52 With a View - Mt Kearsarge, June 4

52 With a View is a series of hikes in New Hampshire that have great views.  If you do all of the hikes, you can get a patch.  There are several websites with details of the hikes - hiking reports, how to get to the trailheads, length of trails, height, level of difficulty (very subjective!), whether or not dogs are allowed, etc.  Over the last year or so I have come across two books that deal with the 52 With a View hikes.  The first is Nancy Sporborg's "It's Not About the Hike."  The second was initially found at a Christmas Fair, being sold and autographed by the author, Dan Szczesny, is called "The Adventures of Buffalo and Tough Cookie."  (There's also one called "Up: A Mother and Daughter's Peakbagging Adventure", by Patricia Herr, but that one deals with a different group of hikes - NH's 48 4000-footers.)

I decided that I wanted to begin tackling these hikes, and I'm going pretty much by the order and list given in the Buffalo & Tough Cookie book (so far).  Yesterday Penny and I headed out to do the Mt Kearsarge hike.  Penny is an excellent hiker, no pulling up or down, and waits patiently for her very slow mom, although she could use a few lessons in manners.  She growled at a lot of people, and barked at all the other dogs.  She did get to meet a couple of dogs, and met a few people she liked.  I'm hoping that with more exposure she will come to appreciate the opportunity to meet new people and dogs.  I admit she was insufficiently socialized.  Right after we got her, we began a long and rigorous process to get our grandson from foster care in another state, and didn't spend nearly enough time with her.  We will work together and I'm sure she will improve.  I'm sure she enjoyed the hike, anyway, and look forward to hiking more with her.

We started from Rollins State Park, and left the parking lot on the Rollins Trail.

The top!  This was our first summit, at the top of the Rollins Trail.  We then continued down the Barlow Trail, to Winslow State Park, and back up to the summit via the Winslow Trail.   We did stop at the park for lunch - peanut butter sandwich, which I shared with Penny, and lots of water, and some dog treats.  There were two other couples in the picnic area, and Penny was very friendly with them.

This is heading down the Barlow Trail.  It is longer (1.7 miles) but less steep than the Winslow Trail (1.1 miles) and I decided that a steep trail was better to go up, because of my knee.  Going down is much more impact so I wanted the less-steep trail (fewer opportunities to fall!).  It was probably the right call, but Winslow would have been difficult either way.

At the bottom, after we had our lunch break in the Winslow Park picnic area, before heading back up.

It was a LOT of UP.

The map created by my Garmin.  The mileage markers are not accurate.  Where it says "3, 4, 5, 6" it should say "1, 2, 3, 4."  My fitbit recorded 15,600 steps and 81 flights of stairs.

This is Penny on part of the Winslow Trail.  Such a good girl!  We did run into another Aussie, a big blue merle male named Atlas.  He was gorgeous!  Lots of other dogs.  I think I may try to get pictures of the dogs next time.  I enjoyed meeting them all!  There was one fabulous black Standard Poodle I admired greatly as well as several awesomely beautiful mixed-breeds.

So our hike #1 for 52 with a View is done!  The view was indeed magnificent!  Even though I am tired and sore, it can only get better from here.  I look forward to the next one!