Mountains, Caves and Ocean

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One of the great things about New Hampshire is that you can have it all in one weekend. Though I would argue that the true "NH Weekend Trifecta" includes visiting the White Mountains, the ocean, and a pristine loon-inhabited lake somewhere, we came pretty close this past weekend. We just needed to substitute the pristine lake for a few dark and exciting caves. On Friday we took the day off work and drove Aiden up to Cannon Mountain. We headed up to the summit on the Aerial Tramway, or "skytrain" as Aiden called it. Of course, there was an ulterior motive... in addition to planning an exciting morning for Aiden, we were also hoping for a sighting of the rare and elusive Bicknell's Thrush, which only breeds on mountain tops above 3500 feet. We ended up getting the thrush, as well as a bonus yellow-bellied flycatcher, and we all had a great time hiking the Rim Trail on the top of Cannon Mtn.








Then we were off to Lost River, which is owned by the Forest Society, and so is one of the properties I help steward through my work. The Forest Society leases the spectacular gorge on the property to a recreational concession, and they have built (and maintain) miles of extensive boardwalk through the area, precariously but very sturdily perched on the ledges and rocks that line the gorge. There are enormous boulders and rushing water everywhere, cascading waterfalls and ferns that seem to grow like magic out of the rock itself. It's awe-inspiring, even for an adult, never mind a 2.5 yr old. And the best part is that there are lots of caves created below and between the boulders that you can explore. All the caves are well marked, with an entrance and an exit, and there are stairs and ramps to help you navigate through them in most cases. Some, like the lemon-squeezer cave, require that you be able to fit through a slot about the size of Aiden, so it's perfect for little ones.

At first it took a little convincing to get Aiden to try the caves. Turns out he was concerned that there were bears in them (if you have ever read the children's book "we're going on a bear hunt" you'll understand why). After we assured them he would encounter zero bears in these caves, he was game. He had a great time "crawling like an ant" to fit through the tiny spaces and laughed mightily at Momoo and Dadoo trying to fit through the same holes.

Another favorite activity at Lost River is "panning for gems" where you get a big conglomerated mass of sand mixed with colorful gems and minerals and you put it in a screen on their sluiceway to wash out all the sand and pick out your gems. Aiden ended up with a good little bag of crystal goodies, perfect for matchbox loaders and dump trucks to play with at home.

Then, on Saturday, off to the Seacoast. Andy coached a lacrosse game in Greenland, NH in the morning, so Aiden and I camped out on the side of the field to watch. Aiden was enthralled by "Dadoo's team." He has his own little lacrosse stick and a tennis ball to practice with, but he was happiest watching the big boys run around while Dadoo shouted encouragements. Then on to Ordione Point State Park for an afternoon of splashing and exploring in the tidepools.

We really tuckered him out both days... here is what he looked like on the way home each day!