Escaping the Everyday

We spent nearly a year in Bozeman, Montana, and it’s been an unforgettable experience. Originally, we planned to travel from state to state to explore, but we quickly realized that wasn’t a sustainable option.

We made Bozeman our home, yet continued to travel to places like Utah, Canada, Yellowstone National Park, and various spots throughout Montana. Living out west has fit our lifestyle perfectly, but we do miss our family and friends. There are many other reasons, too, that influenced our decision to return to our next adventure.

When we were deciding where we wanted to be, we knew we didn’t want to be too far from the mountains, but we also wanted to be close to family and not isolated in the middle of nowhere. I’ve lived in Maine my whole life, and while it’s a beautiful place full of memories, as I’ve grown and truly discovered myself, it didn’t quite align with what I love to do.

When Jake and I were living in Maine, we would drive over two hours every weekend to explore the White Mountains or go skiing. Sometimes, we’d make the trek on both Saturday and Sunday.

We knew we didn’t want to stay in Maine. While we really love Boston, especially since so much of our family is in Massachusetts, it’s still too far from the things we enjoy, and on top of that, it’s outrageously expensive to live there.

That’s when we decided on New Hampshire! It’s the perfect spot—about an hour from Portland, Maine, an hour from our family, an hour from the mountains, a couple of hours to Vermont, and 4-5 hours to the Adirondacks in New York.

Living in New Hampshire will give us the chance to explore more areas of the East Coast that we haven’t had the opportunity to experience yet.

We made the decision after receiving notice that our lease was ending in Bozeman, combined with my dad’s declining health. Moving across the country on short notice has been stressful, but we felt it was the right time to make the change.

And what better time than now to write about some of the things on our bucket list for New Hampshire!

Skiing

If you follow our blog, many of you know that Jake and I love hitting the mountains in the winter for some skiing and snowboarding. Jake is actually making the switch to skiing next season, which is really exciting for both of us!

We’re also thrilled to explore more of the ski resorts on the East Coast, especially in Vermont. When we lived in Maine, Vermont was more of a weekend trip since it’s about 4-5 hours away. Now, living in New Hampshire, those resorts are only about 2 hours from us.

Jay Peak

If you can believe it, Jay Peak in Vermont is one of the ski resorts in the US that received the most snowfall. Located in Jay, Vermont, it boasts 385 acres of skiable terrain, around 50 trails, and 5 lifts.

It’s always been on our list of ski resorts to visit, and it’s only about two and a half hours away, which isn’t bad at all! We’ve even driven that distance before for certain hikes we wanted to do.

Races

Jake and I are always working toward something, and I think that’s what brought us together. Whether we’re pursuing the same goal or completely different ones, we’re always striving to improve and achieve more.

Trail Races

Jake is gearing up to run his very first trail race in NH! Props to him for setting such an ambitious goal! While it’s not something I personally dream of, I’ll be right by his side, cheering him on every step of the way.

In June, Jake will tackle his first trail race in New Hampshire, the Chocorua Mountain Race. The race is a 23K (14.2 miles) with a 4,800-foot elevation gain, set in the heart of the White Mountains. I’ve hiked Mount Chocorua before, and it’s no easy feat!

He’s also planning to take on his first ultra run later in the summer that is even more challenging.

Half Marathon

Four or five years ago, I used to run all the time. I’ve completed 10 half marathons, 1 marathon, and a ton of 5ks and 10ks. So, I’ve decided to start training again for a half marathon, and it feels great to get back into running. Don’t worry though, I won’t be giving up trail running—I really enjoy it! But my passion for trail racing isn’t quite the same as Jake’s!

I have a couple of half marathons lined up for the end of summer and the beginning of fall. I’m aiming to set a personal record (PR) in one of them, which would be a huge accomplishment since I haven’t been running as much as I used to.

Hiking

It’s clear that if it involves the mountains, Jake and I are all in! We’re excited to explore new mountains and hiking trails on the East Coast. I know we’ll never get bored because there’s just so much to discover.

Adirondacks

The Adirondacks in New York are absolutely stunning. They feature the highest peaks in New York State, thousands of miles of hiking trails and canoe routes, and numerous scenic highways and byways. Established in 1892 by the State of New York, the Adirondacks were created to protect water and timber resources after much of the park was devastated by forest fires, logging, and hunting for the fur trade. This protected region in Northern New York spans over 6 million acres of mountain peaks, sparkling lakes, and untamed wilderness.

We’ve visited the Adirondacks once during a trip to Montreal, Canada. We hiked Wright Peak and Algonquin Peak, and it was incredible. Experiencing the different mountain ranges across the USA is amazing because each one is unique and beautiful in its own way.

White Mountains

The White Mountains will always hold a special place in both of our hearts. When Jake moved to Maine to focus on his sobriety, he set a goal to hike all 48 of the 4,000-footers—and he accomplished it! The first mountain we hiked together when we met was Mt. Tecumseh, one of the easier 4,000-footers in the White Mountains.

We discovered a love for trail running in Montana, and we’re excited to continue that in New Hampshire. Jake, however, is taking it to a whole new level! He’s going to trail run the Pemi Loop, which is about 30 miles with around 9,000 feet of elevation gain! I’d consider myself in pretty good shape, but it’s always a challenge keeping up with him. It’s incredible what he’s able to accomplish.

Before I met Jake, I was working on completing all the 48s, so I’m excited to finish that goal soon! There’s also a list of mountains known as “52 With a View,” which features peaks with beautiful vistas. We’re planning to slowly check off all of those, as they’ll be great hikes for Cassie and for trail running.

Food

Whenever we get to a new area, we go all in on trying new places. We’re also excited to scout out all the local ice cream spots.

We’ve already checked off all the ice cream shops in Bozeman, so we’re looking forward to a bit more variety. The East Coast also has tons of soft serve options, which I’ve really missed out here. There are places where you can get just about any flavor in soft serve form!

Even though Jake and I are moving back home, the adventures will never stop! I hope you’ll keep following along as we explore more and more beautiful spots.