Rail-Trail hike

I decided earlier this week to try a more local, easier hike that I've been considering for some time.  The Rockingham Recreational Trail is a former railroad track that has been turned into a hiking trail.  It is mostly flat, mostly smooth, and easy to follow.  It starts in Manchester and goes to Newfields NH, a total of 27 or 28 miles depending on the trail description you find.

Remy and I started out from Manchester to see how far we could get.  The rail trail crosses roads on a regular basis and it's pretty easy to find out where you are, especially if you are using a GPS or tracker program.  (I'm using the "e-crumbs" app from RoadID so that my husband can "see" where I am during my hikes.)

Remy has uneven muscle development in his hind legs due to the broken leg he suffered as a tiny puppy.  Walking is very good for him; much more so than running, but probably less than swimming. I also don't know how well he would handle the stress and strain of a hike.  This, however, was great terrain for him.  I will be taking him on more hikes/ walks like this in the future.  Perhaps eventually he can regain enough strength in that leg to hike with me.

This is the start of the trail, near the Rite-Aid pharmacy on Tarrytown Road in Manchester.  It runs through some very urban areas for the first couple of miles, although you would never know it except when roads cross the trail.

There are several tunnels to pass through, going under highways (Rt 93 and Rt 101).

In the city the road crossings are identified.  Most of the more rural ones (in Auburn and Candia, so far) are identified, but not all.

We went by Lake Massabesic in Manchester.

This underpass goes under Hooksett Road in Auburn NH.

Some of the trail signs are quite extensive.  In the winter these trails are apparently part of a very extensive snowmobile trail system.

We called it a day at just short of 9 miles, at a gas station/ rest area off Exit 3 of Rt 101 in Candia, near the Raymond line.  We'll be picking up our hike at that point and continuing on, likely some time next week.  Remy did a great job carrying his water.  We came across maybe a dozen people during our hike, and only two dogs.  One dog was a German shepherd; when the lady realized we were coming down the trail, she retreated back to the closest road crossing.  I don't know if she was worried about us, or if her dog is unfriendly.  Unfortunately I did not get a picture of either of them.