If heading into the lonely, beautiful and rugged backwoods of northern New Hampshire for a few days on a lightly loaded bicycle is your kind of fun, listen up.
Put the Coos Loop on your radar, a 240-mile bikepacking challenge that can be done whenever you want, or during an Aug. 21-24 mass start from Gorham.
kAm|2DD DE2CE :D @G6C=J 86?6C@FD] %96 ;@4@D6 6G6?E @C82?:K6C H9@ =:G6D ?@CE9 @7 !:?<92> }@E49 2?5 C6BF6DE65 2?@?J>:EJ 96C6 H@F=5 36 92AAJ :7 @?6 E@ 2 5@K6? A6@A=6 D9@H65] |@DE 4@F=5 4@>6 7C@> '6C>@?E 2?5 ?@CE962DE6C? |2DD249FD6EED] %96 ?:496 DA@CE @7 3:<6A24<:?8 @7E6? 2EEC24ED 4J4=:?8’D 7C:?86 — 2 DF3D6E @7 2 DF3D6E @7 2 DF34F=EFC6 96 HC@E6 :? 2 DEC:?8 @7 6>2:=D]k^Am
kAm%96J D2:5 E96 r@@D {@@A :D E96 “2?E:E96D:D E@ E96 4J4=:?8 C246 D46?6[ BF:6E[ 7C66[ F?2DDF>:?8[ H:=5=J 492==6?8:?8[ 7C:6?5=J 2?5 @A6? E@ 2?J@?6 H:E9 2 D6?D6 @7 25G6?EFC6]” !=FD[ :E’D 32C63@?6D 2?5 6?4@FC286D 4:G:4\>:?565?6DD 2?5 =@G6]k^Am
kAm%96 {@@A :D @C82?:K65 3J 2 D@4:2==J 5:DE2?E 3F?49 42==65 }6H w2>AD9:C6 vC2DDC@@ED #24:?8]k^Am
kAm“}6H w2>AD9:C6 vC2DDC@@ED #24:?8 :D C62==J ;FDE 2? @77\E96\4F77 ?2>6 7@C 2 8C@FA @7 A6@A=6 E92E H2?E E@ E9:?< @FED:56 @7 E96 3@I[ 5@ 4C62E:G6 E9:?8D H:E9 4J4=:?8[ 2?5 ?@E 86E 92>DECF?8 3J @FC @G6C=J =:E:8:@FD D@4:6EJ[” E96 @C82?:K6C D2:5]k^Am
kAmxED >:DD:@? :D 4@>>F?:EJ :?G@=G6>6?E[ 7C@> D6CG:?8 :? =@42= 8@G6C?>6?E E@ 5@:?8 EC2:= H@C< E@ 4@249:?8 =@42= DA@CED] yFDE 5@ D@>6E9:?8 E@ DFAA@CE J@FC E@H?] w64<[ 6?E6C 2 A:6\62E:?8 4@?E6DE 27E6C E9:D r~'xs\`h 4FCD6 :D @G6C]k^Am
kAm%96 C6>@E6 ac_\>:=6 C@FE6[ H:E9 2 `d_\>:=6 @AE:@? E92E 4FED 3J s:2>@?5 !@?5 :? $E6H2CEDE@H?[ 9625D 566A :?E@ E96 962CE @7 r@@D r@F?EJ H:E9 :ED E@H6C:?8 ?@CE96C? 7@C6DED[ C@F89\96H? >@F?E2:?D 2?5 49:==65 H2E6CH2JD] (:E9 23@FE g_ >:=6D 36EH66? 7@@5 DE@AD[ E96 4:C4F:E =625D @G6C E6CC2:? =:<6 4C62>J F?5F=2E:?8 8C2G6=[ 7@C6DE C@25D[ 9:<6\2\3:<6 D64E:@?D 2?5 962A:?8 DA@@?7F=D @7 4=:>3:?8 E92E >:89E 828 E96 F?AC6A2C65]k^Am
kAm%96 H:56\C2?8:?8 =@@A 36EH66? E96 9F3 @7 v@C92> 2?5 E96 H:=5D @7 !:EED3FC8 42C6DD6D E96 r2?25:2? 3@C56C 2?5 D9@@ED 2 E25 :?E@ H6DE6C? |2:?6]k^Am
kAm%9@F89 E96 6?E:C6 4:C4F:E :D EC6D ;@=:6 WG6CJ ?:46X[ D2JD E96 @C82?:K6C[ E96 ;@FC?6J’D 4C@H? ;6H6= :D 7C@> ?62C E96 D9@C6D @7 $64@?5 r@??64E:4FE {2<6 @? t2DE x?=6E #@25 :? !:EED3FC8 E@ E96 4C@DDC@25D @7 tCC@= 3J {{ r@E6] pD 7@C E96 =62DE 6?;@J23=6 D64E:@?[ E92E’D 23@FE 7:G6 >:=6D D@FE9 @7 E96 "F6364 =:?6 :? !:EED3FC8]k^Am
kAm“%96 =@H =:89E :D 2 D64E:@? @7 AFD9 H924<:?8 — AFD9:?8 J@FC 3:<6 E9C@F89 E96 3CFD9 — FA 2?5 @G6C E96 D9@F=56C @7 s66C |@F?E2:?[” 96 HC@E6] “xE’D E96 <:?5 @7 9:== E92E’D E@@ DE66A E@ C:56[ 3CFD9 E@@ E9:4< E@ C:56 2?5 D6G6C2= 72=D6 DF>>:ED]”k^Am
kAm(2??2 5@ :En &D6 E:C6D 36EH66? c_4 2?5 b]_] %96 @C82?:K6C =:<6D 2 C:8:5 >@F?E2:? 3:<6] s6A6?5:?8 @? C:56C 2?5 A246[ E96 =@@A E2<6D 36EH66? EH@ 2?5 7@FC 52JD] |@DE A6@A=6 E2<6 2== E96:C 7@@5 H:E9 E96> 2?5 FD6 2 76H 82D DE2E:@?D 2=@?8 E96 H2J E@ 6?92?46 42=@C:6D] %96J 42>A]k^Am
kAm“%96 862C :D AC6EEJ D:>A=6[ 32D:42==J =:89EH6:89E 9:<:?8 862C DEC2AA65 E@ J@FC 32CD 2?5 AFE :? DA64:2= 328D E92E 7:E E96 3:<6 7C2>6 2?5 D62E A@DE[” 96 D2JD]k^Am
kAm%96 C@FE6 :D E96 4F=>:?2E:@? @7 E96 @C82?:K6C’D J62CD DA6?E A@<:?8 23@FE E96 C68:@?’D 324<C@25D[ ECJ:?8 E@ 4@??64E A2DD286 H2JD 2?5 86@8C2A9:4 762EFC6D 2?5 F=E:>2E6=J D92C:?8 E92E =@G6]k^Am
kAm$@[ 9@H 5@ J@F 86E E96 C@FE6 E@ 2? F?EC25:E:@?2= 6G6?E H:E9 ?@ 7@C>2= C68:DEC2E:@?nk^Am
kAm%CJ }wv#UCDBF@jD u2463@@< A286[ @C 6>2:= 9:> 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i>@@D63C@@<72E3:<6C246oJ29@@]4@>Qm>@@D63C@@<72E3:<6C246oJ29@@]4@>k^2m] p v!) 7:=6 H:E9 :?7@C>2E:@? E92E H@C<D H6== @? >2?J A=2E7@C>D :D 2G2:=23=6 7@C 5@H?=@25] %6? A6@A=6 92G6 C:556? :E E9:D DF>>6C] x7 J@F 6>2:= 2?5 :?4=F56 C:5:4F=@FD C62D@?D H9J H2?E J@F E@ C:56 :E[ J@F >2J 36 C6H2C565 H:E9 D@>6 r@@D rJ4=:?8 r=F3 D49H28]k^Am
kAm%92E’D 2?@E96C E9:?8]k^Am
kAm#:56CD 2C6 6?4@FC2865 E@ 7C6BF6?E v@C92> 3FD:?6DD6D H9:=6 :? E@H?[ E:A 3:8[ >2J36 DA6?5 E96 ?:89E 2?5 5@?2E6 E@ E96 r@@D rJ4=:?8 r=F3]k^Am
kAmq:<6A24<:?8 :D 2? 6I6C4:D6 :? D@4:2= 5:DE2?4:?8 2?JH2J] #:56CD 6?;@J 4962A 4@7766 2?5 @=5 9@E 5@8D H9:=6 72C 27:6=5 2?5 >2J ?@E 6G6? D66 2?J@?6 6=D6 36EH66? DE2CE 2?5 7:?:D9 2D:56 7C@> E96:C 3:<:?8 3F55:6D :7 2?J] #:56CD 2C6 6?4@FC2865 E@ H62C 7246 >2D<D :? DE@C6D]k^Am
kAmp=D@[ =@@< 29625 E@ 2 A@DD:3=6 >2DD:G6 7@FC\DE2E6 ?@CE96C? 324<4@F?ECJ 4@==23@C2E:G6 677@CE =@@A :? a_a` E92E 4@F=5 CF? 36EH66? `[___ 2?5 `[d__ >:=6D =@?8 @? E96 D42=6 @7 E96 vC62E s:G:56 |@F?E2:? q:<6 #@FE6 36EH66? r2?252 2?5 |6I:4@]k^Am
kAm%92E H@F=5 36 2 DH66E C6G62=]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.