Reminder Highland Games in Lincoln this weekend

[peakbagger]

Depending on your interests, its either a good time this weekend to avoid Lincoln or an excuse to flock to it

 

[Creag Nan Drochaid]

Peakbagger, thank you for the reminder.

Cardigan Highlanders Volunteer Trail Crew always takes the Sunday of this weekend off so we can attend kirk, hang out with our kinsmen, swap lies along with drams, and generally enjoy the good vibes of a family reunion. The pipes sound best when mountains echo the ceol mor. Slainte a duibh uile gu leor, mo caraidan a beinn. Slainte mhath.

 

[DayTrip]

Crap. I was going to hike out of Lincoln Woods Visitor Center this weekend. Does this really mess up the traffic and/or increase hiker volume in the area or is it primarily a Loon Mtn issue? Not familiar with the event.

 

[Creag Nan Drochaid]

Daytrip, traffic delays depend on what direction you arrive from and what time of day it is. Most delays are at exit ramp from I-93 Nbound then into Lincoln center where the kilty folk park their cars; shuttle buses take them to Loon. In my experience you can avoid much of that by exiting one exit north, driving S on Rte 3, and taking a left that goes under I-93 and ends on Rte 112 east of the Hobo RR; consult your DeLorme atlas. Good luck, and happy hiking. May the waters of the East Branch burbling over the boulders drown out the echoes of the pipes for you. The Games definitely do not increase hiker traffic.

 

[peakbagger]

My experience in the past is it clogs up traffic along the strip unless you are there real early in the AM before the crowds move in. In the late afternoon it also is quite busy, forget about stopping anywhere along the strip.

 

[DayTrip]

Daytrip, traffic delays depend on what direction you arrive from and what time of day it is. Most delays are at exit ramp from I-93 Nbound then into Lincoln center where the kilty folk park their cars; shuttle buses take them to Loon. In my experience you can avoid much of that by exiting one exit north, driving S on Rte 3, and taking a left that goes under I-93 and ends on Rte 112 east of the Hobo RR; consult your DeLorme atlas. Good luck, and happy hiking. May the waters of the East Branch burbling over the boulders drown out the echoes of the pipes for you. The Games definitely do not increase hiker traffic.

I'd be getting off of Rte 93 N at Exit 32 for the Kanc. I'd likely be going through Lincoln about 6 AM so I assume I'd get through fine but coming home.....not so much.

 

[Jazzbo]

PB ... Thanks for the heads up! We're planning a visit to Owls head region tomorrow morning. May have to plan to arrive a bit earlier on account of this. Add a wee bit of scotch to the pack to celebrate the occasion.

 

[jniehof]

I'd be getting off of Rte 93 N at Exit 32 for the Kanc. I'd likely be going through Lincoln about 6 AM so I assume I'd get through fine but coming home.....not so much.

As Creag mentioned, coming back into town turn right on Connector Road. There's a light. That will take you to 3 right after you cross the Pemi. You can either go right on 3 and get on 93 further north, or left to go through N Woodstock, maybe stop at the Station, and take 175 to 93.

 

[Mohamed Ellozy]

On the return trip you can avoid almost all of downtown Lincoln by taking a right at The Common Man onto Pollard Road, follow Pollard Road almost to the end, then left on East Spur Road and right on Connector Road.

 

[DayTrip]

On the return trip you can avoid almost all of downtown Lincoln by taking a right at The Common Man onto Pollard Road, follow Pollard Road almost to the end, then left on East Spur Road and right on Connector Road.

Interesting. Is that the road that comes out just opposite the McDonalds at that last light before 93? Good to know. Thanks.

 

[Mohamed Ellozy]

A map is worth a thousand words (at least)

 

[sierra]

Interesting. Is that the road that comes out just opposite the McDonalds at that last light before 93? Good to know. Thanks.

No, it is not. Connector road is the light before Steve Smiths book store and or the kancamungus corner store coming from LW. It comes out at Clarks trading post. From my experience if your early the traffics not bad, they use a lot of shuttles now that park at the mall.

 

[peakbagger]

A general observation from the past. In ancient past, North Lincoln was the thriving tourist town with the strip, if you took the road being discussed to the Lincoln Strip to get to the Kanc, you definitely were on the "wrong side of the tracks" , what is now the new Lincoln strip was pretty destitute with the deteriorating remains of the old Marcal pulp and paper mill on one side of the road and the other side of the road was mostly run down homes and properties. Eli Issacson out of Berlin bought the old mill for scrap and slowly picked away at selling what he could and eventually partnering with developers to convert some of the building in the mall. The old digester house with asbestos cement siding flapping in the breeze was still standing until a few years ago but was torn down for one of the newer developments.

Boy what a difference a few decades make!

 

[Driver8]

On the return trip you can avoid almost all of downtown Lincoln by taking a right at The Common Man onto Pollard Road, follow Pollard Road almost to the end, then left on East Spur Road and right on Connector Road.

Fuller directions: heading from LW west on Kanc to Lincoln, right about where the strip begins, the Kanc bends left. At that stop, Pollard Road veers rightward. This is where the Common Man restaurant is, which is superb, in my experience, btw. The Kancamagus Lodge is sandwiched between the Kanc and Pollard Road as the two roads diverge past this intersection. You'll actually slow down to take a 90 degree right onto Pollard, which immediately takes a 90 degree left, in like 15 feet. West on Pollard maybe a mile and a half, past Red Sleigh Inn, which is right across from Father Roger Bilodeau catholic church community center. Come to four corners. Straight is a dead end toward I-93. Take left. Go 0.2 or so. Take right. Connector Road then passes under 93, takes a hard right, bends to Rt 3. Take gentle right on 3. A mile or so north gets you to Exit 33 on 93. That's what I'll be doing this weekend to avoid jammed traffic.

 

[Driver8]

Depending on your interests, its either a good time this weekend to avoid Lincoln or an excuse to flock to it

Thanks for the info, PB.

 

[Tom Rankin]

We drove into Loon (Ground zero) Friday morning and said we were going to hike to the summit (and beyond). They waived us thru and just told us to 'park on the left'. Coming out was not really a problem either.

 

[DayTrip]

I wound up going right through Lincoln around 4:15PM. Not much worse than a typical Saturday, although there were throngs of kilted people pouring out of the gates at Loon so I don't know how much longer that lasted. I did review and print map for future detours. Great tip Mohammed. Always thought those roads were just dead ends to hotels and what not. Thanks.

 

[Driver8]

I got into town abt 5:30 pm, just before the buses brought ppl back into town en masse from Loon. Had no slowdown taking usual route. Got early dinner at original Common Man in Ashland to avoid crowd - nice treat.

 

[Raven]

Not much going on at 4:45 AM yesterday morning when I went through town.