New Hampshire 2013 Act 3

Near the summit of Mt. Whiteface

DJ asked me if we could go to New Hampshire this week so I jumped on the opportunity to hang out with my son.

An eighteen year old would much rather hang with their buddies, so I took advantage of some father-son time. We drove up on Thursday morning. We packed Wednesday night so we were ready to go at 6:30 am.

DJ loves hiking mountains. We are trying to complete all 48 mountains in New Hampshire over four thousand feet. We have been working on this goal for a decade. We decided to hike Mt Whiteface. This mountain is the southernmost 4000 footer. It faces the lakes region. We arrived about 10:30 am. We packed the backpacks and set off.

It took me less than half a mile to know my legs had nothing. You know those days when you go for a jog or the gym and you have no energy? That was what my legs felt like. Unfortunately for me I was with a kid that runs cross country and does “core exercises” with his friends for fun. So I pushed on. After about a mile and a half the trail got really steep. I let DJ go ahead of me and stop at the first good view. He took off like a rocket. I trudged on up the side of the mountain with no legs under me. For those counting, the trail up Mt Whiteface is 4.4 miles (one way) and 3000 vertical feet.

I realized quickly that I was doing something way past my physical fitness level. They say to “know your limits” I knew I was way past mine. However, since I let DJ go ahead I kept on. Finally I reached the first view. DJ had been there an hour. It was a nice view facing south. Twenty two miles away we could see Lake Winnipesaukee. From that view we could see we were another 500 vertical feet from the top. We went up a difficult trail. We scrambled up many rock ledges. Honestly, if I would have been in shape the last part would have been fun and challenging. At the top we ate lunch, took pictures and enjoyed the view. There were views both north and south. It was very hazy so the view wasn’t crystal clear. Yet we still could tell how pretty it was.

Campsite at Russell Pond

The hike down sucked as much as the hike up. My knees (and DJ’s for that matter) were shaking from the downhill. We didn’t get out of the wood until 5:50 pm.

After we left the wood we drove to Russell Pond campground. First we stopped at a store and we each bought chocolate milk. The drive to Russell Pond was almost an hour and a half. We set up the tent and walked down to the water. That was really all we had time for before dark. As you can imagine DJ said I snored really loud.

I got up and did some trout fishing in Russell Pond in the morning. I fished from shore for about an hour but didn’t get any. I did watch and listen to a loon so it wasn’t a waste of time. After fishing I got DJ up, packed the tent and took off. Of course DJ wanted to hike another mountain, since my plan was not to die of a heart attack; I chose something a little easier and just as rewarding. I have always wanted to do a trail in Waterville Valley that leads to some small waterfalls. I have put it off because the trail system and finding the trailhead seemed a bit confusing. Since we were near the area and it was plenty early if we got lost, it was worth going.



One of the Waterville Cascades







 

The loop hike has waterfalls, a short trail leading to giant white pines and another trail leading to a huge glacial erratic. I can tell you, this four and a half mile loop was awesome. Although the first quarter mile was steep it leveled off and was a very pleasant hike. It’s about 1.2 miles to the cascades. There are three or four waterfalls right above each other with big swimming pools in between.  They were all over ten feet. Although it was been dry, there was still enough water to make them attractive.

After we passed the waterfalls we walked over a bridge onto Livermore Road. We followed that down almost to the car. We stopped at the side trail for the big pines (Big Pines Trail- .2 miles) and the Boulder Trail (the large glacial erratic sits in the river just a minute from the main trail).

The absolute highlight was while turning a corner on Livermore Road we saw a young moose. It saw us and started trotting down the road. It stayed on the road about 40 yards in front of us for over a quarter mile. It would occasionally turn around and look at us. Sometimes it would stop and feed. Some points it would trot for 10 seconds. Finally at a clearing, it took a left onto another trail. As we passed it, it looked at us again. This moose could have cared less if we were using the same trail or not. Needless to say it was a memory I will have forever.



For .25 miles this moose walked with us

After our hike, we drove to Sandwich Notch Road. We stopped at Kiah Pond where we ate lunch. I fished for five minutes and caught a common shiner. After lunch we drove to Beede Falls. DJ had never seen this falls and it is one of my favorites. When we got done with our short hike to the falls we drove home.

 

For anyone that would like to do the hike to Waterville Cascades, here are the actual trails. I thought this was a great hike. It had a lot of reward for not too much effort.  The trailhead parking is at Snow Mountain. It is right next to the ski jump in town. Follow the Cascade Path for about a mile. It is well marked with yellow arrows and signs. You will come to a trail junction. Take the right trail, this is still Cascade Path. You will come to the waterfalls shortly. Below the first fall you can cross the river. The trail follows up the river on both sides and comes out the same place. We stayed on the right. Above the waterfalls is a bridge. This is Livermore Road. Take a left. This is almost completely downhill. You will come across some side trails. The trail to the Big Pines is an out and back. The Boulder Trail just beyond is a short trip to the glacial erratic. Once back on Livermore Road, take Greenly Path on your left (do not take Greenly Trail to the right or you will be heading deep into the woods. After a few minutes on Greenly Path you will come to a T intersection just called “the connector”. We had no idea which way to go. We took the left way (correct). Follow until you come to the main road. When you reach the asphalt road, go over the bridge to your left. This will bring you in front of some tennis courts, take a left here and you will see the lot your car is parked at in a minute.

It sounds really complicated, but it really is a big loop. Mostly you go counter clockwise. Total loop including side trip is an easy 4.5-4.7 miles.  

Totals for the trip

Animals- moose, loon, toads, newt, leeches, common shiner, DJ saw a spruce grouse

14 trail miles

Two Good Days

I wrote this on Sunday, but just got around to posting it today  (Monday)

I had the last two days off. The weather was beautiful. Cool nights for sleeping and days that topped out about 80 degrees.  That kind of weather is not my idea of great fishing weather, but it’s not like I was going to stay home because the weather was “too nice.”

On Friday morning I did some carp fishing. There was a perfect little breeze. Sitting in the shade was what I assume southern California weather is like. Unfortunately the fish did not think so. After trying two different spots, I gave up for the afternoon.  During the evening, I considered going to South county Rhode Island to do some saltwater bottom fishing.

I chose not to go. The Red Sox were playing the Yankees and the Patriots had a preseason game. I didn’t mind missing the beginning of those games to fish. However, I didn’t want to drive home an hour. So, I chose to fish local. Also, fishing local saved me about $20 in gas. I decided to go for smallmouth at a lake about ten minutes from my house. The lake I fished does not allow boating. So I walked around the lake casting a 2 inch shad body on a small jighead. I managed three smallies and a largemouth. The largest fish was the largemouth. It was about 15-16 inches. I started fishing just before sunset and fished until about dark. The sunset across the lake was awesome, and I thought the fishing was pretty good too.

Saturday morning I wanted to get an early start to go hiking. Unfortunately, events would make that impossible. My plan was to wake up about 7 am and be hiking well before eight. I woke up at 5:30 am with the beginnings of a migraine. I took some Excedrine Migraine and went back to bed. I knew then I wouldn’t be up at 7. When I got up at 8:30 the headache was gone, but I got a text from work asking me to bring something from one store to another. By the time I finished that errand it was almost 10:30. My son was still in bed and I knew he had to work at 11. So I got him up and after he got dressed I gave him a ride to work at 11.

After dropping him off I drove to the Blue Hills near Boston. I got there about 11:40. I started packing my backpack and put my keys in the front pocket as I do every time I hike. Then I closed the car door with the backpack still in the car. I locked myself out of the car. After referring to myself as a dumbass many times I called AAA. They could not find the parking lot I was in for a long time. Finally after about 90 minutes they arrived. So my hiking that I planned to start at 8 am finally commenced at 1:17 pm.

I hiked around Houghton Pond and then up Houghton Hill over the Skyline Trail to Great Blue Hill. I could see the Boston skyline. It was fairly clear, but the pictures make it look hazier than it really was. I hiked back after a short break and headed home. I plan on doing a separate post about the Blue Hills because it is a diamond in the rough just outside of Boston.

Later that evening I went smallie fishing again. It was cloudy so I went a little earlier than Friday night. I did the same thing working the shoreline. I only caught three fish and none were all that big. The sunset was even better than the night before. The sky was on fire.

 So all in all the fishing wasn’t great but it wasn’t too bad either. The weather was nice especially considering its mid-August and it could easily be ninety five degrees. I wish I could spend every summer weekend off in New Hampshire, but that is not realistic. So I’d say I did not waste the last two days and they were quite enjoyable. 

New Hampshire 2013 Act 2

Silver Cascade in Crawford Notch after a day of rain

I took an extra day off from work last week so I could do a three day trip to New Hampshire. I went with my hiking partner Miss Laurie Devine. We left Wednesday night after work. We arrived after dark and set up the tent.

Thursday

The weather report for Thursday called for rain and clouds. We got up about 7 am. It was drizzly so we decided to wait until what the weather did. We drove to the Saco River so I could fish for a while. I could see ten trout in a pool but could only get one to hit. I fished about 30 minutes. Laurie had mentioned she wanted to climb the Elephants Head on Route 302 near the AMC Hostile. We climbed that (only about 10 minutes each way). I looked up and saw the sky clearing so we took a chance on a real hike.

We packed the backpack and about 10:30 am and headed out to Thoreau Falls. It’s a five mile hike to the waterfall. The hike is relatively flat. We hiked up the Zealand Trail to the Ethan Pond Trail. At the junction of Ethan Pond Trail @ Thoreau Falls trail, take the latter and the waterfall is 100 yards downhill.

I love this waterfall because its big and there is a wide open view of the mountains. It’s the only waterfall I know that was a great view of mountains also (if you know of others please leave a comment). We ate lunch and soaked our feet. We spent about an hour on the sun drenched rocks.

After our hike out we bought pizza in Twin Mountain and got Laurie fudge. When Laurie eats fudge, I get to fish. After dinner it was still only 6 pm. I went fishing at a roadside lake. Fishing was hot. Using a small Kastmaster spoon, I caught 20 trout in about 90 minutes. If I can give any advice on trout fishing it’s this; fish with the wind in your face. They will stack up on the windward shoreline. After fishing we went back to camp.

Friday

It rained, thundered and lightning most of the night. When we woke up Friday it was raining hard. We lingered in the tent until almost 8:30. Finally we got up and got in the car. We drove around for a few hours. We got lunch in Lincoln, more pizza. After lunch we window shopped at a couple outdoor gear store. Then we went back to the campsite. If I would have been alone I would have fished all day in the rain. This of course would have been selfish and unfair to do to Laurie. Finally about 5 pm I couldn’t take it anymore, so I went fishing. As we drove to the same lake, the sky brightened and the weather cleared. Fishing wasn’t quite as good, but I managed another ten trout. I wanted to fly fish but there wasn’t enough room to backcast. Also, I couldn’t wade out in the water because I have an infection in my lower leg that’s almost healed. I have been trying to keep it from getting wet. So I used the same spinning rod and spoon.

After I fished for an hour, we headed to Crawford Notch to make some mac and cheese and use of their picnic tables and view. On the way there we saw a cow moose. She posed for a few minutes while Laurie snapped some pictures.



 Because of all the rain, Flume and Silver Cascades (both are roadside waterfalls in Crawford Notch State Park) were huge. I never saw so much water rushing out of them.  We ate supper with an awesome view of Mt Webster and Mt Willey then headed back to camp.

View at Thoreau Falls

Saturday

We packed the tent when we got up then headed back to Crawford Notch. Our hike for the day was out to Ethan Pond. Ethan is a fly fishing only pond managed for wild trout. This lake has been on my to do list for years. This trip we decided to do it. Besides a trout pond there is also an AMC Hut. I figured we could eat lunch at the hut. This hike is only three miles. The first half mile is fairly steep but it levels off quickly. The pond is gorgeous. There is a nice view of mountains beyond. Unfortunately, the wind was blowing very hard in my face. I thought this would trigger some fish to hit, but I didn’t get any in the short time I fished. Again I was limited by my unwillingness to get my leg wet. It was still a nice hike and I had fun.

After our hike, we stopped and picked blueberries for an hour (so we can make blueberry dumplings) then headed home.

Chutters in Littleton, NH

As always, New Hampshire did not disappoint. Even on a rainy Friday, we managed to see a moose, eat pizza, and catch a bunch of fish. Granted we were bored out of minds until 4 pm, but then it turned out to be a beautiful evening. We did a lot in three days. I’m glad Chutter’s has that fudge because it makes it very easy to convince Laurie to let me fish for an hour when she has it.

Animals 2 adult wild turkeys, 5 poults, moose, frogs, toads, garter snake, 31 trout

Carp fishing heats up as the weather cooled off

My first carp in five outings was a seventeen pounder

We had some really hot weather the last couple weeks in southern New England. Most of the days this month were over ninety degrees, with half those teetering around 100. I swam a lot, but the ponds were like bath water. There was no shock at all walking or diving in.

Yes I did go fishing. I have had terrible luck. I have been fishing mostly in the evening either under bridges or in thick shade. Lady luck has not been on my side. With the warm water, the carp had been sluggish also. Early last week I caught three small carp one evening. They were all under five pounds. Certainly nothing to brag about but I’ll take it during one hundred degree heat. From there things got worse. I had four or five outings in a row. It was bad

Finally the weather broke Wednesday. The temperature that evening was comfortably in the low seventies. I landed my first carp in a week of trying. It was a nice 17 pounder mirror. It was the only fish I caught that night, but I felt the monkey was off my back. With one under my belt and cool rain forecast, things were looking up.

Yesterday I baited up a pond known for big carp. It was drizzly and rainy all day. The temperature was in the sixties. Just the kind of weather that could trigger a feeding frenzy (or at least get them active). I threw in at least 10 pounds of field corn and a loaf of bread. I planned on fishing most of Friday and I wanted to give myself the best chance at some fish.

About 6 pm, I got the urge to fish. The weather hadn’t improved so I thought I’d give the spot a

This is my new personal best common carp. Twenty six
pounds

shot. I used one rod with corn and a method ball. The other I baited with hot dogs hoping to induce catfish into biting. I caught all the hornpout I could ever want on the hot dogs, but did not catch anything that resembled a trophy catfish.

On the corn rod I had six hits. I missed the first three, all before dark. After dark I caught three carp. One was small, maybe six pounds. I also caught a 17 pounder. My last carp of the night that I caught about 9:30 was a 26 pounder. This ties my personal best carp, but beats my common carp personal best by two pounds. I fished another hour without a hit.

The next morning after sleeping later than I should have, I started fishing about 9:15am. The beautiful, long awaited northeast wind was bringing drizzle and rain. My spot that I baited up was empty of other fisherman. Dave showed up about 10am. At that time I already had a runner, but nothing to show for it.

Over the next five hours I landed six carp. They varied in size. There sizes in pounds were; 6,5,10,17,18,19. I was extremely happy to catch the three big ones. Dave also ended up with a few.

17 pounder

Two of his carp were also in the high teens. Around four pm I had to leave to run some errands. It was a terrific day of carp fishing.

All fish were caught on unflavored field corn fished behind an oatmeal/bread/cornmeal method ball. I did bait the hell out of the spot before we fished it. I do think the main reason the fish were there and active was the cool wet weather. The prebaiting may have been key to getting fish to feed near our rods, but the weather got them on the feed in the first place. What a memorable day.

 

How to make a baiting needle



Besides a saw, this is everything needed to
make a baiting needle

How to Make a Baiting Needle

One of the things those new to carp fishing find surprising is that we do not put the corn on the hook. We put the corn on a “hair rig” leaving the hook completely exposed. You can, and many people do, put corn directly on a hook, but everyone that carp fishes regularly use hair rigs



The problem is, how does one gets the corn on the hair? We use what is called a baiting needle. There are two types of baiting needles. One has a crochet needle. It has a small hook at the end to hold the line. The other is a simple barb to hold on the line.



Cut the dowel into two and a half to three inch pieces

Baiting needles are very inexpensive. The ones I use are only about $1.29. I think the expensive ones are about four dollars. The problem is for most of us, baiting needles are only available online. I have never seen one at a tackle shop. I usually pick up a couple every time I buy carp gear. Unfortunately, just buying baiting needles is expensive because of shipping. Since most online stores charge a minimum $6 shipping cost, it is financially unsound to buy a couple baiting needles and pay the shipping.



The other day I broke my last baiting needle. There was no way I was going to buy five baiting needles and spend just as much in shipping. So I decided to make my own. It was very simple to make some. I made four in about a ten minute period. I’ve tested them out. So far I find them to be very functional working just as well as the store bought ones.



 



Materials needed

A dowel with a hole drilled into it

3/8 inch dowel

Some sort of epoxy or glue

Size 2 long shank (Aberdeen hooks)

Drill

 file or sandpaper (optional)

pliers

 1.      Cut the dowel into as many three inch pieces as you plan on making. I make four at a time

2.      Once cut, I file the ends to make them nice and smooth

3.      Drill a hole in one end with a very small drill bit. I drill a hole about ½ inch

4.      With pliers straighten out the hook as best you can. I put the pliers as close to the barb as I can and straighten the long end.  Be careful not to crush the barb because the barb is the most important piece of the finished product.

5.      Put a small amount of glue on the eye end of the hook, Get some in the eye and the first half inch.

6.      Put the eye in the hole of the dowel and push down as far as you can. Let dry.



These are the hooks I used to make the baiting
needles

I use Gorilla Glue. The reason is, Gorilla glue expands as it dries. While its drying in the dowel it expands so much it locks the hook in place.

 



















Put a hook in the pliers as close to the barb as you can
With your other hand straighten the shank















The hook won't be perfectly straight, just do your best















Use some epoxy or glue. Put it on about a half inch
of the eye end of the hook.
Then stick the eye into the hole of your dowel


















The finished product

Packing Tips

My packing list

When I first started camping a few years ago, it took me forever to pack for a weekend camping trip. It was to the point where I would spend the afternoon the day before a trip getting ready. It drove me nuts. Of course twenty five miles from home a light bulb would go off above my head that I forgot something. It’s not a big deal when that something is sandals or a tooth brush (you can always buy a toothbrush), but it sucks if you leave your bank card or camera on the counter

I have cut this time down to about an hour. It would be less if I wasn’t meticulous about my fishing gear. I hope I can give you some tips to cut down or your time also.

A couple years ago I wrote a list of everything I would ever need camping. It is a master list that includes everything I need. Of course what I would take is different than what a family of four would take. Looking over the list a few times while packing reminds me I may have forgotten my raincoat or knee brace. It would be a good idea to write this list at your leisure. Writing it the morning of a trip is no different than packing without a list. You’re bound to forget something. Making a list a week in advance will give you time to remember stuff you didn’t think about at first.

Another way I save time on packing day is to grocery shop before that day. We used to make a special trip to buy our camping food while we pack. Now if I’m leaving on a Wednesday and I need house groceries on Monday I will pick up my camping food then. That way I’m not wasting forty five minutes doing something I could have done days earlier. Again, groceries will be different for you than me. They are different for me when I go alone or with DJ or Laurie. Alone I don’t cook at all. I usually eat a cold can of Ravioli and cookies. For breakfast I eat a banana or can of pineapple. With DJ and Laurie we usually cook at least supper. So I have to plan accordingly.

When I pack I try to break up my gear into categories Of course I have big camping supplies. These would include tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad and backpack(s). I almost always have fishing gear for whatever species I am after. I will get it ready all at once. Assuming I am taking canoe or kayak I get those accessories (paddles, life jackets, back rests). Food goes into its own box as does clothes. I almost never take a cooler but I am sure most people would.

I will pack all my electronics that I am taking at the same time. This includes my camera, batteries, battery charger and phone charger. This is also when I make sure I have my money, bank card and driver’s license in the car (I don’t have a wallet)

Another way to keep time down is to keep some of the stuff already packed. I have a cardboard box packed with all my small camping supplies so I never need to pack them. In the box I have:

Lantern

Camping Stove/Fuel/ Lighter/ Dryer Lint (an excellent fire starter)

Toilet Paper and Shovel

Pans/Dishware/Forks, knives, spoons

Water filter

Plastic bags and ziplocks

Of course the water filter is only needed on a long hike, but I leave it in the box so I won’t have to find it when I need it. I bought dollar store dishware and silverware so I just leave that packed.  I have a set of light weight pans made for camping.

In my car at all times I have what I call a “go everywhere box” I have a five dollar bill, quarters, extra pair of socks, some fishing gear and a few other odds and ends. It is very handy and has bailed me out of minor emergencies more than once. In the box I always keep sunscreen, pliers, bug spray, head lamp, my hygiene bag (for those times I forgot to put on deodorant) and my first aid kit. Since this stuff is already in the car I never forget to bring them. However I always double check to make sure the bug spray isn’t empty or that I didn’t lose my toothbrush.

Recently I have started keeping a set of clothes already packed and almost ready to go. Already packed are a couple pairs of boxers and socks, bathing suit, hiking socks, sweatshirt and hiking t shirts. I keep a towel packed. The towel serves double duty as my pillow in the tent. All I have to add is shorts maybe a t shirt and my raincoat. My raincoat is usually in the car anyway.

Having the box of camping gear altogether and ready to go is a huge time saver. One time I spent an hour looking for my lantern in the shed. I finally had enough of that. If I didn’t already keep the first aid kit, compass, hygiene bag, sunscreen, head lamps and bug spray in the car I would keep it in this box. Having all this stuff is so much easier than having to pack every time. Having the hygiene bag is especially nice. It beats having to remember your deodorant or packing the toothpaste after the last person brushed their teeth at six am. Well worth the ten bucks to have this stuff ready to go.

Another tip I can give some of you. My lantern uses AA batteries. So does my camera. I bought rechargeable batteries and a charger. Every night we take the batteries from the camera and use them in the lantern. In the morning we charge the batteries while driving to our first destination. They only take about 10 minutes to recharge. I just bought new batteries because the old ones wouldn’t charge any more. I had them THREE FULL YEARS. I think I got my monies worth out of them.

All my pans, bowls, and forks stay in this bag year round. This bag
stays in the above camping box, so I never forget it.

Many people take a cooler and or a grill camping with them. These are obviously important items. Since I spend most of my time fishing or hiking I don’t want to spend much time cooking. However I know a lot of people enjoy making an outdoors supper. I can’t argue with cheese burgers on the grill. On second thought maybe I will bring a grill next time… to be continued

Carping in the Heat

Carping in the Heat

Finally did some carp fishing today. It was only the second time I’ve gone carp fishing in at least a month. The weather in Southern New England has been ridiculously hot the last few days. For 4^th of July, we spent time at movies and swimming. There was no way I planned on doing any fishing in the sun. Dave called me because I told him I had today off. He proposed we fish a spot completely covered from the sun.

We set up our rods about 9:30. We didn’t get any fish in the first spot so we moved to another protected area. We didn’t get anything there for at least 90 minutes. Then all of the sudden during the hottest part of the day carp started jumping. We were happy to at least see some fish. Then they started hitting. Each caught a couple fish. They were all between 13-15 pounds. They were river fish so they fought like hell.

A weird thing happened while we were fishing. When I was reeling in my corn to put on a method ball, I felt a tug. Next thing I know a small fish jumped out of the water three feet. Dave asked me what I had on. I told him I didn’t know but I thought it was a smallmouth bass. Sure enough when I reeled it in, it was a 9 inch smallie. First off I had no idea smallies were in the river then to catch it on corn was equally surprising.

So I can only tell you that if you can stand the heat, there are fish around. I mean if you fish freshwater whether for bass or carp, where are they going to go? They are kind of a captive audience. Getting them to hit is the trick in this hot weather.