Roxi
Active member
Mt. Zealand 6/11/2006
I woke up with that wonderful thought...you know the one...the thought that screams, “I’m going hiking today!!!!!”
I didn’t even care that it was 4:30 and even my cat was still asleep (he wakes me up at 5 ). And around 5, what to my wondering eyes did appear, but the SUN!!! rising so nicely outside my window. This was going to be a great day! Anyway, I got ready, had breakfast, and was on my way before 6 am, a miracle in itself.
On my way up 93 North, lost in my own thoughts, somewhere around exit 24(?), a car pulls up in the left lane next to me and then sits there. “This is odd,” I thought as I glanced at it through peripheral vision. When it remained beside me for a while, I finally turned and looked at the driver, only to find a woman who looked a lot like Bunchberry forming the letters V F T T with her hands! I cracked up! She had noticed the sticker on the left side of my car. I nodded my head, smiled, and gave her a thumbs up. That was too cool! Whoever you are, you made my day! Thank you!!!
After a quick pit stop at McD’s off exit 32, I got back on 93 N and continued on to Zealand Rd. As soon as I entered Franconia Notch, the clouds were sprinkling. I told myself, “That’s ok, I’ll hike in an enchanted forest today.” As I turned off of Rt. 3 and onto Rt. 302, the sprinkle became steady and I couldn’t lie to myself anymore. This hike was going to be a wet one. But after driving all that way, I wasn’t turning back. I was really pissed off at the unrelenting rain and I was going to hike and bag Zealand no matter what! I drove up Zealand Rd. to the trailhead. Lots of cars were in the parking lot, but I only saw and passed one other hiker when I entered the trail.
Both the Zealand Trail and the Twinway Trail from Zealand Falls Hut to Mt. Zealand were wet, muddy, water-logged, and absolutely beautiful! I couldn’t get over how nice the scenery was, the ponds picturesque, the streams loud as they rapidly passed on tons of water. Stream crossings were challenging, but doable, and I had a blast rock-hopping the water-logged trails. Zealand Falls were unbelievably magnificent as the water roared downward over the boulders below. It was truly a sight to see!
I was delighted as I came to realize that I had chosen the perfect trail for today’s conditions. The overhanging trees kept both the rain and the wind (which I could hear howling) at bay. The temps were cool, but not cold. A hut, providing both facilities and a dry place to rest, was strategically placed. There were NO BUGS! And the trails were beautiful! Many, many THANKS to all the folks who help maintain those two trails. I could see and appreciate all the hard work that’s been done. Thank you!
The wooded summit of Zealand had no view, but that didn’t matter today. A rectangular wooden sign was nailed to a tree proclaiming “Zealand,” only the A’s looked like evergreen trees. It’s really cute! The round summit area contained a small cairn. The area was too small for any large gathering, but the setting reminded me of Terry Pratchett’s novels, and I could picture Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Magrat gathering there. I was a little hungry and I have the attitude that since life is short, it's ok to eat dessert first (2 homemade chocolate chip cookies). I postponed eating my sandwich until I got back to the hut.
Zealand Falls Hut was a delightful rest stop both up and back. I liked the look and layout of this hut much better than Madison, and whatever the Croo was making on my way back smelled wonderful! The sun finally made a short appearance as I left. I’m not fond of hiking in the rain, but I can truly say that I thoroughly enjoyed today’s hike and wouldn’t wish anything changed. It was perfect! But I will admit that I drove home listening to Sheryl Crow’s song “I’m going to soak up the sun....”
“It’s not having what you want; it’s wanting what you’ve got.” - Sheryl Crow
I woke up with that wonderful thought...you know the one...the thought that screams, “I’m going hiking today!!!!!”
I didn’t even care that it was 4:30 and even my cat was still asleep (he wakes me up at 5 ). And around 5, what to my wondering eyes did appear, but the SUN!!! rising so nicely outside my window. This was going to be a great day! Anyway, I got ready, had breakfast, and was on my way before 6 am, a miracle in itself. On my way up 93 North, lost in my own thoughts, somewhere around exit 24(?), a car pulls up in the left lane next to me and then sits there. “This is odd,” I thought as I glanced at it through peripheral vision. When it remained beside me for a while, I finally turned and looked at the driver, only to find a woman who looked a lot like Bunchberry forming the letters V F T T with her hands! I cracked up! She had noticed the sticker on the left side of my car. I nodded my head, smiled, and gave her a thumbs up. That was too cool! Whoever you are, you made my day! Thank you!!!
After a quick pit stop at McD’s off exit 32, I got back on 93 N and continued on to Zealand Rd. As soon as I entered Franconia Notch, the clouds were sprinkling. I told myself, “That’s ok, I’ll hike in an enchanted forest today.” As I turned off of Rt. 3 and onto Rt. 302, the sprinkle became steady and I couldn’t lie to myself anymore. This hike was going to be a wet one. But after driving all that way, I wasn’t turning back. I was really pissed off at the unrelenting rain and I was going to hike and bag Zealand no matter what! I drove up Zealand Rd. to the trailhead. Lots of cars were in the parking lot, but I only saw and passed one other hiker when I entered the trail.
Both the Zealand Trail and the Twinway Trail from Zealand Falls Hut to Mt. Zealand were wet, muddy, water-logged, and absolutely beautiful! I couldn’t get over how nice the scenery was, the ponds picturesque, the streams loud as they rapidly passed on tons of water. Stream crossings were challenging, but doable, and I had a blast rock-hopping the water-logged trails. Zealand Falls were unbelievably magnificent as the water roared downward over the boulders below. It was truly a sight to see!
I was delighted as I came to realize that I had chosen the perfect trail for today’s conditions. The overhanging trees kept both the rain and the wind (which I could hear howling) at bay. The temps were cool, but not cold. A hut, providing both facilities and a dry place to rest, was strategically placed. There were NO BUGS! And the trails were beautiful! Many, many THANKS to all the folks who help maintain those two trails. I could see and appreciate all the hard work that’s been done. Thank you!
The wooded summit of Zealand had no view, but that didn’t matter today. A rectangular wooden sign was nailed to a tree proclaiming “Zealand,” only the A’s looked like evergreen trees. It’s really cute! The round summit area contained a small cairn. The area was too small for any large gathering, but the setting reminded me of Terry Pratchett’s novels, and I could picture Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Magrat gathering there. I was a little hungry and I have the attitude that since life is short, it's ok to eat dessert first (2 homemade chocolate chip cookies). I postponed eating my sandwich until I got back to the hut.
Zealand Falls Hut was a delightful rest stop both up and back. I liked the look and layout of this hut much better than Madison, and whatever the Croo was making on my way back smelled wonderful! The sun finally made a short appearance as I left. I’m not fond of hiking in the rain, but I can truly say that I thoroughly enjoyed today’s hike and wouldn’t wish anything changed. It was perfect! But I will admit that I drove home listening to Sheryl Crow’s song “I’m going to soak up the sun....”
“It’s not having what you want; it’s wanting what you’ve got.” - Sheryl Crow
