An Unexpected Hike

June’s Photo Winner!

Descending the saddle from Stanton to Pickering.

Last week, while walking along the Saco River, we encountered a friendly woman from the South Shore of Massachusetts. She stood out because she was trekking on her own and was in her sixties. I can’t tell you how rarely we encounter older urban women walking the paths alone. Furthermore, she was Black.

I don’t believe I see more than a dozen African Americans a year in our travels around the Mount Washington Valley.

Northern New Hampshire is not the least bit racially diverse, and I get almost silly when welcoming people of color.

Clarisse is a newly-retired teacher looking to move where it’s less crowded.

We chatted for ten minutes when I realized it would be easy to keep talking, so I invited her to walk with us.

We talked about her retirement, where she would like to move, and the subject I am most curious about, how the pandemic impacted her life.

She asked my thoughts about living here.

“It’s changed to the point I am looking for the right…