The Leaves, They Turned.....

10/13/11

We had made reservations for a trip up Mt. Washington on the cog rail line for 8:00 AM.  Good god!  We haven’t been up at 5:30 in months!   I walked underneath the stars and almost-full-moon to the shower, night as black as ink, a fall nip in the air.  We hustled to get out the door, a very unhappy indoor cat at our heels, trying to get out.  On the road by six as planned.

As we drove, we realized, “The leaves have popped!  We did it, we waited and they changed!  Yay!”  It was overwhelming driving through this change, the colors fluorescent greens, yellows, reds.  As we shot through Bridgton toward one of our favorite viewing spots, the sun made its presence known through deep pinks and yellows, lighter hues of the same.  We stopped at a causeway surrounded by water, sunrise and the trees a remarkable sight.

Enhanced tree change and island

Sunrise in Bridgton, ME

Sunrise in Bridgton, ME

Sunrise in Bridgton, ME

Sunrise in Bridgton, ME

Sunrise in Bridgton, ME

Lucky for us, we were on a route we hadn’t taken before, which is how we like to travel – always finding something new.  The website for the cog RR had warned us not to rely on our GPS or mapquest to find them, as we would end up on the wrong side of the mountain.  So we found it the old fashioned way, by following directions – revolutionary!  The last turn-off had us thinking we had gotten off course, and oddly, there were no “this way” signs until the base camp was in view.  The cog RR station house has food and a museum so we quickly grabbed coffee and muffins and headed for the ticket office, where they had our pre-ordered tickets waiting.  Passengers were already lined up 20 deep – indicating their similarly deep need to “be first” to the best seats.  Since we didn’t know what that meant, we slouched around and boarded casually.  

The Cog Line Up Mt. Washington, NH

Our Steam Engine and Train - Gets Pushed Up Mt. Washington

Cog Rail Inventor, Sylvester Marsh

Cog Station

Roof of Cog Train

Loud Conductor

The conductor is a loud man who loves his job, constantly trying to crack jokes as he’s cramming cog info in your ears.  The train car is pushed up the mountain by a steam engine  - the steam engine is only run once a day, which is why we chose this early boarding, the rest are bio-diesel – at 3 miles an hour.  Going down the mountain at 6 miles an hour is done solely by braking, with the engine just ahead of the car.  You’re encouraged to ride down on the opposite side of the car you came up on, which we did.

It is an intriguing experience, I’ll say that for it.  The mountain, as you can imagine, is straight up.  This cog rail was built 140 years ago and has the steepest grade in the world at 37 degrees.  It is loud, it is slow, the views from the top are utterly stunning.  I fell completely inside myself during the trip up, I don’t know why – maybe because it was so loud, the experience so unique – it was surreal to be climbing and climbing on this roller coaster-like rail, “ka-chunk, ka-chunk”, with no hope of an exhilarating swoop down the hill on our return.  At the top there is a 360 degree view of four states, the Atlantic Ocean and Quebec!  30 minutes into our 45 minutes stop at the top, TC noticed that almost the entire group from our train car ….. the sheeple…..are waiting in line to get the best seat again.  Weird.

Top O' Mount Washington, NH

Second Cog Train Climbing!

Conductor and Cog Track

Valley on Mt. Washington, NH from Cog Train

Trees Up Mt. Washington From Cog Train

Cog Train Going Down Mt. Washington, NH

Boulders from Cog Train

Appalachian Trail on Mt. Washington, NH

The ride down was a somewhat faster version of the “up”, with a different view.  We hit the road heading north hoping to cram as much color into our psyches as possible, before going back to our home in Nipples.  I have also been harboring an unhealthy obsession toward seeing a moose, so was constantly scanning the woods, waiting for one to come screaming out in front of our car.  It could happen!  We saw “Moose Crossing” signs every few miles, and my hope rose the further north we went.  When we came into Gorham, NH, we stopped at Moose Creek State Park, certain that this was the place to find Bullwinkle.  Stopped and talked to an employee raking leaves, who simply said it’s the wrong time of day, moose come out in two’s and three’s early in the morning, and late at night.  Dang, foiled again!  He did say if we go north to Berlin, you have to really watch where you’re driving in order not to hit a moose.  We went north to Berlin.  No moose in sight.  But plenty of beautiful landscape at the Gorham Dam and hillsides.

Birch Trees and Leaves

Gorham Spillway and Trees

Da trees

Acres and Acres of Trees

Birch Trees and Leaves

                                                                                                                                                               

Every turn in the road was another blast to our hearts and minds of the utter beauty of these trees.  It’s like driving the Oregon coast…every new vista brings such beautiful views of the ocean and sandy beaches, it makes one feel like singing.  Well, it makes me feel like singing anyway, and I felt the same looking down the road, to the sides, up the hills; bursting into song would not be inappropriate.

Every mountainside is lit up

More beauty!

Out da' car!

Roadside trees in NH

We’re moving on to Salisbury State Reserve in Mass today for the weekend.  We want to really get personal with Ipswich, as well as break bread with nephew Phil and wife Sharolta – yes, the newly married hurricane Irene couple! – on Saturday.  We’re very excited about that, as we don’t know the new Mrs. Sandoval, and can’t wait to shoot the shit with them both.  Nothing better than family.

After that, onward to NY, Maryland, DC….to the sun.  I will miss Maine, I tell you – the granite sparkling in every roadway, the coast, the lakes, and most especially, the warm welcome of her natives.  We have been completely taken in by these kind and funny folk, and will miss them.  You never know, we may be back to Naples Campground next year…

10/13/11

Pouring rain this morning, bright leaves shining valiantly through the drops.  Roku kept inside so that we could be sure of leaving in a timely manner, as our site was reserved.  Not a soul around, and no one to host the cocktail/hor d’oeuvres get together last night, so we sat home all alone and ate the bean dip ourselves.  We hitched up the car, found a dead chipmunk under the RV with the most horrified expression on its little face, took showers, left some notes and bracelets at the office and were off!  We were excited to be moving again, even if such a short distance.  Weather held pretty well and the leaves on the way down were fab, of course.

There are about two campers at this park on the Atlantic Ocean, which suits us just fine.  Looks like all but one shower is closed down and far away from us.  No ranger at the office so we made ourselves at home and drove around and around, looking for a spot that would suit Roku, and where we could see part of the water.  Hunkered down, got the car off, let the cat out – he ran right back in, confused: where did my woods go?  

There is no one around us, no one near….and here comes an old trailer/new truck…..backs in right next to us.  What?!  The absurdity is bizarre.  As we’re heading to the car he cheerily bleets, “Hello folks, how are you?!”  I felt like bleeting back, “We were fine when here alone, asshole!?  Do you not have camper’s etiquette?!  Do you not see that there are 200 other sites you could have taken?!  Did it look to your sorry ass like we wanted company?!  Why would you park next to us?!  Why?!”  We smiled and moved along.

Ran to the good old Salisbury PO to pick up the stuff that hadn’t arrived the last time we were here.  Mail and four bathing suits to try on - I am gearing up for fun in the sun in Florida.  All was there and we zipped to downtown Newburyport, which is, bar none, the cutest town we’ve seen yet.  We had seen it before and stopped for coffee at Plum Island Coffee Roasters, wishing we could explore the town longer.  Maybe tomorrow or Saturday.   Something cool went on here, it’s got a great vibe.

Back home, here’s our neighbor, as if he’s been waiting on pins and needles for us to come back.  I let Roku out and then kind of peer at him through the trees, one hand on the door, mumbling, “We have a cat.”  Just as I’m turning to go in, he practically hugs himself with delirious delight at being spoken to, telling me that he just talked with his wife, they love cats, just lost one to a coyote but he was 15 years old so it was a blessing, what color is your cat is that a bobtail he has?, but his wife wanted to know why he had parked all the way over in “H” and HE told her that then he could just walk to the beach and fish, where you from, oh, I used to live in Grant’s Pass Oregon, not Or-ee-gun the way they pronounce it here, I’m from Chelsea but don’t hold that against me, moved all over the place working as a contractor worked with Leonard Nimoy told him “Leonard, I need a chair and some coffee” and Leonard said, “OK” and he did it….blah, blah, blah….very nice guy but wow.  TC appeared next, shook manly hands, listened a bit then scooted away. 

Roku has successfully tackled this new scene and has come in and out several times.  Played “bitey cat” with Ton-Ton, had some nip and out like a shot for more beach fun.  I think he’s met up with the other ocean cats and is drinking whiskey and smoking cigarets while telling dirty jokes about chipmunks.  He is a pip.

Can’t get TV again, so watched “It’s About Steve” which we loved.  Critics panned it, but it was very funny, particularly the “B” actor.  Kind of fell apart at the end, but Bullock was great, as usual.  Just started a new Scarpetta book and can’t wait to dig into that tonight.