Joe Dodge Lodge

Way back in 2007 Carole and I traveled to Maine and New Hampshire. The main part of our trip was so that I could climb Mount Washington with Sam Baucom, the husband of one of Carole's best friends, Bobbie Baucom. Like me, Sam is an avid hiker, but since he also runs marathons he's in a lot better shape than I am.

While we were in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, we stayed at a place called Joe Dodge Lodge. We don't have many places like Joe Dodge here in the South. The Lodge on Mount LeConte is similar, as is the Len Foote Hike Inn. However, Joe Dodge is a bit more civilized than those places, in that you can access it via auto.

Carole and I totally enjoyed our stay there. The rooms are very basic...but after a long day's hike, they're more than adequate for a tired body. The best thing about the stay is the food. Meals are mainly served family style in the huge dining room and the quality of the food is exceptional. They also serve vegetarian meals for those who don't eat meat. I wasn't into the whole vegetarian scene when I was there, but the next time we go I'll have plenty to choose from at meal-time.

And we will return. We had such a great time that we want to stay once again at one of the lodges run by the Appalachian Mountain Club up there.

This is the dining room at Joe Dodge. Separated by a short walk from the main part of the lodge.

And the main lodge with the White Mountains looming on the skyline beyond.

Our basic room at Joe Dodge Lodge.

Since our southern peaks don't have a tree-line, you don't see any scenes like this one south of the Mason and Dixon Line.

One Year Ago

One year ago:

We were staying here, at Joe Dodge Lodge in New Hampshire.

At this time one year ago, I was hiking up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail to the summit of Mount Washington, the highest peak in New England, and the highest peak in the Appalachian Mountains north of Roan Mountain (in Tennessee).

Since I've never had the opportunity to hike out west, the nearest I've been able to come to the kind of scenery one expects to see in places like the Rocky Mountains are the peaks and summits of New England. I have never been disappointed in the scenery when I go hiking in Maine and New Hampshire.

I never got tired of looking down into Tuckerman Ravine on my way to the summit of Mount Washington. I look at this and can almost see the glacier that carved this enormous cirque.

The weather was appropriately overcast, cold, and blustery by the time I reached the highest point on the mountain. I really didn't want it to be otherwise.

The views on the way down were no less spectacular than on the trip up. Here I was approaching Lion's Head, one of the more amazing sub-peaks on Mount Washington.

And a double rainbow rewarded me as I hiked along toward Lions Head.

Other hikers passed us going up, toward Lions Head as we headed down to Joe Dodge Lodge and a hearty meal and a hot shower and a soft bed.

Looking back on my adventure of last year only makes me go a bit more stir crazy as Carole and I remain stuck in Charlotte due to her impending surgery. We'll have a wait of several weeks after that before we can head off into the wilds. Until then, I have only my memories of past trips and photographs from some of my amazing hikes to increase my level of utter and complete frustration! ARGH!!!!

With any freaking luck at all, I'll be able to hitch up the trailer, strap on my daypack, and head up into the Black Mountains of North Carolina for views like this one, as I did in the summer of 2007. Wish me just a little bloody fortune.