(spoiler alert)
We made it.
Griffin and I walked the entire length of New Hampshire – from the northern NH/Canadian border to the NH/Massachusetts southern border. Because of difficulties encountered on the very first day, we had to extend our original schedule by 2 days – so it took us a total of 16 days to walk our incredible state – but we did it.
Along the way we saw a black bear cross the road in front of us – my biggest fear next to seeing a snake which I also saw so basically I’m now fearless, had an eagle fly over our heads, woke up to a sunrise across a crystal clear lake while the loons sang their song, and saw the abject beauty that is northern New Hampshire.
Along the way, we smelled fresh pines that went on forever, passed by miles and miles of pure wilderness, and saw rivers that were so old, they had worn boulders down to shiny smoothness.
We also saw industry and cities that made sure art and nature were remembered in their planning and we now have a new appreciation for the convenience and ingenuity that is southern New Hampshire.
We have it all in this state.
We met so many people who will become life-long friends and we had an entire online (and in come cases real life) community that supported our every step. We waved for miles and miles and discovered that there are no strangers in our state only friends we haven’t yet met.
Some pretty important people also took notice of our walk and acknowledged it, while others who had only learned of our adventure through online sources cheered us on – literally every step of the way.
Lessons were learned (oh so many lessons) and inner strength that had been hidden for too long was found.
We started this journey with no braces and no blisters.
We ended it with Griffin having 5 massive blisters (which required medical assistance) and me wearing 2 knee braces, an ankle brace and an air cast for ankle ligaments that were torn along the way.
Doc – “You shouldn’t be walking, you need to get off this ankle.”
Me – “I have 3 days to go and then I’ll get off it.”
Some nights we arrived at our hotel ready to walk the additional mile needed to get to the closest restaurant. Some nights we crawled to our hotel thanking the Gods above that a local restaurant had delivery service.
But you know what? we never once thought of quitting. Each day we got up, dressed our walking wounds and set out for the road. We walked until we met our daily goal which ended at a hotel each night. We walked in the rain, we walked in blistering heat, we got lost, and on more than a few occasions we wondered what drove us to take on this challenge. But come the morning, we were always back on the roads.
Quitting was just not an option.
Our border to border walk is a journey that will never be forgotten and one that will bring a smile to our faces each time we think of it.
Starting next week I’ll begin documenting each of our days on the road. I had wanted to update this blog and Social Media each night but:
- Computers are heavy
- Internet and cell service are spotty up north, and
- Sleep was more important – both of us were asleep by 9 p.m. each night – so much for the night life I was planning on exploring.
I updated the Facebook Border to Border New Hampshire page when I could. If you want more spoilers got to that page and check out some of the photos.
If you want to wait – on Monday I’ll start with that incredible Day 1.
(Here’s some information on why we took this trip.)
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Wendy Thomas writes about the lessons learned while raising children and chickens in New Hampshire. Contact her at [email protected]
Also, join me on Facebook to find out more about the flock (children and chickens) and see some pretty funny chicken jokes, photos of tiny houses, and even a recipe or two.
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