Riding The Rails In Lincoln
By Gary Moore
I have had a love affair with railroads since my first ride in the cab of a steam engine operated by “Grampa Rogers” in 1947 when I was only a year old.
Linda and I often ride scenic tourist trains around the U.S. and have even taken VIA Rail across the Rockies from Vancouver, Canada. More recently we have enjoyed experiencing rail bikes which are growing in popularity.
Last week I had a most enjoyable ten mile round-trip on an old logging railroad dating back to 1848. We boarded at the Hobo Railroad in Lincoln and headed south along the same route Linda and I have enjoyed aboard the dinner train.
The bikes were different from what I have experienced in the past. They are custom-built, four-person electric rail bikes that let you pedal at your own pace while the electric motor assistance helps make the journey smooth, comfortable, and suitable for all ages including octogenarians like me.
The rail line runs along the Pemigewasset River, across trestles and through the woods providing shade and solitude much of the way.
At the turnaround point in Woodstock, the group dismounts while the seats on the bikes are reversed for the ride back to Lincoln. This allows for time to stretch and relax at the picnic tables. It is a time for photos of you and your fellow riders.
The rail bikes are four seaters. When you rent one, you get all four seats. Passengers can choose to pedal or just ride.
When you rent one "Bike with the Guide" seat you will ride with the tour guide and potentially two more passengers as I did.
This is a great option for a single adult or a couple who wants to enjoy the experience without renting an entire rail bike.
I rode with cousins Abrianna Zamarripa from Texas and Robin Traub from Maine. We seemed to hit it off from the start and I thoroughly enjoyed the time spent with them.
Our guide was Alex Keown who made the trip special as he talked about the history of the rail line and of the region once nearly denuded by logging that made the railroads profitable.
I definitely recommend the Lincoln rail bikes for anyone wanting an enjoyable and relaxing experience this summer or fall.
Granite State Railway operates Lincoln Rail Bikes as well as other scenic rail operation in New Hampshire. To learn more go to: https://gsscenic.com/lincoln-rail-bikes/.
Reviving Artemis Is About So Much More Than The Hunt
I highly recommend Reviving Artemis, The Making of a Huntress by Deborah Lee Luskin. I found it a great read and one that caused me to relive many of my experiences over the past 70 years that I have been hunting and spending time in the woods, first as a young boy and now as an old man.
Reviving Artemis is about much more than learning to hunt. Even if you never hunted or intend to, the book will lead you to think about the natural world and our place in it.
Luskin is a Windham County resident who had the urge to learn to hunt at age 60. The book is about what led her to become a deer hunter and how much she learned about herself in the several seasons she hunted before bagging a buck. It is about overcoming fears and connecting with nature and confidence gained from perseverance.
Artemis, the Greek goddess of wild animals, the wilderness, the hunt and many other things is a big part of the narrative. Keep in mind that Luskin is a writer with a PhD in English Literature whose work has appeared in countless magazines and newspapers and who previously wrote Wilderness, a novel that won acclaim.
To learn more about Reviving Artemis go to https://www.deborahleeluskin.com/. You can pick up a copy at most local bookstores or your library.
Riding the rails in Lincoln. L-R Abrianna Zamarripa, Robin Traub, Gary Moore
Bits and Pieces
The winners of Vermont’s 2026 moose hunting permits were determined on July 15, at a lottery drawing at the Fish and Wildlife office in Montpelier.
The department will issue 65 either-sex moose hunting permits and 20 antlerless moose hunting permits for a hunt limited to WMU E in the northeastern corner of the state.
Winners in this year’s moose hunting lottery are posted in a searchable database on the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s website, https://anrweb.vt.gov/FWD/FW/MooseLotteryWinners.aspx.
***
Vermont’s volunteer hunter education instructors are scheduling courses that will start soon, and registration is required.
A person must pass the basic hunter education course before they can purchase their first hunting license.
Courses available in basic hunter education, bowhunter education, trapper education, and combination hunter-bowhunter education are listed on Fish and Wildlife’s website.
The courses will be listed as they become available on https://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/. On the Home page, click on Hunt and then Hunter Education and Find a Certified Course.
If you don’t see a class in your area listed yet, continue watching the website or call the Hunter Education Program office for more information at 802-828-1193.
Although the in-person courses are free of charge and available for anyone to take, the course material and written exams are generally at a 12-year-old reading and maturity level. Students in every class type are required to take an in-person written exam and display responsibility and maturity. Parents are encouraged to talk to the instructor before the class if there are any concerns about whether their child will pass the class.
Students may take a free online-only certification course if they are 18 years old and a resident of Vermont.
A Vermont hunter education card entitles you to hunt in all 50 states, as well as some international locations.
***
Trying to figure out Vermont fishing regulations? Wondering what kinds of fish are in a lake? Looking for new fishing tips? The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is offering “Fish with a Warden” sessions to help with questions like these.
“We know many anglers have questions they would like to ask a warden, and we know many of our wardens also like to go fishing,” said Education Specialist Corey Hart, “so our Vermont State Game Wardens have teamed up with Forests, Parks and Recreation staff to offer Fish with a Warden sessions this summer.
The Fish with a Warden sessions will last an hour or more. Participants need to have their fishing license and bring their own fishing equipment. The state park day use fee has been waved for the duration of the program for participants that have registered in advance.
Fish with a Warden sessions are scheduled to start at 6 p.m. on the following Thursdays:
August 6 – Ricker Mills State Forest, Groton
August 20 – Little River Dam, Waterbury
***
The New Hampshire 2026 spring wild turkey harvest increased modestly following consecutive years of strong reproductive success across much of the state. Hunters harvested 5,016 turkeys this spring, representing a 3.5 percent increase over the 2025 harvest of 4,845 birds.
***
New Hampshire Fish and Game urges those who need a Hunter Education class to sign up now and be ready for all of this fall’s hunting seasons. Register today at https://www.wildlife.nh.gov/hunting-nh/hunter-education. Select “Find a class,” to locate traditional in-person courses. Another option is the online course with an in-person field day. To begin, click “Start online course.”
***
Mark Breen reports in the Fairbanks Museum's Skywatch Almanac that July 23 - is the “Height of Summer; warmest daily average during the year.”
Parting Shots
There is a huge void in our home now as Oak, our beloved eight year old St. Bernard, had to be euthanized on Thursday. He could not use his left rear leg and was in a lot of pain for the last few days. He would not eat anything and thus we could not get his meds into him.
Our vet did not think surgery would work on a dog that weighed 183 pounds and who already had some health issues.
Listening to Oak cry out in pain, as he did much of his last two days, was gut wrenching.
We could no longer allow him to be in pain with no chance of getting better. We have never let one of our dogs suffer in the 56 years we have been married and we could not let him.
We have had six St. Bernards and two Newfoundland’s and loved each unconditionally. Unfortunately the big dogs don’t have long lives.
We have mourned each one as we now do Oak. It has been a hard weekend as wherever we look we see visions of Oak.
***
The previous weekend was ideal, warm, sunny and without rain. Linda was feeling good despite having had chemo on Tuesday and more via a pump for 46 hours through Saturday morning.
Saturday evening we enjoyed seeing old friends while listening to the Back Shed String Band play at the McIndoes Academy Community Center.
Sunday, after church, we went to Warren for their Old Home Days and listened to the Roll On Buddies play many songs we knew well.
I went to the woods early each morning to cut up logs for firewood that I had skidded out last year. Any day I am home in the morning, I try to go to the woods around 6 and work until I can no longer take the heat and humidity. I then head to our pond for a dip in the very cool waters before heading to my office refreshed.
Syndicated columnist Gary W. Moore may be reached by e-mail at gwmoore1946@icloud.com or at Box 454, Bradford, VT 05033. copyright 2026 Gary W. Moore