Bethel, 2012

Friday October 5, 2012

I had time to stage the bags holding dinner ingredients and cooking utensils before Cris and Ann rang the bell, and we got the frozen turkey into Ann's cooler first thing. Then there was some rearranging so that everything fit in the hatchback, in the end the cover didn't quit come down, but we got everything low enough that you could see out the back window, with a few things in the spare back seat with me. :) Cris drove us down into Union Sq to grab supper before we left, I had a good mango curry at Sweet Ginger. Ann ran to the bank and Cris ran to Bloc 11 to get his coffee beans ground, and then the GPS took us on a bit of a round about route to the highway. By this time traffic was fairly light, though we'd seen updates from friends saying that early evening rush hour was insane. One traffic accident slowed things down for a bit, closing two lanes, but otherwise no problems. I called for a bio break at the NH rest stop, but it soon felt like we were in Maine. Half the drive was on a smaller local highway, but it had been resurfaced and went quickly. It was twisty enough that I couldn't look down very long to check my phone for directions but despite overshooting the last turn we made it with no problems. I think I was the only one to spot a large porcupine waddling across the road at one point - it was dark and near the end of the drive.

Forest came out of the house, a three storey log cabin with a hot tub under the deck, to help us unload the car. Kitchen stuff got piled around the breakfast bar and personal stuff went into the bunk bed room downstairs. I claimed a bottom bunk and thought ahead enough to dig out my pjs and put them on the bed. Then we went back upstairs to join in on the drinkin' and chattin' and probably played Cards Against Humanity since I think we ended up doing that every night. :) I don't think we stayed up too late that night, most everyone had been up early for work and if not still had a long drive that afternoon/evening. I think I went down to my bunk (and even managed to avoid making any Firefly references) at around midnight or 1am.

Saturday October 6, 2012

Rain was forecast for noon, but we started up the trail just after that and the skies were still holding off. We were doing Table Rock Loop off the AT, with the option to do the other peaks if the weather was okay. I had on a wool baselayer and my rain jacket, but was soon down to the baselayer, as the trail was fairly steep. Great views as we climbed up the face of the ridge, with colourful swaths of trees undulating away into the distance. The trail was fairly improved, with rickety wooden ladders, solid metal rungs and slippery wooden beams bridging steeps or wet spots. The steep but not vertical parts of the trail had granite blocks set as stepping stones. We took a short break at one lookout point, I know Ann got a good picture of us all there. Once we made it up to the top, a huge bare rock outcropping, we were all fairly happy to sit and have a snack, enjoying the view back down (very far down!) to the road below us. The hills on the other side of the valley started getting dark on their tops and a dark cloud soon rolled over and sent us scurrying back to the shelter of the tree lined trial. The way down was much gentler, though I managed to slip on a bit of wood put down as a bridge over some mushy forest floor. I caught myself on my hand but it didn't break this skin, I just had to nurse an inconvenient bruise for a few days (luckily it was on my left, so cutting things up for dinner the next day was fine, I just had to watch how I'd support myself to get up from the floor or out of a tub).

The rain wasn't too hard, and had almost stopped by the time we got back down to the road, though we opted to do the 2.4 mile loop rather than going on to the mountain peaks. Becky didn't have a rain jacket but was fine with making a short stop to do the quarter mile trail to see the Moose Cave up the road. It turned out to be a spot where a huge face of rock had fallen down and trapped a moose in some water (no sign of the skeleton). Very pretty in that area, with lots of neat little overlook platforms, though the titular cave wasn't that big/deep. Then a few more minutes back up the road and we stopped at Screw Auger falls, the rain had stopped by then, though another set of dark clouds were threatening. Forest and Ann tried to cross to the land in the middle of the river, but only one was was shallow enough to make it. The landscape was really neat, a series of short waterfalls and hollows that the river had worn away in the rock. I even spotted one arch.

From there, Cris and Ann and I used the car's GPS (cell phone signal was low to non existent the whole weekend) to find a Hannaford's in Rumford. Some breakfast and lunch food was procured, as well as more gin and mixers. Once we made it back, I made up some soup since I was starving. Becky was up to make dinner, and she put on an amazing spread. I had the marinated salmon and chicken, as well as a fair amount of the cucumber dill salad. There were mushrooms and lentils (with an assist from Jess). Kevin and Sarah made their own meal but ate with us (well, I think I went to sit on the couch with them). Cards Against Humanity came out again, along with the impressive booze collection, and we all went downstairs to watch Cabin in the Woods (the main living room tv, above the fireplace, was having some AV issues). Even though it was the second time I'd seen it, I still screamed at the jump scares, but at least it drew attention away from the other people hiding behind pillows and blankets. :) I think a few of us stayed up a bit longer after the movie, but I seem to recall getting to bed around 1 or 2.

Sunday October 7, 2012

Monday October 8, 2012