Hiking Hibbard Mountain, Sandwich Range

This past Sunday, my friend Sue and I hiked another trail on the NH 52 With A View list. Hibbard Mountain is in the Sandwich Range. We did this as an out and back, but I realized afterward that we could/should have done it as a loop. The weather forecast for the weekend on Friday had been for sunshine and dry, so hearing the rain when I woke up was a surprise. What to do? The revised forecast was for on and off showers, with a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. We decided to drive up north anyway and to evaluate the conditions when we got there.

The parking area off Ferncroft Road was about half full, in spite of the weather, as this is also the starting point for several popular hikes including 4000 footers Mount Whiteface and Mount Passaconaway. It had stopped raining, so we decided to give it a go, even though we knew that we could get caught in a shower and, any potential views might be obscured. Fortunately, the weather did cooperate.

Wonalancet Range Trail

We started on the Wonalancet Range Trail which was mostly wooded.
After one and a half miles we took the cut-off to the right to avoid, as the book described, ledges that "are slippery when wet." Just before approaching the Hibbard Mountain Summit (2940') there was a short side trail to a pleasant view toward the East. This proved to be a nice spot to have our lunch on the way back.

A little bit of sun allowed us to see some of the landscape below.

Best view of the day

After doubling back to continue on the main trail, we passed some peek-a-boo views and continued on, not realizing that we had already passed the summit. Before reaching the Walden Trail we assumed we had gone too far and doubled back to retrace our steps. On the return, we also missed the cut-off trail and ended up going over the steep ledge of Mount Wonalancet. Fortunately, the rock face was dry, but even still, I was too busy watching my footing to appreciate the scenery. It would definitely be easier to ascend this part of the trail.

I have to admit, that this was one of my least favorite hikes. It could have been the fact that I was feeling a bit under the weather, which turned out to be a very bad summer cold/flu. Both Sue and I commented that we didn't think that Hibbard Mountain should be included on the 52 With A View list. The best views were at Mount Wonalancet, and the map showed some viewpoints on the Walden Trail, which we would have seen, had we done the entire loop. Even so, there were some interesting things to observe such as these various of fungi.

 And this  Wood Frog.

 As always, it was good to be outside, enjoy the mountains and get some exercise. 

Blueberry Maple Scones

If you like scones, try this recipe with some freshly picked wild blueberries and pure maple syrup. They will melt in your mouth! We are fortunate to have these bushes right in our front yard.


Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter 
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/3 + cup milk
1 cup wild fresh or dried blueberries (these will be smaller than cultivated berries)
Sift dry ingredients into large bowl. Cut butter into slices and add to bowl. Mix until fine with pastry blender. Add maple syrup and 1/3 cup milk. Mix until able to handle, add more milk if necessary. Do not over handle. Stir in blueberries. Form into circle on greased baking sheet or on parchment paper. Cut into 8 wedges, but do not separate.

Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes. When scones are cooling make maple glaze.

Maple Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2+ Tablespoon water 
1 Tablespoon maple syrup 

While still barely warm, spread scones with maple glaze and enjoy with milk, coffee or tea.

Hot and Dry

A month ago, the front page article in the paper was "Dry spell plagues Granite State." Well, not much has changed, except now we can say that we are officially in a moderate to severe drought according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Lawns are brown and fields are dry, and no matter how much time we spend, planting, cultivating and weeding, our plants will not survive without water. If you live in an area, which is experiencing well below normal rainfall, there are a few steps you can take to conserve water, while still ensuring that your plants will not suffer significantly.

First, you need to prioritize. Lawns will typically go dormant in dry weather, and although they may look dead, they will usually recover once rains return. This means that, for us, we aren't going to waste this precious resource on grass. If you must water, water deeply, at least one to one and a half inches at a time. Watering lightly may draw roots to the surface and will probably do more damage than good, particularly in hot weather.  Watering deeply, instead of lightly holds true for the garden as well, unless you are trying to germinate seeds, which in this case, short, frequent applications of water, enough to keep the seeds moist are best. It is best to water early in the morning - before the heat and evaporation of the sun. If you water late in the evening, you could create a perfect environment for molds and fungus to attack your plants. Also, try and water as close to the roots as possible, with a soaker hose or wand, to avoid as much loss to evaporation as possible.

Our lawn two days ago

If you have a rain barrel, you may be able to take advantage of even brief showers. It doesn't take long for a 55 gallon drum to fill up from an average size roof. Although studies have shown that, in most cases, watering from rain barrels is safe for vegetables, rain barrels can be contaminated with e-coli which could be hazardous if applied to certain crops. Also, you should never water plants meant for consumption with rain barrel water collected from roofs made with treated wood shakes,  copper or zinc, or roofs that have been treated with any type of chemicals, such as that used to kill mold or algae. This article from the Sight Line Institute provides some useful information from recent studies. However, if you are still concerned, then use your rain  barrel to water your flowers instead of vegetables.   
 
Since we can't control the weather, we can learn to appreciate the positives of dry weather. First, it means running the lawn mower less, saving both time and energy; Second, there can be a reduction of certain pests. I have not seen a tick in some time as they require a certain level of humidity. Grubs, which typically start reeking havoc in mid-July, do not seem to be a problem yet - either because it has been too hot for the beetles to lay eggs, or the grubs themselves are remaining deep in the soil instead of coming closer to the surface and munching on roots. No rain? No problem, you may even be able to sit outside at night without mosquitoes. Finally, hot and dry days  are great news for people on vacation or going to the beach.

Fortunately, my garden is still doing okay. Here are some broccoli, radishes and greens picked this week.

Anything, fresh from the garden tastes delicious and makes meals so much more enjoyable.

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

I can't believe the Fourth of July has come and gone. By mid-July, fresh local strawberries have also waned. I did freeze some rhubarb earlier this year and was able to purchase fresh strawberries grown in Canada at the farm stand. This cobbler is a nice variation to the traditional strawberry and rhubarb pie.

Topping:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
4 Tablespoons melted butter

Filling:
2 cups sliced rhubarb
1 cup strawberries sliced
Juice of half an orange
3/4 cup sugar

Mix ingredients together for filling and set aside. In a separate bowl sift flour, baking powder and salt. Add oatmeal. Beat egg with milk and stir in along with melted butter. Place fruit in greased 8 x 8 inch glass pan. Sprinkle topping over fruit and bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until fruit is bubbly and topping is golden brown. Delicious served warm.