according to American Whitewater, which is considered lower runnable. There is a log wedged in the middle of the river here but there was plenty of water and room to go around it. From here the fun starts right away with a little rapid that got the adrenaline flowing. We immediately noticed that we were barely scraping rocks and that there was enough water to have fun without getting dangerous. 

From there the paddling becomes a classic Westfield River run with stretches of rapids followed by brief calm sections that are great for recovery. The paddling gets even more interesting about a half mile downstream from The Rapids restaurant. This is where the river enters Gardner State Park and enters a section of rapids we refer to as “The Fingers”. Here the river breaks into three sections with a rocky run to river left, not enough flow to river right and a fast flowing chute down the center with a drop of a few feet. We kept our boats straight, planted a few good strokes and rode this roller-coaster of a rapid to the deep recover pool just beyond it.

The river then enters a rock garden where it is fun to pick lines and maneuver around obstacles. There is still plenty of space to maneuver without getting into trouble. The river then makes a sharp right turn that leads to one of the river’s most famous rapids known as “The Drop” This is a plain and simple 4 foot drop with an excellent recovery pool. I picked a bad line in this rapid, leaned to compensate and accidentally took one hand off my paddle. The low water flow let me get away with this mistake. Had the water been any higher I am sure I would have gone swimming.

From here nothing but choppy water stood between us and the takeout just before the bridge near the Huntington General Store. We got out of the water wanting more, which is always a great way to end a day of kayaking.

2011 Seven Sisters Redemption

Last year the Seven Sisters course beat me with a combination of brutal terrain and extremely hot temperatures. This year I got my revenge.

This year the weather gods provided sunny skies and mild temperatures. These ideal conditions convinced 245 runners to join me to battle the course. One of the great things about this race is the diversity of runners that it attracts. I glanced around the parking lot before the race and saw elite competitors, challenge seekers, running clubs and people who were just running for fun. Not many events draw this much runner diversity but the Seven Sisters Trail race is a unique event.

I made a few new friends as I went through my warm-up but the start time was soon upon us. The race starts with a mass start that goes directly up a mountain on a single track trail. When you have 245 runners competing for space on a 2 foot wide trail that can only mean one thing; bottleneck! This gave me a chance to warm up and map out a strategy. My plan was to break the course into small chunks by focusing on the next landmark instead of the finish line. 

I cleared Bare Mountain in 11 minutes and the crowd began to thin out. Some runners had already decided to turn around and head back to the parking lot. This is one of my favorite moments in the race because one mountain is down, the adrenaline is flowing and the race is on.  

My next goal was the sharp descent into the Low Place near mile 2; this is one of the steepest hills on the course which is an epic descent on the way out and a brutal climb on the way back. Of course there were a few hills between that goal and my current position. I shortened my stride, took in some electrolytes and ran with a purpose. The course was rocky but mostly dry and mud free which made it possible to actually run in many spots. I reached the low place at 30 minutes and grabbed onto trees and roots to maintain control on the sharp descent.

At this point I knew that almost 2 miles were behind me and that more familiar terrain was ahead. This is where the course temporarily flattens out and it is the location of the first water stop. I took advantage of this brief reprise from hills to recharge my legs and lungs. The break did not last long and we were soon climbing out of the Low Place. My new goal was to reach a message box that is attached to a tree just before the descent into Taylor’s Notch. The course brought us through a diverse range of terrain that included mountain summits, thick brush and areas scarred by forest fires. I kept focused on my goal and eventually reached it. From here the course descends to Taylor’s Notch, up Mount Holyoke and down to the turn around.

My girlfriend and one of my friends were waiting on top of Mount Holyoke to provide some much needed support. This gave me the mental boost I needed to pound out the remaining 1.6 miles to the turn around. Along the way I saw the race leaders who already on their way back and running as if the hills had no effect on them; I don’t know how they do it.

My parents were at the turn around to cheer me on which gave me another boost. I was feeling better than I usually felt after completing 6 miles of trail race with another 6 to go.  I began the climb back up Mount Holyoke feeling excited that the race was half over and that my supporters were still waiting on the summit to provide one last mental boost. As I cleared Mount Holyoke I thanked them and set my sights on the Low Place.

I caught up with a pack of about 6 runners who were going my pace and we stuck together for a few miles. It felt good to take on the course as a group. The course continued to climb up and down but I kept my mind focused on the climb out of the Low place. This climb rivals anything in the White Mountains and runners must face it 9 miles into course after having climbed thousands of feet already; essentially it is brutal. Runners were scattered all over the hill; many trying to catch their breath or regain their momentum. I shortened my stride, took deep breaths and did whatever I could to keep moving. 

the Low Place climb looks kind of like this

Finally I cleared the climb and knew that only 2 miles of moderate terrain stood between me and the finish line. I turned on the gas, although the tank was nearing empty, and crossed the finish line after 3:23 of running; which is a personal record for me. Most importantly I accomplished my only goal for the day; I finished the race!