I started using TrustedHousesitters two years ago when I knew I was going to be visiting Dan regularly at Baxter and wouldn’t be able to take Copper with me on these trips. It’s been a great experience for us so far. That is an affiliate link and will get you a 25% discount on your membership if you’re looking for a sitting resource. But this isn’t a post trying to sell you something, it’s a post about how I’ve enjoyed the culture of the site so much that I wanted to try out being on the other side of things as a way to travel.

This past winter, we came across a house sit in North Conway with two pups and went to spend the weekend with them. It turned out to be one of those freezing cold winter weekends (on par for all of our visits to the White Mountains) but we got some cross country skiing in and enjoyed our time with the dogs. I recently got to return for a few more days with them and, though I was working, enjoyed some pre- and post-work outings to make the most of my time in the neighborhood.

Winneweta Falls

After work on my first day I drove over to the trailhead for Winneweta Falls. It’s a small parking area on Route 16 that might go overlooked. There’s a river crossing immediately at the start of the 1 mile trail, but when I visited water was low and it was a warm night so the crossing was refreshing. I’m not familiar enough with the area, but you’d probably want to use caution visiting earlier in the season.

The start of the trail is a bit overgrown with brambles but opens up to a nice wooded path for the majority of the easy walk to the falls. The water wasn’t quite deep enough for swimming, but I found a spot to cool off and relax for a bit before making my way back to the car. This was after work on a Thursday, but it was a beautiful summer night and I was surprised that no one else was around.

Mount Stanton

The following morning, I got up early, played with the dogs for a bit, and then made my way to Mount Stanton in Glen for a pre-work hike. This hike begins in a residential area with several No Parking signs in what looks like the most obvious parking spot along the road. I parked in an area without signs, as did another hiker I encountered, but he was also confused and noted the signs were a new development, so be aware that the parking situation might be up in the air.

This was a relatively steep, short hike with 1,079 ft of elevation gain over the out and back trail and a total of 2.9 miles. Nice views over the Saco, Attitash, and neighboring peaks from the various ledges leading to the summit. I did not continue on to Pickering, but you could easily add some distance to the hike by doing so. There were signs noting that the Mt Langdon lean-to is no longer in place, but there is still a campsite available for use.

The blueberry bushes were loaded at the summit of Stanton and I was happy to have a container with me to spend some time picking before making my way back down.

South Moat

My final day in North Conway was a Saturday, so I had a bit more time to get out before heading home. I opted to head to South Moat Mountain, about 20 minutes from where I was staying. I arrived around 7:30 and got the last spot in the lot, but additional parking is available along the road.

I learned I was there in the middle of a 100 mile endurance race. While I set out on my ~6 mile, 2,100 ft hike, there were a number of runners I passed before and after their turn around working through a whopping 32,000 feet of elevation gain. I was meeting them right around the 50 mile mark and was impressed by the energy of the group I encountered.

While they breezed past me, I enjoyed a relatively low-key hike to the summit of South Moat, which started as a pleasant walk in the woods before getting steeper around the 1.5 mile mark. The summit had really nice 360 views and with more time, continuing on to the Middle and North Moat would make for a nice day hike. I spent about 4 hours total on the trail, leaving me plenty of time to head back, spend some time with the dogs, and pack up before driving home to Maine.

I’m jealous of those who live so close they’re able to fit in these types of adventures on a regular work day, but recognize how fortunate we are to be both close to the coast and able to access the mountains easily enough. There’s so much to explore in the White Mountains, and I hope to be able to work in shorter trips like this in the future for better access to it all.