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View Full Version : Hanover - take it for what it is or leave as quickly as possible



Tin Man
08-03-2010, 19:51
I prefer to leave it as quickly as possible. How about you?

tlap
08-03-2010, 20:10
I'm actually looking forward to hiking through Hanover. Trail is trail and town is town, and I prefer my towns to have a very nice inn and all the amenities.

Tin Man
08-03-2010, 20:15
Cool. Then it will work well for you. Bring lots of cash.

Mrs Baggins
08-03-2010, 20:28
I'm actually looking forward to hiking through Hanover. Trail is trail and town is town, and I prefer my towns to have a very nice inn and all the amenities.

Amen to that. :D

10-K
08-03-2010, 20:55
Hanover was great. I'm fortunate enough to have enough money to splurge now and again and Hanover is a great place to get a nice room, eat some good food and get a *real* cup of coffee.

I can see how it would be a drag if you didn't have any bucks - in which case the hostel at Glencliff is just 40ish miles up the trail.

I did pick up on the 'upper crust' vibe but that's just the kind of town it is, like Salisbury, CT and my favorite trail town, Manchester Center, VT.

tiptoe
08-03-2010, 21:09
I had fun in Hanover, where I started and ended section hikes. Didn't spend the night there, just enjoyed the visit and the trip down memory lane. I did my Peace Corps training there in 1965 and had a great time (yep, I'm THAT OLD).

Canada Goose
08-03-2010, 23:02
There are pros and cons to every trail town, based on your needs and preferences.

I think Hanover has more pros than cons, and appreciate the effort currently being made to be more accomodating to hikers.

I always looked forward to visiting town when the Aldha Gathering was held there, and hope that at some point we can return.

Admittedly there has been a price premium to stay and resupply there, but if 10K can get a room at the Hanover Inn for $100 a night (the cheapest room for tonight on their website including AAA discount is $242 .:eek:), then change may be coming :).

Most hikers appreciate good food when they hit town. You could make a good argument that Hanover has the triple crown of good restaurants:

Lou's for breakfast, Thayer Hall for lunch, 5 Olde Nugget for dinner

And the Dirt Cowboy for regular caffeine hits :p, with a side trip to Ben and Jerry's for your sweet tooth :D.

So, I guess the reply to the query would be that I would be in no hurry to leave town (at least, not until my wallet was empty ;))

CG

10-K
08-04-2010, 06:18
Admittedly there has been a price premium to stay and resupply there, but if 10K can get a room at the Hanover Inn for $100 a night (the cheapest room for tonight on their website including AAA discount is $242 .:eek:), then change may be coming :).


CG

The rack rate I was quoted was $265 per night.

I was pretty surprised myself to get the price down that low as it was also on a weekend. Hotel rooms are right up there with buying cars when it comes to negotiating - a lot depends on the time of day, how full the place is, what kind of chemistry you have with the desk clerk, and if the desk clerk is feeling generous.

I introduced myself like so: "My name is Tom Bradford and I'm a quiet, neat and very tired hiker that would love to stay at the Hanover Inn."

She then quoted me the $265 rate and offered to lower it to $175. I countered with $100 per night, paid in cash and would commit to 2 nights if she'd accept my offer.

We chit chatted for a few minutes about hiking and the town and she finally said she guessed she could go $100 per night.

So.... it was a mix of luck, being nice and being willing to negotiate.

flemdawg1
08-04-2010, 09:41
"Now thats negotiating", William Shatner.

fredmugs
08-04-2010, 09:57
When I hiked SOBO thru Hanover I just kept going. Temps in the upper 80s just made it nothing more than another miserable road walk.

Bare Bear
08-06-2010, 11:36
After hiking thru Hanover five times now what surprises me the most is that Hanover is where I have never seen Jack Tarlin. I have run into him at Neels, Duncannon several times, Damascus, etc, but never his 'hometown'. I think he is avoiding letting me crash at his place. Smile Jack.

The Solemates
08-09-2010, 10:11
we've only been in the area twice, but both times we opted not to stay there.

G-WALK
08-09-2010, 14:08
Passed Thru, Looked very nice...

jersey joe
08-09-2010, 15:08
Hanover seemed like a nice town. I bought a great big box of cherrios, a half gallon of milk and hiked the short distance north to the first shelter and had myself a feast!

full conditions
08-09-2010, 15:12
In '76 I stayed in the kappa kappa kappa dorm gratis - enjoyed the nightly frat party ansd Thayer Hall the next day. Wonderful and unique experience.

Dogwood
08-09-2010, 16:23
Relax people! Go with the flow and you can enjoy Hanover immensely!

Free camping(near soccer field), free slices of pizza, lots of young brainy female college coeds wandering around, good coffee w/ decent bakery items at the Dirt Cowboy right in the midst of the hustle and bustle near the Dartmouth campus, good eats, decent bars, great food co-op, and there's Baltimore Jack directing hikers as to what services and goods are available!

Lose the, "everyone is here to cater to me because I'm a thru-hiker mentality" and you'll have a decent night in Hanover!

10-K, that was a heck of a deal you negotiated. $275 per night - @#$! CRAZY!

Jack Tarlin
08-09-2010, 19:19
Bare Bear:

Sorry we managed to miss you so many times. Lemme know the next time you're around and we'll see what we can do. The swimming hole is really nice this time of year.

Jester2000
08-10-2010, 10:21
Hanover seemed like a nice town. I bought a great big box of cherrios, a half gallon of milk and hiked the short distance north to the first shelter and had myself a feast!

People with simple needs and no demands tend to have a good experience in just about any town.

max patch
08-10-2010, 12:47
If I was going to move to a "trail town" Hanover would be one of the cities on a very short list.

Specs
08-10-2010, 18:34
There is only one thing to know about Hanover: Molly's $2 Margaritas all day, everyday.

johnnybgood
08-10-2010, 20:41
Sounds like there are two opposing camps to be in , theres' no middle. Next time I'm in the area I might have to exit off 91 to see for myself what there is to see in Hanover.

double d
08-11-2010, 01:33
I've always liked Hanover, I finished out my Vermont section hike there this past July. But...one has to remember, it is the home of an ivy league school...so it is a very much a college town first.

chronain
08-11-2010, 08:17
I live across the river and I miss the Dartmouth Co-Op...now it seems like I have to go to West Lebanon (EMS, LLBean) for items I should be able to pick up in Hanover. That's atough trip for a hiker w/o a vehicle. I needed a fuel cannister for my MSR superfly stove the other day and the clerk at the Mountain Goat handed me a pressurized fuel bottle...She said, "we don't have about 90% of what people are asking us for..." Evbentually though, I think they will get a better handle on how to stock for hiking season. Other than that I think Hanover is great, and the Co-Op food store is making an effort to make hikers feel more welcome in the store.

jrwiesz
08-11-2010, 08:41
There is only one thing to know about Hanover: Molly's $2 Margaritas all day, everyday.

Do they make 'em with Cuervo Especial?

Break out the chips and salsa! :sun

Jack Tarlin
08-11-2010, 13:07
Actually, the Mountain Goat has been open for quite some time, and if they were truly being interested in being a full-service outfitter, they'd have done so by now. Just this morning we drove some thru-hikers to West Lebanon so they could get what they needed at EMS. I suspect this happens a lot, tho in most cases, hikers have to kill 4 hours taking the shuttle bus there and back, which is too bad, especially if you only need a handful of things.

If the staff at an outdoor store acknowledges that a place doesn't carry items that are frequently asked for, it seems to me fairly obvious that they're not interested in carrying these items, and that's too bad.

lucky luke
08-12-2010, 08:23
hanover was my favourite trailtown! not that i like towns, but hanover was quite good.

free stay at yahoolas dormitory, free laundry there, nice company as well. the sporting good store exchanged the pregnant thermarest and gave a free upgrade. excellent muffins at the cowboy caffee and on the walk out a house decorated with the best halloween pumpkins ever!

yeah, and i did not! meet bill bryson.

i liked hanover.

greets
lucky luke

chronain
08-12-2010, 08:38
Actually, the Mountain Goat has been open for quite some time, and if they were truly being interested in being a full-service outfitter, they'd have done so by now. Just this morning we drove some thru-hikers to West Lebanon so they could get what they needed at EMS. I suspect this happens a lot, tho in most cases, hikers have to kill 4 hours taking the shuttle bus there and back, which is too bad, especially if you only need a handful of things.

If the staff at an outdoor store acknowledges that a place doesn't carry items that are frequently asked for, it seems to me fairly obvious that they're not interested in carrying these items, and that's too bad.

Mountain Goat opened in the fall of '08 or the spring of '09, so this is their second summer hiking season. I know that they will never be a full service outfitter, b/c they wouldn't be able to sustain their business that way. My hope is that they will learn what they need to stock during hiking season and staff the store with more knowledgeable folks. Perhaps a few less tents and some more expendable items like fuel, food, etc...

Last summer I drove several hikers to w. leb. and back b/c they couldn't find what they needed in Hanover...I still miss the dartmouth co-op...

10-K
08-12-2010, 08:52
Mountain Goat opened in the fall of '08 or the spring of '09, so this is their second summer hiking season. I know that they will never be a full service outfitter, b/c they wouldn't be able to sustain their business that way. My hope is that they will learn what they need to stock during hiking season and staff the store with more knowledgeable folks. Perhaps a few less tents and some more expendable items like fuel, food, etc...

Last summer I drove several hikers to w. leb. and back b/c they couldn't find what they needed in Hanover...I still miss the dartmouth co-op...

They had esbit. :)

Edited to add: Maybe I'm thinking of the wrong place. The outfitter with all they fishing stuff had esbit, and canister fuel too if I remember right.

Yahtzee
08-12-2010, 09:04
All opinions about Hanover aside, I find it hard not to be blissed out when I reach Hanover. I mean, it's f'ing NH. Two states left. The beginning of the best part of the trail. Have a hard time being nitpicky when I am that high on life.

dcmidnight
08-12-2010, 09:10
Actually, the Mountain Goat has been open for quite some time, and if they were truly being interested in being a full-service outfitter, they'd have done so by now. Just this morning we drove some thru-hikers to West Lebanon so they could get what they needed at EMS. I suspect this happens a lot, tho in most cases, hikers have to kill 4 hours taking the shuttle bus there and back, which is too bad, especially if you only need a handful of things.

If the staff at an outdoor store acknowledges that a place doesn't carry items that are frequently asked for, it seems to me fairly obvious that they're not interested in carrying these items, and that's too bad.
This happened to my father just last week. He went in there looking for something and received the same "You know, a lot of people have been asking for it but we dont carry it" answer. So he picked it up at the Kittery Trading Post a couple weeks later. Seems like if "a lot" of people keep asking for something and you still choose not to carry it, something is wrong.

But after hearing this story and looking at their website it seemed to me, IMO, that they were more interested in being a store that catered to Dartmouth students (and parents of Dartmouth students) rather than a full fledged outdoor store. Again, IMO. Nothing wrong with that, just made me miss the co-op.

Spokes
08-12-2010, 09:23
I only passed through Hanover and had a good time there except for the awful service and bad attitude I got from a snippy little girl behind the cash register at the Dirt Cowboy Cafe. All that after meekly asking for a large coffee and danish- Jeez!

I know, I know...... the Dirt Cowboy is one of the best coffee places in Hanover.... maybe the little wench has since moved on?

I had a better time at the Co-op and even got into a couple great conversations with the locals before heading out.

DapperD
08-12-2010, 11:45
I only passed through Hanover and had a good time there except for the awful service and bad attitude I got from a snippy little girl behind the cash register at the Dirt Cowboy Cafe. All that after meekly asking for a large coffee and danish- Jeez!

It probably was due to your nasty hiker funky;).

Bare Bear
08-13-2010, 12:48
Jack, in 06 I missed you by ten minutes at the bar...you had just left 'with two great looking lady hikers.' I would have run like hell to get them out of there myself. JellyBean says hey BTW. I talked to her (she is still around Phoenix right now) She says she is giving up hiking for a boat life for a few years................HYOH

Bare Bear
08-13-2010, 12:54
Jack, it hot as hell here right now 92F but no oil on our beaches. I tried to PM you but your mailbox is full.