Traveling New England: Moose Mountain Lodge

12-14 September 2013 - Moose Mountain Lodge - Etna New Hampshire
This post is only about Moose Mountain Lodge and our stay there. We had such a wonderful time and it is an absolutely beautiful location. I wish I could recommend that you stay there but alas the owners, Peter & Kay Shumway, chose to retire when Peter turned 80. It must have been a fun place to stay in its heyday! The lodge was actually built in 1937-1938 and was first opened in December of 1938 as a ski lodge. It operated until 1943 when it closed due to the war and did not reopen until 1946. Unfortunately it was only open for 3 years and from 1949 to 1955 it was empty and vandalized. In the late 50s it was used as a boys summer camp and in the 70s it was once again a cross country ski lodge. Peter & Kay purchased it in 1975. They made minor and major renovations including little things like a new roof. They continued to run it as a cross country ski lodge in the winter and a lodge for hiking and other great outdoors stuff in the summer. They provided their guests with fresh food with vegetables from Peter's garden and three meals a day from Kay's kitchen and lots of yummies like homemade chocolate chip cookies! In 2011 they decided 35 years was long enough and they retired closing the lodge to guests. They still live in it and in Kay's words "plan to live at the lodge and caretake it as long as they are able".

Currently living in the lodge are Kay, Peter, Tulla, and Davina. Tulla is a beautiful Weimaraner and Davina is a very pretty domestic short hair cat with a wonderful personality. Outside you can find moose, beaver, birds especially loons, and bear. Trox can attest to the bear as he and Tulla met one on their hike. In addition to all these at one time there was also an Angora goat herd directed by Sylvia, the Yucatan mini swine. I have posted a few pics of Tulla but unfortunately didn't get one of Davina. Kay is a very talented photographer and her website has lots of pictures of the area and the animals - both wild and domestic. Visit her website and click on Images and/or blog to see lots more pictures.

So, how did we get to stay there if it is closed? WELL! We have connections! We parked Merlin at the top where we could enjoy the view. We also enjoyed time in the lodge sitting in front of the fire and sitting on the porch enjoying the view and the company of Peter & Kay. Many of you know our friend Nancy from Cuyamungue and she is our connection. Kay is her sister and Nancy made the arrangements for us to stay at the lodge.

Our first morning there Trox and I walked with Kay down to the beaver pond where she feeds them apples and poplar branches. The beavers are not tame but do come when she claps her hands. She has been providing them food this year because their food source is so low in the area. She has three beavers - father, mother, and two year old. Normally the two year old would have left this year to be on his own but because there was no new litter he seems to be allowed to stay. That day was a cold wet day so Trox and I spent the day exploring the area and went to a raptor center and King Arther Bakery and Cafe. I detailed those outings in my last post. The second morning we were at Moose Mountain Trox hiked the mountain including a stop at the top of one of the peaks. When Trox and Tulla returned from their hike we reluctantly left the beautiful site but home beckons.

For more information on Moose Mountain Lodge including old pictures of its construction and more pictures of the beavers and loons and moose please visit Kay's website. Her blog is also great reading!.

The directions to the lodge include a warning
that the road is steep with three curves
At the top of the hill you are greeted with
this sign and know you have reached
your destination - well almost!