A week from today I'll be back on the trail again. Woo-hoo! For two glorious weeks on the Cohos Trail thru the wilds of northern New Hampshire.

Yep, starting from Willey House in Crawford Notch the 162-mile route will take me (or rather my feets and lungs will take me) over Eisenhower in the Presidential Range, Martha, Waumbek, Starr King, the Weeks and Cabot, and on through the Kilkennys.

Everything beyond that point is pretty well unknown ground to this hiker. And ain't that just sweet! The Percy Peaks, Sugarloaf, Dixville Notch, Saguinary. Lake Francis and the Connecticut Lakes. And finally the Canadian border.

Looking across First Connecticut Lake to Mt. Magalloway, Pittsburg NH, near the route of the Cohos Trail.
Carey Kish photo

All good.

Speaking of goods, the house is a disaster with food and gear and whatnot scattered about. And the cats are no help, of course. But soon everything, cat hair and all, will make its way neatly into the backpack and it'll be time to go.

This won't be an ordinary hike, however.

This trek, this 162 miles of walking, has a bigger purpose than merely spending some quality time outdoors, and getting from point A to point B.

It's a fundraising hike to raise much-needed cash for The Cohos Trail Association, overseers, protectors, maintainers, visionaries of this incredible foot trail thru the woods and mountains in the wild north country of NH.

The CTA is a heckuva group of people. I know because I met a good chunk of them last weekend up in Pittsburg NH. But they lack the precious funds to do many of the things that need doing to complete, maintain and improve the Cohos Trail.

The Cohos Trail Association board, and members of the Sentiers Frontaliers meeting at Pittsburg NH last Saturday(from left): Francois Villemaire (SF), Dan Cashman, Nancy Spaulding, Bob Paradis, Lainie Castine, Pete Castine, Kim Nilsen (Cohos Trail founder), E.H. Roy, yours truly, Gloria Blais (SF).
Carey Kish photo

Hence, the fundraising hike scheme. Can we cobble together enough pledges to fill the CTA pot with $5,000? $10,000? Maybe we can.

Here's how we hope it will come down:

The Cohos Trail is 162 miles long. And that's what I mean to hike from July 27th thru August 10th. Along with a few gallons of sweat and several pints of blood for the insects, I've pledged $162--a buck a mile--to the CTA effort.

Other healthy pledges are already coming in and I haven't even set foot on the hike yet. Great!

So what about you all? Trail lovers every one of you?

What do you say to 5 cents a mile? 10 cents? A quarter? Or match me dollar for dollar?

5 cents a mile = $8.10
10 cents a mile = $16.20
25 cents a mile = $40.50
50 cents a mile = $81.00

Anything and everything helps. It all adds up to help for a magnificent New England trail, one that's right close by and accessible to us Mainers. One that needs a little assistance carrying forth with its proud mission.

Let's give it a good push forward, shall we?

I thought you'd agree. Many thanks in advance.

To support this effort send pledges or donations to the CTA c/o:
Peter and and Lainie Castine
266 Danforth Road, Pittsburg, NH 03592

Any questions regarding the Cohos Trail thru-hike fundraiser, please contact Pete and Lainie at 603-538-6777 or email them at prospmw@localnet.com.

And if you have the time and inclination please join us at the US-Canada border on Friday afternoon, August 10th at 2 PM for a big celebration! That's when our Canadian friends from the Club de Randonnée des Sentiers Frontaliers, Francois and Gloriane, will be completing their north-of-the-border hike and meeting up with me and the CTA gang. Yep, it's going to be quite the international affair.

It's all in the name of trails and good fun. Hope you'll take part, through spirit, sweat or dollars.

Speaking of sweat, if you'd like to join me on part of the Cohos Trail, whether for a few hours or a few days, let me know and I'll email you my hike schedule.

Au revoir for now, and TGIF!

A very empty Route 3 near the Cohos Trail route on its way to the Canadian border, Pittsburg NH.
Carey Kish photo