Fall is always a great time of year in New Hampshire...especially for a camp director just coming off of a spectacular summer of "work". Having grown up here in the granite state I have a passion for all things outdoors. I have been lucky this year that the weather has been great, the foliage scenic, and my hiking companion has four legs and can't say no to a day in the woods!
The first day of fall for me does not come on a certain date; it is the day I wrap the boat up for the season. This year we had a blast during “summer 2.0”, - what we call what is left of the summer after camp is over – surfing, riding, and occasionally slaloming well into September. At a certain point, though, the water and the sun are no longer warm and it is time to throw in the towel. After eight hours of cleaning, waxing, and winterizing, the Centurion was ready to hibernate until the spring.
Mountain biking has been taking up a lot of my time this fall as I discovered a fantastic network of trails just minutes from my house. Bear Brook State Park has miles and miles of terrain of varying difficulty and great spots to catch your breath and take it all in (see above). It is easy to waste away a whole day cruising the trails.
Of course, New Hampshire is famous for its hiking and I have been trying to get up to the mountains a few times a week to conquer some peaks. This year the foliage has been on full display with limitless views in the mountains of yellows, reds, and oranges.
I do not see a lot of wildlife these days as Tuckerman, my hiking buddy, is not a stealth hiker. He is only ten months old and still has limitless energy which makes enough noise on the trail to scare almost everything away. We have had some great days hiking smaller NH mountains as I get him ready for higher peaks and his namesake trail on Mt. Washington next spring.
Of course fall fun does not have to be confined to your home base. I was lucky to have spent a couple of weeks in the Caribbean earlier this month and got to scuba dive, sail, and lounge in the sun.
It is hard to look cool in a foam life jacket but rules are rules right?
I hope that you all are having as much fun this fall as I am and feel free to send over some pics (evan@watermonkeycamp.com) of what you have been up to and maybe we will feature that on the blog!