Having kids has changed some of my hobbies or really, how much time I have to enjoy them. While running and being active has stayed a big priority, big hikes and backpacking trips are few and far between. Instead, you can find me spending weekends in our camper at the closest State Park. Days spent scuba diving are now mornings spent building sandcastles at low tide at Town Beach. While I wouldn't trade this life for anything, I do miss some of the grander kid-free adventures I enjoyed prior to my title of "mom". While all the years have their challenge, being out of the baby stage has given me a bit more freedom and at 3 and 5 and leaving them is a little easier. I have been leaning into some of those bigger adventure days that make me feel like "me" and like the person I was before having kids.
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| Lincoln Woods Trailhead Map |
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| Sign entering the Pemigewasset Wilderness |
As summer faded away and the leaves started to change, the memories of "hiking season" came back full force. Gone are the black flies and mosquito swarms, thick humidity and blistering sunny days. Instead, we are welcoming cooler nights, drier trails, and a chance to enjoy the last of the season before the leaves are gone. When September set in, I started running in the trails and planning some longer hikes. I even started planning a backpacking trip up in the Whites.
The plans were in motion and it was mid-September when I headed north on at 5am on a Friday for my fourth backpacking trip. Truth be told, it had been seven years since I last pulled out my backpacking gear, and I had to spend some time making sure sleeping pads still held air, head lamps still works, and the jetboil still functioned. As I made my lists and packed my bag, I realized the last time I used this pack was in this exact same area, trying to "bag" this exact same peak.
