Hello friend! Hope you are well and holding up. It is so different deciding to put your feet up at home enjoying some solitude vs. being told you have no choice. Certainly helping me get over the don’t-tell-me-what-to-do childish attitude which I hate to admit. How are you doing?
I thought I’d share some of the beautiful waterfalls in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The trip was last May after a severe, long-lasting winter. As spring rolled in, the rain continued but we had a few beautiful days. So while you are sitting down, wishing you could be doing something else, rest your mind and come along with me.
Silver Cascade is a gorgeous 250-foot vertical drop which you can see from the road! Of course that didn’t stop us from climbing the rocks to the top of the falls. So sit down and enjoy the smaller details of this beautiful area.
As we head to our next waterfall, the sun breaks through highlighting the lime green springtime leaves of the white birch.
We are heading to Crystal Cascade, less than half a mile up Tuckerman Ravine Trail in Pinkham Notch. The walk is along the Ellis River which begins on Mount Washington where this trail leads. You may remember, we explored falls on the Ellis River in more detail a while ago.
Crystal Cascade is a beautiful, rarely visited 100-foot, 2-tiered falls. There are only two safe places to photograph the falls–the outlook built of rock offering two levels with lots of foliage blocking a clear view. That’s the challenge. Photograph the falls without trees and branches getting in the way.
You may be asking, “Why don’t more people stop to see these beautiful falls?” Well, Tuckerman Ravine Trail is THE access for hikers wanting to tackle Mount Washington. While we enjoy the flowers, the river, ultimately the falls, other folks carry skis hoping for one more downhill run on backcountry slopes. Still others pass us by in their attempt to RUN UP the mountain. You get the idea. We have hard-core hikers focused on tackling a mighty East Coast mountain, not stopping to see a “mere” waterfall. Well, I’m the wimp that rather spend my time here!
On the other side of NH-16, the Ellis River leads us to Glen Ellis Falls. The river is less than 17 miles long, but drops significantly offering drops, pools, and falls all along its course. After its last falls, Glen Ellis, the river flows on flat ground then enters the Saco River which flows into the Atlantic Ocean.
It is not only raining, but the wind is blowing, but finally a picture of Glen Ellis Falls without water droplets all over the lens. This would be a beautiful spot to return when less water makes for safer exploration and temps are warmer—oh, and yes, when the sun is shining.
Continuing down NH-16, we cross the Ellis River into Jackson to visit Jackson Falls. The falls is a 100-foot total drop made up of small cascades and plunges along Wildcat Brook which flows into the Ellis.
In the summer this is a very popular place. People come from all over the area to enjoy cooling down in the small falls and various pools and potholes. In the spring, however, water flow is powerful, rocks are slippery, and we’ll stay on the edges to enjoy the many lovely falls.
Let’s head to the Flume in Franconia Notch State Park on the western side of the White Mountains. We walked beautiful Flume Gorge Trail together a while ago, but let’s enjoy its waterfalls again.
Avalanche Falls is a 45-foot drop and an up-close-and-personal experience in Flume Gorge.
There is one more falls here, Liberty Cascade. A 70-foot falls that can only clearly be seen from one overlook at the end of a short spur trail. It is said to be the most beautiful falls here.
We cannot leave the White Mountains without a trip up the Mount Washington Auto Road. Our last day in New Hampshire so no choice. Conditions: raining on and off, clouds are dropping down, chilly morning, looks like ice falling rather than rain the higher we go.
We are heading to the Mount Washington Observatory. It is known for the most extreme weather of any observatory on earth. In the 1968-69 winter season they set a record with over 560 inches of snow/hail/ice pellets and held the windspeed record of 231mph from 1934-1996. Imagine being a ranger on that mountain! Generally it is best known for very erratic weather that changes quickly. Year round it can be dangerous on the mountain.
Since the rain is falling, we are seeing small roadside “waterfalls”. There were so many dropping water into the gulley along the road, but here are just a few.
As soon as we could get a clear view northeast, we saw our lodge, The Glen House Inn which was a delight.
As we near the Observatory, we enter tundra conditions. Lichen almost completely covers the rocks.
At the top it is sleeting, wind is blowing hard with stronger gusts, and clouds are dropping. We have to hold tight to the long stairway’s railing since it is getting very icy. Inside the Observatory it was time for a cup of something warm and to relax looking out the big windows with views south and east.
The views were amazing as the clouds socked us in then moved on at amazing speed. Why is the weather so crazy up here? After all, Mount Washington sits at 6,288-feet. Good grief, I live at 6,400-feet.
The difference is Mount Washington is the highest point in the northeast with immediate surrounding valleys’ elevations as low as 500-feet. From the view below, the Atlantic Ocean is about 75-miles as the crow flies. There is absolutely nothing in the way of the storms coming in from the ocean, down from Canada, and those raging across the plains from the Rockies. This mountain top stands alone against the next incoming storm.
Well, the sleet has turned to rain showers, so back to car. What a fascinating place.
Until next time, may you and yours “stuck” in the house together flagrantly hug one another. Stay safe and stay healthy!
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.
2 Timothy 1:7
