Lost Pond Lagoon

The Fat Man and I are back in New Hampshire for a bit.  Prior to our trip, I spent an entire weekend looking through the hiking books and choosing hikes that would be “doable” given our 50-something decrepit bodies.  I even created a chart with each hike, which included mileage, elevation, scale (easy or moderate), and expected time to completion. 

Beginning of Lost Pond Trail

I was quite proud of my chart and felt secure that by taking control at the outset of our trip I could avoid some of the pain I have suffered on our previous excursions.

I chose the Lost Pond Trail from Pinkham Notch for our first outing because it is 3.6 miles round trip and has minimal elevation.  I thought it would be a great way to ease into the New Hampshire mountains, which are much more challenging than those in New York and New Jersey.

It was all brought to a crashing halt because, unbeknownst to me, the Fat Man decided that rather than go back the way we came (which would have been a very pleasant jaunt), we would take another trail back to Pinkham Notch.

Lost Pond, NH

We got off the Lost Pond Trail and took the Wildcat Mountain Trail, which abruptly ended at the raging Ellis River.  There must have been a bridge there that got wiped out from Hurricane Irene.  “We are going to have to cross here,” said the Fat Man.  “Are you crazy?” I asked.  I am only 5 foot 2 inches and the distance between boulders looked way too long for my little legs.  “I’ll go across and come back for your pack,” he offered.  “You’re insane,” I countered.  “Let’s just go back the way we came,” I said.  “I’m not going to hike another mile back,” the Fat Man said angrily. 

Remember this because it comes into play later.

He started to walk across the river, which was gushing.  “This isn’t going to work,” he suddenly announced.  I could have told you that, I was thinking.  “We’ll have to find another way to cross.”

We bushwacked our way down the bank, getting cut up by pine trees.  “I’m going back to the Lost Pond Trail,” I said.  I got no reply.  I should have just walked back to the trail and he would have eventually followed me.  But noooooo.  I gave in to his madness.

I started to cross the river and actually almost made it across until I slipped on a rock (which we now refer to as the Ellis River incident or ERI).  Both my feet were completely submerged in water.  Cold water.  I picked myself up and sloshed to the bank.  By now I was blubbering because I have a fear of rushing water.  I used to be a great swimmer, but several years ago I dove off our canoe and the water was so cold that I started hyperventilating.  Every since then, running water makes me nervous.

Easy section of the raging Ellis River

The Fat Man helped me get my boots off and wrung out my water-logged socks.  If it had ended there, it wouldn’t have been so bad.  But the Fat Man informed me that we still had a ways to go.  Now I was screwed because there was no way I was going to try and cross that river again. 

We had to climb up a steep trail, which got narrower and steeper with every step.  “I thought this was a flat trail,” the Fat Man said sheepishly.  By now I was thinking that there were a hundred ways to hate him.  I was tired, wet, and it was getting late in the day.  I also sensed that the Fat Man was not completely confident about this trail, or that it would take us back to the car, because he kept nervously consulting the map.

I should mention that the weather report indicated that the temperature was going to plummet to 32 degrees that night.  I was starting to fear that we were going to be stranded on the mountain. 

End of the raging Ellis River

We finally reached the top of the cliff and the Fat Man announced it was still another mile to go.  All I kept thinking was that if we had just backtracked on the Lost Pond Trail we would have been back in the warm car by now.  An easy mile.  A flat mile.  A relaxing hike to kick off our time in New Hampshire. 

We finally made it back to the car and I decided that when we get back home I need to take a map reading class.  The Fat Man cannot be trusted.

Ratings were suspended for this hike due to emergency conditions.