A returning guest came to us hoping to hike something during one of the mornings of her visit to the area. With her was her lovely dog/wolf mix, “Echo.” On task for this lead we put Redline Guide Tim Jones to work. After doing his due diligence — which he excels at — he decided on a couple of trails in the southern Mahoosucs that would meet their needs. What follows are Tim’s words.
Not every hike needs to be a huge challenge to be fun and successful. Our guest and her friendly, beautifully mannered, 11-year-old wolf/dog ‘Echo’ wanted to get out, see a new trail or two and get some exercise. Unfortunately, it was a hot, humid day and Echo is permanently dressed in the heavy fur coat of an Arctic wolf, which limits her abilities to cope with those conditions. So we planned a hike that could be taken in stages and extended if we wanted to.
Objective #1 was the overlook on the top of Mount Crag in Shelburne, NH, 1.1 miles and 600 vertical feet from the road. It was cool when we started but by the time we reached the outlook with its spectacular view of the Androscoggin River, the heat and humidity had started to build. Echo, despite our relaxed pace and having plenty of water to drink from her own bowl, was clearly growing less enthusiastic.
We discussed our options, including a longer return trip via a loop of Gates Brook and a new section of Austin Brook Trails, but the day was growing hotter by the minute, so we backtracked the way we came. Once down we found a spot on Austin Brook where Echo could stand in the cool water and drink her fill.
Again we had options — Austin Brook Trail or a new section of the Yellow Trail, but the heat was unrelenting and we opted to return to the air-conditioned car. We’d known going in that the day would likely be uncomfortably warm, and our multi-option plan let us choose just the right amount of effort for Echo’s fun and comfort. —Tim
