North of the Notches

[yamnuska]

What are the Notches? The area to the west of Mount Washington?

  I am a Canadian living in Calgary, Alberta. Recently signed the FSP and the first 1000 pledge. I have been looking at Coos county and northward to the border with Canuckistan. I am used to winter and weeks of minus 30C so winter ain't a problem but I am wondering if you still get a distinct 4 seasons and if the length/severity of the seasons differs much in the North of NH as compared to the South. Does the Mount Washington massif provide a bit of a temperature regulation for the South? I also ice climb a lot and am wondering if there are any ice climbing FSP/Porcs/liberty lovers. I also mountain bike, rock climb and hike. Just trying to get a feel for the level of outdoor activity culture in the area. Are there a lot of pick-up truck driving, lumber jack shirt wearing, been in this here town 50 years and never left kind of folk in the north country? I get a lot of that where I am right now, don't know how much redneckiness I can continue to handle. As long as they are rednecks that don't like the government. I have been looking at Berlin and Lancaster, currently trying to figure out which one would give me more freedom with regards to putting solar shingles and a wind turbine on my roof.

[KBCraig]

Welcome, yamnuska!

I get the feeling that Lancaster will be far more friendly to work with than Berlin. Berlin is a city, while Lancaster is a town (the difference in government is significant).

"The Notches" refers to the narrow passes through the mountains. The most famous is Franconia Notch, where the Old Man of the Mountain used to be. There's also Pinkham Notch and Crawford Notch, which are the other major notches you pass through in the White Mountains (but on different roads). Further north, there is Dixville Notch, which is famous for having the first elections in the country.

I think you'll love it there. I plan to move to Lancaster myself.

Kevin

[aries]

What about -45 C? that's the coldest I've ever seen it here.

The notches are natural mountain formations, most have a little lake in them too, only some have roads running through them. They're basically tight squeezes, but not THAT tight, and there are cool rock formations and caves at most.

It is generally cooler here than southern NH, but immediately south of Franconia notch/Mt Wash it is around the same as it is here, so Conway has generally the same temps. I'm not sure about ice climbing but I do know the other sports you listed are very available here. You might like my town, Carroll. It's nice here and closer to the notches (crawford, jefferson and franconia at least) and closer to shopping in Conway/Littleton than Lancaster is.

I can recall the following:
Franconia Notch, Franconia NH
Pinkham Notch, Pinkham's Grant (I think)
Jefferson Notch, Jefferson NH
Crawford Notch, Carroll NH (my town) and Hart's Location NH
Dixville Notch, Dixville NH


edit- "Are there a lot of pick-up truck driving, lumber jack shirt wearing, been in this here town 50 years and never left kind of folk in the north country?"

Depends on the town. In general, those types make up around 50%-75% of the town's population though some towns like mine and Littleton it's more like 25%

Also please note that there are not just Lancaster and Berlin to Consider.... They're not even very significant towns up here.

[yamnuska]

Thanks for the info. I was thinking about someplace around Mount Washington so I could easily ice climb in the winter, lots of stuff in Tuckerman Ravine and Huntington Ravine. Crawford notch has Frankenstien cliff. I want to be no more than a half hour drive from Mt. Washington and am trying to find the most government free county around.

[aries]

Thanks for the info. I was thinking about someplace around Mount Washington so I could easily ice climb in the winter, lots of stuff in Tuckerman Ravine and Huntington Ravine. Crawford notch has Frankenstien cliff. I want to be no more than a half hour drive from Mt. Washington and am trying to find the most government free county around.

Where are you from?

I ask because you will soon learn that a half hour drive is standard to go to the store up here. An hour or two for serious supplies and shopping (Ie BJ's or malls, and in some places, just wal-mart).

So if being "within a half hour" of something is key, I am assuming you are from an urban area where you are used to a 10-20 minute walk for supplies, or a suburban area where you can drive a short distance and find things.

[yamnuska]

I don't care if I have to drive an hour to find an ugly shopping mall, I do care if I have to drive a long time to get on some good rock or ice. I live in Calgary(1 million), I would give up stores and the associated crap for a crag or a leaf covered single track. Right now I have to drive at least 80 minutes to get on great rock or ice, I want to cut that time down. As for consumer crap, I use the net, grow my own  , and want to go back to having chickens and goats like I did in the UK. The last thing I am looking for is to be within walking distance of a Burger King or Starbucks, although that would be okay my priority (after being a freedom activist), is to be closer to the outdoors. Being able to ride out of my yard and spend at most 10 minutes riding on tarmac before I hit the singletrack would be a dream come true. Of course considering the province I live in now would cover the NE US, driving for a long time is something I am used to, 9 hours one way in a car to get out to Saskatchewan to visit relatives is a weekly chore. How much of the North has become cottage country for Massholes? Are there any towns to outright avoid (mining slag heaps, corrupt cops, Massholes, Canadians)? I keep getting surprised with the amount of quaint little towns in the North, sort of like the UK with a different village in each valley. Perhaps I can find a place like Royston Vasey (League of Gentlemen).

[aries]

Well your best bets would be Gorham or Bartlett if you want to be that close... each is about a 30 minute drive to the mt washington park area, Bartlett is also close to crawford notch (gorham being close to pinkahm notch).

And as for a shopping mall, well, Gorham is about 2 hours lol, but it's okay if you don't mind. I just think it might be a bit of a shock being in such a rural area.

[KBCraig]

I don't care if I have to drive an hour to find an ugly shopping mall, I do care if I have to drive a long time to get on some good rock or ice.

I had to scroll back to find out that you were talking about climbing, not crack and meth. 

Conway to Gorham will satisfy your need to be close to Tuckerman's Ravine.

Kevin

[yamnuska]

"

Well your best bets would be Gorham or Bartlett if you want to be that close... each is about a 30 minute drive to the mt washington park area, Bartlett is also close to crawford notch (gorham being close to pinkahm notch).

And as for a shopping mall, well, Gorham is about 2 hours lol, but it's okay if you don't mind. I just think it might be a bit of a shock being in such a rural area.

As long as I don't have to marry my cousin. How long would it take to drive from Lancaster to Mount Washington with snow on the roads?

[yamnuska]

As for places to settle, I think I will end up coming down and looking around, there is a lot of choice. Your suggestions have helped narrow the field down, thank you.

[aries]

"

Well your best bets would be Gorham or Bartlett if you want to be that close... each is about a 30 minute drive to the mt washington park area, Bartlett is also close to crawford notch (gorham being close to pinkahm notch).

And as for a shopping mall, well, Gorham is about 2 hours lol, but it's okay if you don't mind. I just think it might be a bit of a shock being in such a rural area.

As long as I don't have to marry my cousin. How long would it take to drive from Lancaster to Mount Washington with snow on the roads?

The roads are plowed so don't worry about that

It would take around an hour
Which is nothing up here

[yamnuska]

I have been trying to find information on what counties fluoridate their water so I can avoid them. Can't find much on town/county websites, would it be better if I just e-mailed or called them?

[aries]

I found a list online once, for NH towns that did it (it is a town issue here)

http://www.des.state.nh.us/factsheets/ws/ws-13-2.htm

The bottom... I'm not sure if those are complete lists

[aries]

or this: http://www.just-think-it.com/the-f-db.htm#NH

[citizen_142002]

Unless you're in the center of town, I'd be willing to be that you would be on well water and not municipal water.
My town is too small for municipal water, and so are all the bordering towns, and I'm way down south in  Cheshire county.