The trees are drawing me near
I‘ve got to find out why
Those gentle voices I hear
Explain it all with a sigh
— ‘Tuesday Afternoon’ by the Moody Blues
Isolation, as important as it is in dealing with the current pandemic, is not a natural way for humans to live. We are social beings and need human contact.
We also need to remain in touch with nature. Getting out in the fresh air and among the natural landscape keeps us in touch with who we are as individuals while also reminding us of our place in the greater scheme of things. We’re not the only beings on this earth, as much as we try to tame the environment and make it serve us.
It’s not always easy or even possible to get into the backcountry where we are alone with nature, nor is it possible to enjoy the social connections we’re used to having when close contact could spread a deadly disease. A good compromise, and a way to have a little of both, is to step out on a manufactured trail designed for multiple uses.
Thus it was that a warm end-of-summer day, with something of a stiff breeze, greeted me as I stepped out during a six-hour wait with nothing much to do. Since I had never ventured west on the WOW Trail, it seemed to be just the thing to take up that free time.
The Winnisquam-Opechee-Winnipesaukee Trail runs from the Lakeport section of Laconia to the Belmont town line, where it becomes the Winnisquam Trail and runs almost as far as “Mosquito Bridge” on Route 3. Since I was joining the trail near downtown Laconia, the trip would be about three miles each way.
The trail runs mostly along a little-used rail line, and the only rail traffic I would see were a couple of steel-rail-equipped trucks from the NH Department of Transportation examining the tracks. The trail also skirts the three lakes that give it its name, although there are portions of the route that veer away from the water so the hiker or bicyclist is seeing only trees. The other views show the backyards of homes and businesses or housing developments that sit off the main road. It is the perspective of the railroad, once seen frequently by passengers when the railroad was king. Today the railroad in America is on life support except for the big urban areas. In New Hampshire, the railroad doesn’t get much respect.
It is the multi-use trail, or “rail trail” that grabs people’s attention today, and the WOW Trail is a perfect example. Even though we were there on a weekday while school was back in session, we encountered 10 people on the way west; fewer on the return trip which took place at lunchtime.
There are a few places to stop along the way, such as Bartlett Beach, deserted post Labor Day, although a few sailboats and motor boats remain docked nearby, gently rocking on the whitecapped waves. The breeze coming off the lake was strong enough to limit how long one chose to linger, but there was enough sunshine to make a short stay inviting before resuming the trek.
The trail also has some benches where people can rest, enjoy a snack, and, in some cases, enjoy a lake view. One stop has a covered pavilion with picnic tables.
The paved surface makes it perfect for bicyclists, but less so for walkers. The Winnipesaukee River Trail in Franklin and Northfield has a paved portion, but most of it is hard-packed earth, making it more suitable for all uses.
Having reached the end of the trail at its intersection with Route 3, we picked up some homemade snacks at Osborne’s Agway and turned around. There was still time to spare when we got back to downtown Laconia, so it made sense to continue on the trail in the other direction, heading to its eastern terminus in Lakeport Square.
That section of the WOW Trail sees greater use, including by a gasoline fume-spewing motorbike, but it also offers some really nice views of the lake and a number of benches and picnic tables for relaxation. It also avoids the traffic and intersections one encounters on the main thoroughfare, Union Avenue, and muffles the street noise.
Trails like these are especially important during the days of the pandemic, allowing people to maintain distances without the social isolation. A mask is an important accessory for close conversations or stops at the local stores, but for the most part, one can hike mask-free, enjoying the fresh air with the scent of the vegetation. (There was one unpleasant moment, passing a housing development, where the smell of the sewer passing beneath the trail became pronounced.)
The forests still call out their invitation to experience nature without the pavement, noise, and litter of the city, but having even fleeting contact with people can counter the sense of isolation that has dominated the year 2020.
