Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway 0: Logistics & Getting There

I learned about Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway several years ago when I hiked up Pitcher Mountain. Over time I got more info about the trail from various sources and this year I decided to hike it as I had an extra week of vacation that I did not want to loose. 

I bought a trail guide and trail "super map" from Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Trail Club ( https://www.msgtc.org ) and read the guide ahead of the hike.  The guide comes with a map, contains detailed trail description, has quite a bit of info about the trail history and includes trail mileage shown both ways (NOBO & SOBO.)  The super map has two features that the smaller map which comes with guide does not have: it shows location of water sources and has distances shown right on the map.  While on the trail I tended to use the super map whenever I wanted to plan things or know what to expect.

I don't have many friends who like backpacking trips and when they go backpacking they usually look at "big" mountains, so for hiking MSG I had to consider doing the trail alone.  This posed a bit of logistical problem since I would have to leave my car at one end of the trail and then get a ride to the other end. I was feeling pretty uneasy about leaving my car at a trailhead parking lot,  so I found Rand Pond Campground on Brook Rd in Goshen which is located very close to Goshen Trail that  descends from Mt Sunapee. I contacted the campground via their website and got an answer that I could park my car at their parking lot for a very reasonable fee. This would work pretty well for me since I wanted to spend a night at the campground after the hike,  so that I wouldn't be too tired while driving back to Jersey.  Next I called Flying Aces car service and confirmed that they could give me a ride to Monadnock State Park. They quoted me $2.50 / mile which was fine with me and asked me to call a day ahead to make sure I wouldn't have to wait too long for pickup. With parking and car ride out of the way I booked a tent site at Monadnock State Park, so that I could start hiking early in the morning next day as I expected the first day to be the  hardest.

Waiting for taxi at Tippicanoe Campground

I arrived at the Tippicanoe Campground ( http://tippicanoe.com/ - also showing as Rand Pond Campground on google maps) and after visiting the office parked my car where pointed to.  I then got my stuff ready and walked to wait for the car at the campground sign by the road.  The taxi arrived within a few minutes of agreed time and there I was on the way to my starting point. I had an interesting conversation with the driver - she told me that not too long ago she drove a customer from a trailhead who spent something like two or three weeks in the woods with very little stuff.  Apparently, the guy was using a trash bag stuffed with leaves as his sleeping pad.  This sounded like an interesting idea, but I didn't get more details on what other tricks he might have used to survive for extended period of time in the woods.  Anyways, I brought a tent as I had to stay the first night at Gilson Pond Campground in Monadnock State Park and I wasn't sure if there would always be room available in shelters.  As it turned out I had to share a shelter on the first night only and then I was alone on the trail till the very end.

Porcupine at Gilson Pond Campground

Once at Gilson Pond Campground I had some more time before sunset, so I took a walk following the trail to remote tent sites.  There were no people there but then it was Sunday evening and even at the main campground loop there were very few people.  Completing my hiking loop I spotted a porcupine that ran into a trench when it saw me and then hid in a drain.  As it turned out my tent site actually had neighbors and I asked them about the weather since I had no phone service and last time I checked there were thunderstorms in the forecast.  My neighbors told me that it wasn't supposed to start raining until 11am.  I set up my tent, hung my bear bag and went to sleep.

I was not hungry as I had a big sandwich for lunch, so I didn't cook.  Actually, hanging a bear bag was a little frustrating at first - I got a new slippery bag line which glided very smoothly over branches and it comes with a stone bag, however, I managed to tangle it up badly on the first try.  After 20 minutes spent on untangling it, I learned my lesson and I was very careful to lay out the line free of knots every time afterwards.