NE area wheeling trip plans

I'll be on my own other than the dog. Not sure if anyone else who's thinking about it is bringing a partner, but she's welcome to join us. Rich @Skierrichy brought his wife along last summer when we did the Trans-NH Expedition and I think she enjoyed it. Most of the days will be spent just driving along with a little bit of hiking/exploring here and there, followed by chilling around a campfire at night.

 

Just as I had expected for the trip: Drive around, explore, hike a few trails and camp out. Sounds perfect! Count me in for now unless something changes.

I didnt know about the Trans-NH Expedition, that sounds awesome as well!

 

what are the details for that? I'M furloughed till end of July at minimum

 

https://exploringnh.com/home/trans-new-hampshire-expedition-self-guided/

 

does anyone have the gps track already?

 

Not I but someone on the forum might - would be interested as well but not a killer if not.

 

These guys put a lot of work into their routes and tours. Be a sport and buy the trip package if you really want to do it, help them make more.

Edit: This is coming from the perspective of somebody trying to put together a similar trip through VT. The amount of time I've spent looking over maps, driving sections and figuring out what's going to work and what won't, rerouting pieces, etc. is staggering if you add it all up. I'm doing it because I want to share it with friends, but they have a business model built around their tours, taking their hard work and spreading it around for free is essentially stealing all that work from them.

 

Last week I spent three days explaining class IVs in Stockbridge, Bethel, and Barnard. I could share some places I found in that region if you needed it.

 

I'm open to any and all suggestions at this point. Feel free to PM me, if the files are too big to share here, we can set up a dropbox or something to use.

 

I agree it does take a fair amount of work to plan a route, and they are free to charge whatever they want for that information. That being said I don't agree with the $100 price tag. They don't own the land or access to the land on that route. If there was more information on other trips or something then I would see more value in it. just my opinion.

So if we ran a trip with that route here, do you think should everyone on the trip have to buy the route?

 

Ya the hundred bucks I am struggling with. I read the preview, and I think I have driven most of the roads about 20 years ago. About once a month my wife and I while dating would drive around New Hampshire or Vermont through the mountains or around the lakes. Just taking a drive.

That being said, I get folks need to pay the bills.

 

You may not agree with their asking price, but that's what they're charging, and people are paying, so it seems to be working for them. Yes, it's public land, and if you want to figure out your own route on it nobody's stopping you. They're pretty reasonable about it though. I paid for the route files last year and was trying to set up a good sized group trip. They got wind of it and asked me to keep it to 4-5 vehicles max, they suggest on their website 1-2 vehicles max and I'd missed that part in my reading. They want you to keep the self-guided trips small as part of a tread-lightly ethos and keeping the roads open and accessible.

 

You don’t have to pay the 100 bucks. You’re right they don’t own the land. You’re also just as free to spend a ton of time online researching and mapping, and another load of time driving the route/finding dead ends, spending all your gas money compiling the same route. I bet by the end of all that hard work you’d feel super accomplished and you’d have spent more than $100 in time and gas alone to accomplish what someone else has already done.

 

ExploringNH is the shit. Def join their forum and connect with all those folks if you wanna find some trails with knowledgeable and friendly guides.

I agree with @BadDNA , plan a route or drop the cash to buy theirs. They’re awesome and deserve the business. Hell, plan a small group of 5 vehicles and split the cost, $20 each.

 

But they recommend only 1 or 2 vehicles

 

So split the cost with "2" vehicles $20 each.

I actually saw this and thought it wasn't a bad idea and would be fun. I personally don't have the equipment to camp but I'd be willing to purchase some and do this trip. I've looked at maps and I'm not even sure where to start. I'd love to take a fun road to a lake for some fishing or just to picnic with the fam.

 

Split it and do it as two groups?

just want to give ENH a shout out for putting runs together, teaching proper etiquette, and making things available for folks. They really are a great group, so I’m just trying to vouch for them.

 

Second this.

 

Third. Those guys run a top quality show up there. I strongly prefer wheeling with them than going to an offroad park. The vibe is different but it's mainly the crowds. The ENH guys are the polar opposite of the usual guys you run into at offroad parks, and I definitely fall more on the side of the ENH guy side of the spectrum.

 

Don’t disagree with anyone. I agree with what they are trying to do, and also see the other side. Honestly, it flat out sucks that there is no “forum” discussion about some of these trails. I know why, totally get it, I have a recreation degree, with a park management focus.

This particular “tour” has peeked my interest before, but the 100 bucks has made me reconsider. I really only want from Conway south. I think I may have been on some of those in a Geo Tracker back in the Nineteen Hundreds. I do have to say, I have not put any effort into looking on the maps and agree that there is value in that time.