We are in New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest along the eastern edge of Mount Washington. There is so much to see and do, but today we will explore the Ellis River from Pinkham Notch to Jackson, NH. The Ellis River conveniently parallels NH-16, and we’ll head south to explore three different waterfalls. So grab your gear and let’s go.
Here we are, 7:30am at Mammoth Hot Springs to catch our snowcoach to Wonderland, driving to Old Faithful for a two-night stay. This winter started with warm temperatures, little snow, yet overcast skies with little sun. Then came February! Lots of snow, temperatures from -30 degrees to slightly above zero, and no sun. Unlikely we will see sun today, but you never know. We are heading to Old Faithful via the long route. From Mammoth to Canyon, along Yellowstone Lake to West Thumb, and over Craig’s Pass arriving at Old Faithful about 4pm.
The Snake River runs through the city of Twin Falls, Idaho. Since we are passing through, we must visit the falls known as the Niagara of the West. It is definitely off season and the road to the falls overlook is closed, but we’ll walk down the twisty .6 mile road to the falls. It is a beautiful sunny day, no wind so feels warmer than 18 degrees, but where the cliffs shade the road we have ice to negotiate. Just watch your step!
Continue reading “Shoshone Falls on New Year’s Eve”
Name one thing that is great about Yellowstone in October: Off-season lodge rates. Name one word of caution about Yellowstone in October: SNOW. Since I love staying at the new Canyon Lodges with steep discounts and the aspen and cottonwoods are in sparkling yellow now, I’ll take my chances. It is a gorgeous day to drive along the Gibbon River to Norris Junction then heading east to the Canyon area. The Gibbon River has thermal features along its banks and is one of only a few Yellowstone rivers flowing north to south, but that’s a story for another day. Today we are heading to Canyon’s Washburn Lodge, staying the last two nights before the Canyon area closes until next May. Tomorrow morning we will walk the northern end of North Rim Trail to explore waterfalls and canyon walls. This will be such fun.
