Hanover, NH after-work hang

[Chocolatier]

Spent Friday in a suit at the VCQ (Vermont Council for Quality) awards conference where several speakers joked about how nice it would be to change into shorts and get outside. As soon as the conference ended, I changed into shorts, grabbed my waiting pack from the corner, and got outside. Technically, I got a lift from Lake Morey to Hanover, NH, sent my suit on to Concord with the driver, then got outside.

I hit the trail at 5:45PM with several hours of remaining light. (Didn't want to be like srestepo and do the hike in the dark!) Went a quarter mile or so past the Velvet Rocks shelter to a nifty granite shelf with a lovely eastward view; hung the Blackbird from a couple of convenient maples with the rock wall at my back a lovely view to the front.

Tested out the new Caldera alcohol stove (thanks Quoddy! Your chocolate will ship toward the end of the week when the temps cool down, btw) on a fine meal of bulgar, fresh herbs, and tuna while watching the sun think about setting over the mountains in the distance. Wrapped the evening with some white tea and a bite of seriously good Guatemalan chocolate from a plantation I visited a couple months ago. Mosquitos getting fierce, I hooked my newly-made MUQ (Mummified DIY UQ) to the hammock and settled in for the evening.

Okay, so it only got down to 50 and the MUQ was overkill, but I wanted to test the thing out, and with my down bag as quilt I was plenty cozy. Slept like a rock, which is rare for me outdoors.

Awoke at 5AM to a pretty sunrise and the expected feathered symphony, relaxed in the hammock until 7, breakfasted on authentic hot chocolate (chopped 72% Venezuelan cacao with a bit of milk powder added in), broke camp, and made a leisurely stroll back to Hanover. Dropped my pack at Hanover Outdoors (they accept hiker packages and sell fuel by the oz, btw) and had a tasty breakfast at Umpleby's Bakery while I waited for my wife to arrive from Manchester.

The trip could have been longer, but was definitely a pleasant diversion and a good gear test. Sorry I forgot the camera, but I promise photos from my upcoming June outing.

Rich

[E.A.Y.]

chocolate
Guatemalan chocolate
authentic hot chocolate

aaaaaaaaaargh! Not to be torturing me!

I'm glad your diy underquilt worked out even though it was a bit too warm.

[GrizzlyAdams]

I hit the trail at 5:45PM with several hours of remaining light. (Didn't want to be like srestepo and do the hike in the dark!) Went a quarter mile or so past the Velvet Rocks shelter to a nifty granite shelf with a lovely eastward view; hung the Blackbird from a couple of convenient maples with the rock wall at my back a lovely view to the front.
Rich

Not to mention that it wasn't such a long hike to the spring from there <grin>

Thanks for sharing

[FireFlyburns]

Sounds like you had a great and peaceful time. Can't wait for the next trips pics.
mmmmmmm Chocolate.

[cbell3186]

Chocolatier,
what did you use as a top quilt if any? I'm in the process of turning a wally world mummy bag into a UQ and was curious how much "insulation" I should need up top? i.e. nothing, fleece blanket, actual TQ, sleeping bag liner, etc....

[Chocolatier]

Chocolatier,
what did you use as a top quilt if any? I'm in the process of turning a wally world mummy bag into a UQ and was curious how much "insulation" I should need up top? i.e. nothing, fleece blanket, actual TQ, sleeping bag liner, etc....

I have a Western Mountaineering Ultralite 20F bag I'm fond of. Weights just over a pound, squishes to near-molecular size, and keeps me toasty.

The amount of top insulation depends on the temperature.

60s: Sleeping on top of the bag
50s: Unzip the bag and don't fluff it up at all so it makes a nice blanket
40s: I unzip it but then fluff it up so it makes a warmer blanket.
30s: I hunker down, fluff up the bag and wear my down parka to bed.

Works for me.

[Poppabear]

That sure was a great ending to a week. Thanks for sharing we will forgive ya for forgetting the camera this time. But don't let it happen again or it did not happen.

[srestrepo]

hey rich, glad to see you went back to my night time stomping grounds. i had a good time up there. i think we should do it again sometime soon.

p.s. besides the incredibly delicious chocolate, the second night we had some flat bread and some cheese... what was the name or type of cheese that that was.. i think you said it was a goat cheese??

[WV]

That sure was a great ending to a week. Thanks for sharing we will forgive ya for forgetting the camera this time. But don't let it happen again or it did not happen.

Just to keep this near the topic, I was actually eating a piece of chocolate when I read the last sentence. That's going to go on a wall somewhere, Poppabear. I'm glad I wasn't drinking a glass of milk.

[coolkayaker1]

I wish I was back in my native Massachusetts. I'd hang for sure with you and strepo in the granite state of NH. Love it. My favorite single state in the USA--New Hampshire. Pics would be nice. Maybe next time.