November Camping in NH: Too Hot, Too Cold, or Just Right?
"You can take the kids out of New England, but you can't take New England out of the kids." This was a recurring thought as we spent close to 3 weeks in November up in one of the handful of year-round campgrounds in New Hampshire. Our 2022 travels were coming to an end, and after zipping down to Florida, over to the Smokies, up to New York, West to Indiana, and over to Pennsylvania, it was time to come full circle. All the warm weather during our travels didn't change our minds; we like having four seasons. We like the coziness of snuggling up all warm when it's cold outside. We like the variety of outdoor adventures that different seasons bring. But, we also know a valuable lesson, that extreme temperatures while RVing can cause a lot of drama.
When we decided to spend December in Massachusetts, we made preparations for cold weather, but also banked on the coastal air helping to ward off the biting cold until we were back on the road in January. New Hampshire can be a different animal. We flock to the White Mountains or surrounding towns, away from the coast, and this means higher elevations. Higher elevations means higher chance of earlier snow than at the coast. Plus we're simply further north than in MA. November can be a strange month, very transitional, and that's exactly what we experienced this year.
We arrived on November 2, to a site that was very much illustrating late fall. The leaves scattered along the ground and the trees above bore their bare branches. The back of our site displayed an array of pine and white birch trees, which reminded me that winter was right around the corner. The temperature, however, did not reflect the season. An unseasonable warm front rolled in, causing the air to feel like springtime. We couldn't complain; this meant opportunities for hiking!
Our first hike, the 1300-foot Ladd Mountain, included the swish swish sounds of the leaves, while we struggled to keep our footing on the slippery ground. The view overlooking Lake Winnisquam made the difficult trek worthwhile, and the warmth invited us stay a while.
We took advantage of this November heat wave with some patio time, and what a campsite to put down the ramp! The woods was so quiet and peaceful, and again in distinct juxtaposition to the surrounding air, we soaked in the view that looked like winter. The daylight temperatures reached the 70s and nighttime temps dropped to the 50s, which for us was still patio-range...just with a little more bundling up. For a few nights, the pets got to enjoy the fresh air into nightfall.
All good things must come to an end, and our New Hampshire "spring" was short-lived, but that didn't stop us from enjoying all the weather that came our way. A brisk 40-degree day found us venturing north to Franconia, where we took a short walk on the Pemi Trail and made a note that someday, in warmer weather, we must take our ebikes on one of the bike trails in the area. We stayed out just long enough to get some pictures in front of the beautiful Mount Layafette, before venturing back south, where the temperatures were a tad warmer.
This is where we happened upon Inspiration Point, and what an inspiration it was! A quick Google search produced pictures that made me immediately envision carting my harp up the hill to record some Christmas music for my annual advent calendar. Reality hit us hard when we got there and realized that the .3 mile trail was up, up, and up some more. Suddenly the harp seemed like a rather unlikely hiking buddy, as I'd need to bring my larger harp, not my usual small hiking harp. We mulled it over for a couple days and decided I couldn't rest until I got my on-scene footage. We went at the exact same time as our first visit - 4pm - because we were mesmerized by the golden glow as dusk set in. Our visit with the harp didn't disappoint. I played until sunset and the photos speak for themselves of what a heavenly experience it was. Sometimes you need to drag 30 pounds of instrument to unexpected places, and those who follow my advent calendars know I don't shy away from a challenge when it comes to this creative project, my favorite of the year. Want to join and receive daily seasonal videos, including the video from Inspiration Point? You can sign up here for free.
Inspiration Point, Day 1 (40 degrees Fahrenheit):
Inspiration Point, Day 2 (60 degrees Fahrenheit):
The music video filming was definitely a seized opportunity, as New Hampshire granted us one more mild weather day, though a less moist and more crisp one than the week prior, thus actually feeling like fall. Then, we blinked and suddenly it was winter.
With plans to leave New England at the end of December, we weren't sure if we'd see snowfall. For years we've made a point of taking Tanner out for a walk when the first snow of the year accumulates and we were so happy to continue the tradition. There is nothing better to welcome winter than an Eskimo frolicking in the snow.
The forecast was iffy with its accumulation predictions, stating everything from an inch to 8 inches. We ended up on the lower end of that range and it melted pretty quickly, but we loved every hour it lasted. Waking up to frosted windows and a white woods is just plain cozy.
The freezing temperatures bring their own obstacles, but we were ready to tackle them with extra propane runs for our heater, our heated tanks and lines, and our electric heater. We filled our fresh tank and disconnected our hose. The campground offered heated, insulated hoses, but we also used one of our own, plus a filter and dirt guard, which were not heated, so the wise decision was to just not risk it. The days consistently rose above freezing, but the nightly temperatures dropped down to the 20s. So, for the remainder of our stay, we just stayed disconnected, connecting only to fill and dump as needed. Otherwise it was business as usual, doing chores, running errands, and getting work done.
We stayed in New Hampshire for 2.5 weeks and feel like we experienced 3 seasons within that short time frame. Each has their plusses and minuses, which is probably what we love about New England weather. The long-running joke is that, if you don't like the weather here, wait 10 minutes, and it certainly rang true during our visit. We didn't decide to RV so that we could chase perpetual summer. We want to see new places and experience new adventures, but coming home to New England always fills our hearts, no matter what weather the region throws our way.
Next post, we review the campground where we stayed in New Hampshire and how it handled the quick changing of the seasons! Stay tuned and sign up below for post notifications.