We started on Champney Falls Trail, off the Kancamagus Highway in the White Mountains, New Hampshire is very busy and popular. Not a difficult hike - everyone had their dogs along, and some of them went to the top of Mt. Chocorua. I even saw a Pomeranian on the bottom part of the trail on our way down, though his people didn't look as though they were going to go to the top. The weather was absolutely perfect - not a cloud in the sky, warm, but not so warm that we really died in our 'beat the mosquitoes' gear: long, lightweight trousers, long-sleeved button up shirt, broad hats with bug nets. We got a ton of compliments on our hats from people who were envyous of the bug nets.

We took Champney Falls Trail to it's end, and Piper Trail to the top of Chocorua, where it was open rock up above tree line and an amazing view. A few dogs and people, but everyone being as quiet as possible, staying as far away from each other as possible, and not looking at each other, in very polite New England manner. Everyone gets to experience being at the top as if they were the only person there. You go up and get your picture of the U.S. Geological Survey Marker and then you move away to some hidden nook where you can eat your lunch and look at the view.

On the way back, if I remember correctly, I think there's almost a 3-way intersection between Champney Falls, Piper Trail and Middle Sister Trail. We followed Middle Sister Trail across First Sister (hill? mountain? I'm not sure how it's categorized. First Sister is not huge) and then to the top of Middle Sister, where there's the remains of a cool old fire watch tower. (Little Sister is really just the shoulder of Middle Sister. We didn't bother to go there.) We had to follow the Middle Sister Trail back a little way until we could catch the Champney Falls Cutoff (which starts sort of in the dip between Middle and First Sisters) back to Champney Falls Trail. There were parts of that Cutoff trail that Eor characterized as "Peter Jackson gorgeous"; a narrow, leaf-litter covered track alongside a moss covered rock face well tucked away under the trees, hillside dropping steeply away on our right.

This took us from about 0645 to 1400. About 3 hours to get to the top of Chocorua. We got up at 0400 to make sure we'd have enough time, because even though other people seem to think it takes only 3 hours to get to the top AND back down from Chocorua, we are not that fast. The plan is that if we recover okay we'll find something a little more difficult to hit next Saturday, because we plan to do Katahdin on the 21st.

First Sister is furthest South and West of the Sisters. Middle Sister is a bit to the East of her, with the ruins of a fire tower on top. And Chocorua is almost due South of First Sister.

ETA: Now it's time for The Food Concept, the Bath Concept and the Getting To Bed Early Concept, because it's back to work tomorrow, and I work on my feet, now.
derien: It's a cup of tea and a white mouse.  The mouse is offering to buy Arthur's brain and replace it with a simple computer. (Default)
( May. 19th, 2019 08:40 pm)
Today, Derien travelled 3.6 miles on the journey from Bag End to Rivendell.

Returned to the Great East Road

A total of 132.9 miles along the way.

Generated by Eor's Walk Tool inspired by Eowyn Challenge.net

-----------------------------------------------------------------

In fact this was the American Heart Association walk around Back Cove in Portland, this morning. We did not attempt to raise money for them, and Eor says that, like taking a cruise, now that he has experienced a charity walk he feels no need to ever do such a thing again. Too many people. "It was nice to see the dogs, though." There were a lot of dogs. :)

We also had a conversation about why the Eowyn Challenge is better than most. The whole "Couch to 5K" thing he's been doing is now complete, it had a set end point and it wasn't really very far out there. The Eowyn Challenge asks you to walk the distance from Bag End to Rivendell, but when you get THERE you can then continue on to Mordor, and you can take the side-trips to Minas Tirith and such, and then you can walk back to Bag End. Back in the day people used to DO that shit. We have a book called "Seven Wives and Seven Prisons" about a guy wandering around New Hampshire and Vermont, and he talks about walking 40 miles one day in a snowstorm and getting so tired out that he could only make 20 the next day. And then he managed to hop a train for a bit the day after that. We're pretty lazy these days.

ETA: But we did get a big grocery shopping trip in, and then a good amount of yard work. I began the mowing for the summer - a never-ending task. We have too much lawn, and much of it on slopes or rough ground.
derien: It's a cup of tea and a white mouse.  The mouse is offering to buy Arthur's brain and replace it with a simple computer. (Default)
( May. 16th, 2019 08:08 pm)
Today, Derien travelled 3.5 miles on the journey from Bag End to Rivendell.

Continued on the journey to Rivendell

A total of 129.3 miles along the way.

Generated by Eor's Walk Tool inspired by Eowyn Challenge.net
derien: It's a cup of tea and a white mouse.  The mouse is offering to buy Arthur's brain and replace it with a simple computer. (Default)
( May. 14th, 2019 08:06 pm)
Today, Derien travelled 3.4 miles on the journey from Bag End to Rivendell.

Reach dike and hedge.

A total of 125.8 miles along the way.

Generated by Eor's Walk Tool inspired by Eowyn Challenge.net

-------------------

I'm not sure why sometimes our along the road walks come up as 3.5 and sometimes 3.4. Eor uses some kind of trail tracker on his phone to measure it. Maybe because sometimes we walk through the cemetary in order to avoid crossing the bridge on the road...? The brook out of the kids' fishing hole runs under the road and through the cemetary, and it's much more pleasant to cross the brook in the cemetary as there is no shoulder whatsoever on the car bridge. Also, the bridge in the cemetary is two simple granite slabs, with no railing, so more fun. :)
derien: It's a cup of tea and a white mouse.  The mouse is offering to buy Arthur's brain and replace it with a simple computer. (Default)
( May. 12th, 2019 07:55 pm)
Today, Derien travelled 3.5 miles on the journey from Bag End to Rivendell.

Continued on the journey to Rivendell

A total of 122.4 miles along the way.

Generated by Eor's Walk Tool inspired by Eowyn Challenge.net

--------------------------------------------

All these 3.5 mile walks are along the side of the road we live on - so, up the 45 degree hill, over the top, down past the apple orchard, back along the other side of the road and down through the valley by the kids' fishing hole to the crossroads in the village center, then back through the valley past the graveyard and back up the 45 degree hill to our place. Sometimes we stop momentarily to say hello to neighbors.
The below Eowyn Challenge entry was actually walked on the Lincoln Woods Trail in the Pemigiwasset Wilderness, New Hampshire, (White Mountains area). There was snow! I slipped on it and gouged my knuckle. We camped out and I was very cold all night even with all my clothes on in the zero-degree bag. Also, we saw a young moose!

---------------------------------

Today, Derien travelled 11.1 miles on the journey from Bag End to Rivendell.

Stopped in a hollow atop a hill. Sat in the shade of a standing stone, ate and slept.
Headed north, but lost way. Was captured by a Wight
Rescued by Tom Bombadil
Headed down hill to the north into the valley.
Passed through a gap between two steep shoulders then turned due north.

A total of 118.9 miles along the way.

Generated by Eor's Walk Tool inspired by Eowyn Challenge.net

----------------------------------
derien: It's a cup of tea and a white mouse.  The mouse is offering to buy Arthur's brain and replace it with a simple computer. (Default)
( May. 7th, 2019 06:56 pm)
Today, Derien travelled 3.5 miles on the journey from Bag End to Rivendell.

Continued over rolling hills and through valleys.

A total of 107.8 miles along the way.

Generated by Eor's Walk Tool inspired by Eowyn Challenge.net
derien: It's a cup of tea and a white mouse.  The mouse is offering to buy Arthur's brain and replace it with a simple computer. (Default)
( May. 5th, 2019 06:54 pm)
Today, Derien travelled 2.1 miles on the journey from Bag End to Rivendell.

Continued on the journey to Rivendell

A total of 104.3 miles along the way.

Generated by Eor's Walk Tool inspired by Eowyn Challenge.net
derien: It's a cup of tea and a white mouse.  The mouse is offering to buy Arthur's brain and replace it with a simple computer. (Default)
( May. 4th, 2019 06:51 pm)
Today, Derien travelled 2.3 miles on the journey from Bag End to Rivendell.

Continued on the journey to Rivendell

A total of 102.2 miles along the way.

Generated by Eor's Walk Tool inspired by Eowyn Challenge.net

--------------
*(I think this was actually doing the border trail at Bradbury Mountain. Very muddy that day, and we RAN the whole way because Eor was afraid the park would close before we got done and we'd be locked into the parking lot.)
derien: It's a cup of tea and a white mouse.  The mouse is offering to buy Arthur's brain and replace it with a simple computer. (Default)
( May. 2nd, 2019 06:46 pm)
Today, Derien travelled 3.5 miles on the journey from Bag End to Rivendell.

Continued on the path now covered in smooth, short grass.
Reach Tom Bombadil's house.
Leave Tom Bombadil's house climbing a zig-zag path to brow of the hill on west side of Barrow-downs.
Bade farewell to Goldberry at the top of the hill.

A total of 99.9 miles along the way.

Generated by Eor's Walk Tool inspired by Eowyn Challenge.net
derien: It's a cup of tea and a white mouse.  The mouse is offering to buy Arthur's brain and replace it with a simple computer. (Default)
( Apr. 30th, 2019 06:45 pm)
Today, Derien travelled 3.5 miles on the journey from Bag End to Rivendell.

Merry finds a path along the bank of the Withywindle. Followed it east through wetlands.
Stop under a large willow by the river. Rescued by Tom Bombadil.

A total of 96.4 miles along the way.

Generated by Eor's Walk Tool inspired by Eowyn Challenge.net
derien: It's a cup of tea and a white mouse.  The mouse is offering to buy Arthur's brain and replace it with a simple computer. (Default)
( Apr. 28th, 2019 06:44 pm)
Today, Derien travelled 3.5 miles on the journey from Bag End to Rivendell.

Entered a fold too deep to climb out of again. Followed it southeast.

A total of 92.9 miles along the way.

Generated by Eor's Walk Tool inspired by Eowyn Challenge.net
derien: It's a cup of tea and a white mouse.  The mouse is offering to buy Arthur's brain and replace it with a simple computer. (Default)
( Apr. 27th, 2019 06:41 pm)
Today, Derien travelled 1 miles on the journey from Bag End to Rivendell.

Crossed a series of deep folds running southeast.

A total of 89.4 miles along the way.

Generated by Eor's Walk Tool inspired by Eowyn Challenge.net
derien: It's a cup of tea and a white mouse.  The mouse is offering to buy Arthur's brain and replace it with a simple computer. (Default)
( Apr. 25th, 2019 06:37 pm)
Today, Derien travelled 3.5 miles on the journey from Bag End to Rivendell.

Saw a green, treeless, hill-topk rising ahead.
Climbed up the side of the hill.
Reached the top of a knoll in the foreast and stopped to eat.
Left the hilltop via the path headed north.
Continued north, leaving the path as it turned southeast.

A total of 88.4 miles along the way.

Generated by Eor's Walk Tool inspired by Eowyn Challenge.net
derien: It's a cup of tea and a white mouse.  The mouse is offering to buy Arthur's brain and replace it with a simple computer. (Default)
( Apr. 23rd, 2019 06:36 pm)
Today, Derien travelled 2.3 miles on the journey from Bag End to Rivendell.

Followed the path as it levelled.

A total of 84.9 miles along the way.

Generated by Eor's Walk Tool inspired by Eowyn Challenge.net
derien: It's a cup of tea and a white mouse.  The mouse is offering to buy Arthur's brain and replace it with a simple computer. (Default)
( Apr. 21st, 2019 06:34 pm)
Today, Derien travelled 2.1 miles on the journey from Bag End to Rivendell.

Continued on the journey to Rivendell

A total of 82.6 miles along the way.

Generated by Eor's Walk Tool inspired by Eowyn Challenge.net
derien: It's a cup of tea and a white mouse.  The mouse is offering to buy Arthur's brain and replace it with a simple computer. (Default)
( Apr. 18th, 2019 06:32 pm)
Today, Derien travelled 2.6 miles on the journey from Bag End to Rivendell.

Crossed Bonfire Glade and entered a clear path on the far side.
Followed the gently climbing path.

A total of 80.5 miles along the way.

Generated by Eor's Walk Tool inspired by Eowyn Challenge.net
derien: It's a cup of tea and a white mouse.  The mouse is offering to buy Arthur's brain and replace it with a simple computer. (Default)
( Apr. 16th, 2019 06:26 pm)
Today, Derien travelled 2.3 miles on the journey from Bag End to Rivendell.

Continued on the journey to Rivendell

A total of 77.9 miles along the way.

Generated by Eor's Walk Tool inspired by Eowyn Challenge.net
derien: It's a cup of tea and a white mouse.  The mouse is offering to buy Arthur's brain and replace it with a simple computer. (Default)
( Mar. 12th, 2019 08:35 pm)
Today, Derien travelled 2.7 miles on the journey from Bag End to Rivendell.

Heard a Black Rider, met elves, and continued on with the elves.
Walked through more dense woods.

A total of 42.7 miles along the way.
derien: It's a cup of tea and a white mouse.  The mouse is offering to buy Arthur's brain and replace it with a simple computer. (Default)
( Mar. 11th, 2019 08:33 pm)
Today, Derien travelled 1.85 miles on the journey from Bag End to Rivendell.

Continued on the journey to Rivendell

A total of 40 miles along the way.

Generated by Eor's Walk Tool inspired by Eowyn Challenge.net
.

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derien: It's a cup of tea and a white mouse.  The mouse is offering to buy Arthur's brain and replace it with a simple computer. (Default)
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