Arethusa Falls is beginning to break out of its winter sarcophagus of ice. The footprints leading up to the ice face may indicate the first ice climber of the year to decide that the ice is too rotten to climb. Early spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls is beginning to break out of its winter sarcophagus of ice. Early spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking south-southeast from the top of Arethusa Falls. The trail I use to climb to the top is in there somewhere. Early spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Peeking through a screen of bare white birches (Betula papyrifera) at Frankenstein Cliff. Early spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Frankenstein Cliff rises into the crisp wintry sky above a forest of bare beeches (Fagus grandifolia), but the ragged remains of ice on its sheer face indicate that spring is on its way. Early spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

The nearly overgrown meadow north of the Elephant Head Trail Head is still gripped in snow, but the twigs of the trees are showing signs of spring. Early spring, Crawford Notch State Park

The meadow north of the Crawford Connector Trail Head. Early spring, White Mountain National Forest

Looking south along the Beaver Brook Trail just south of where it first approaches Beaver Brook. The tracks in the rain-glazed snow look like those of a vehicle, but they're actually from dozens of cross-country skis. Late winter, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Looking south along the Beaver Brook Trail. The trail is nearly flat, and nearly straight, as it makes its way through second-growth pine and hemlock. Late winter, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Looking east across the Beaver Pond to the cabins at the end of Campsite Trail. Late winter, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Judging from the buildup of rain-crusted snow, nobody has stopped to relax on this bench since fall. You can sit here beside the Beaver Pond and listen to the birds in warmer weather. Late winter, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Looking southwest from the big meadow just north of Crawford Notch. Mount Tom and Mount Avalon in the distance. Late winter, White Mountain National Forest

Elephant Head. Late winter, Crawford Notch State Park

A hemlock sapling (Tsuga canadensis) has been collecting the winter's snow into a large snowball. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

"The Bridge of Kazad Dum." Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

The approach to "The King's Highway Bridge." Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls locked in ice. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls locked in ice. "My" ledge, just to the right of the center of the waterfall, is also covered with ice that spills down its right-hand edge. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls locked in ice. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A frozen seep beside Arethusa Falls. The tiny watercourse is inconspicuous most of the year, but it burgeons into a massive natural ice sculpture in winter. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking down from the top of Arethusa Falls. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

The bleak summit of Mount Washington, with its forest of antennas and small cluster of buildings. Late winter, White Mountain National Forest

Mount Washington is beginning to lose some of its snow-cover, but in mid-March, there is still plenty of winter weather ahead. Near the left-hand side of the picture, you can see where the Cog Railway makes its way up the mountain, but the other things that look like roads are the natural tracks of avalanches and rockslides. (The Mt. Washington Auto Road is on the other side of the mountain.) Late winter, White Mountain National Forest

Mount Eisenhower losing some of its snow-cover in mid-March. Late winter, White Mountain National Forest

Tracks of a red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) record the rodent's busy, energetic foraging. Notice that the tracks record the way the squirrel moves: He hops, rather than walks. The snow is littered with winter-fallen twigs and the empty husks of beech nuts (Fagus grandifolia). Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Tracks of a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) prowling. You can tell a fox's track from a dog's because the fox is usually very careful to place its hind foot into the footprint of its front foot, reducing the likelihood of stepping on a twig or crunching a noisy dry leaf. The snow is littered with the empty husks of beech nuts (Fagus grandifolia). Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A clump of young red spruce (Picea rubens) in the meadow near the Elephant Head Trail Head. Late winter, Crawford Notch State Park

The Arethusa Falls Trail, like any very popular trail, is well compacted and lies nearly two feet below the surrounding snow. The wind collects the winter's litter of cones, twigs, and needles into the trail. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A fallen yellow birch (Betula lutea) turns part of the Arethusa Falls Trail into an obstacle course. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A young hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) has succumbed to the winter gales. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A mixed hardwood and evergreen forest near Arethusa Falls. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A bare white birch (Betula papyrifera) stands in stark contrast to the winter sky. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

The stump of a winter-killed white pine (Pinus strobus) stands on the bank while the tree lies in the canal below. Winter, Mine Falls Park

Looking south along the Millpond Trail. It is a former road, obviously, and still used by emergency vehicles and for utility access. This part of the trail passes through a mature forest of mostly white pine (Pinus strobus). Winter, Mine Falls Park

Looking north along the Millpond Trail. It is a former road, obviously, and still used by emergency vehicles and for utility access. This part of the trail passes through a mature forest of mostly white pine (Pinus strobus). Winter, Mine Falls Park

Even in the relative shelter of Crawford Notch, winter gales keep this tall eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) perpetually leaning south. White birches (Betula papyrifera), cowering below the old giant, have a somewhat easier life. Mount Willey in the background. Winter, Crawford Notch State Park

Even in the relative shelter of Crawford Notch, winter gales keep this tall eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) clear of branches on its upwind side. Mount Willey in the background. Winter, Crawford Notch State Park

Old eastern hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis) are tortured by the frequent winter gales, while white birches (Betula papyrifera) live a more serene but shorter life. Mount Willey in the background. Winter, Crawford Notch State Park

Mount Willard. Winter, Crawford Notch State Park

The picnic tables at the Arethusa Falls Trail Head don't get much use this time of year. Winter, Arethusa Falls Trail Head, Crawford Notch State Park

Mount Crawford, with Montalban Ridge in the background. Winter, Arethusa Falls Trail Head, Crawford Notch State Park

The east-facing side of Frankenstein Cliff. Winter, Arethusa Falls Trail Head, Crawford Notch State Park

Frankenstein Cliff. Winter, Arethusa Falls Trail Head, Crawford Notch State Park

Frankenstein Cliff. Winter, Arethusa Falls Trail Head, Crawford Notch State Park

A forest of bare hardwoods, including American beech (Fagus grandifolia), white birch (Betula papyrifera), hickories (Carya sp.) and others on the southward-facing north wall of the canyon of Bemis Brook. The snow lies at a seemingly impossible angle on the hillside. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A tall eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) stands out against the skyline of the southern wall of the canyon of Bemis Brook. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

The steep southern wall of the canyon of Bemis Brook is mostly covered with evergreens, especially eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). Late on a winter morning, the sunshine is just beginning to appear at the tops of the trees at right. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Bare hardwoods, mostly white birch (Betula papyrifera) and some American beech (Fagus grandifolia) stand in stark contrast against the dark hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis) and the steely blue winter sky. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Frozen Bemis Falls is hidden behind a blanket of snow. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Bemis Falls is hidden behind a stockade of fallen logs and a blanket of snow. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking upstream from Fawn Pool toward Bemis Falls. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

It's interesting that these two dead hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis), less than five feet apart, are infested with two different species of fungus. The one on the left has only a white polypore fungus, and the one on the right has only an orange fungus. Winter, Mine Falls Park

A grove of pitch pine (Pinus rigida) across the narrow bay of the Mill Pond from my favorite sitting rock. Winter, Mine Falls Park

A white pine (Pinus strobus) lies for years on the shore of the Mill Pond. Winter, Mine Falls Park

Approaching the top of Mount Willard on a snow-covered morning in late fall. Late fall, Mount Willard Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Mount Webster shrouded in a light snowstorm seen from the top of Mount Willard. Late fall, Mount Willard Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Mount Webster seen from the top of Mount Willard after the storm has passed. Late fall, Mount Willard Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Snow drifting down from the mountaintops glitters in the weak sunlight as we look south into Crawford Notch from the top of Mount Willard. Late fall, Mount Willard Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking down into Crawford Notch from the eastern end of the top of Mount Willard. Late fall, Mount Willard Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking down into Crawford Notch from the eastern end of the top of Mount Willard. Late fall, Mount Willard Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking down into Crawford Notch from the eastern end of the top of Mount Willard. Mount Webster on the right, the peak of Mount Jackson near top center. Late fall, Mount Willard Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking north from the top of Mount Willard. Late fall, Mount Willard Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking north-northeast from the top of Mount Willard. Late fall, Mount Willard Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking southwest toward Mount Willey from the top of Mount Willard. Late fall, Mount Willard Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking northeast along the southern Presidential Range from the top of Mount Willard. The slope of Mount Jackson is at right, then Mount Pierce (with Mizpah Spring Hut visible in the full-size version), then Mount Washington, recognizable by its forest of antennas. Late fall, Mount Willard Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking east toward Mount Jackson from the top of Mount Willard. Late fall, Mount Willard Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking east toward Mount Jackson from the top of Mount Willard. Late fall, Mount Willard Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

The frozen waterfall of Centennial Pool. Late fall, Mount Willard Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking south past Elephant Head to Mount Webster from Crawford Depot at the top of Crawford Notch. Late fall, Crawford Depot, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking down Elephant Head Trail after a heavy autumn snowfall. Do you see the little "notch" in the snow on the log lying across the trail? That's my handprint where I steadied myself as I stepped over the log on my way up. Fall, Elephant Head Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking up Elephant Head Trail at one of the steeper parts after a heavy autumn snowfall. The trail is clearly visible and well compacted, but the only footprints ahead of me in this new snowfall are those of a fox. Fall, Elephant Head Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

The top of Elephant Head after a heavy autumn snowfall. The track of a fox seems to disappear over the edge of the cliff. Notice that the new snow, which was nearly a foot deep in the forest, is less than half that thick out here on the exposed clifftop. As the day's winds whip up, the rock will be swept clean again. Fall, Elephant Head Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking west from the top of Elephant Head toward Mount Tom. The flank of Mount Willard angles down from the left, and the peak of Mount Willey barely shows above it. Fall, Elephant Head Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Bemis Brook is buried under five feet of snow just upstream from Fawn Pool. Bemis Falls is behind the jumble of fallen logs. Late winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A fallen tree covered with nearly two feet of snow spans the narrow canyon of Bemis Brook just downstream of Coliseum Falls. Late winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Two ice climbers begin climbing Arethusa Falls. The first has just reached the top of the massive snowdrift at the foot of the waterfall and begun climbing the vertical ice. Late winter, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

The view looking east from the top of Arethusa Falls. Late winter, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

Frankenstein Cliff seen from the top of Arethusa Falls, with Montalban Ridge and Stairs Mountain in the distance. Late winter, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

A trail bridge covered with snow. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A trail bridge covered with snow. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

The winter sun rises over a snow-filled forest. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

The top of Arethusa Falls. The ledge where I usually kick back was a bit too slippery this particular morning. Winter, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

Frankenstein Cliff seen from the top of Arethusa Falls. Winter, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls in the light of a late-winter morning. Winter, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls in the light of a late-winter morning. Winter, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls in the light of a late-winter morning, seen from about a third of the way up the cliff on the south side. Winter, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls in the light of a late-winter morning, seen from about a third of the way up the cliff on the south side. Winter, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

The top of Arethusa Falls, looking from the south side of Bemis Brook. The ledge where I usually kick back is the second "step," about a quarter of the way across the picture from the left. Notice the growing gap underneath the right-hand end of this ledge, as it slowly pushes the lower "step" to the right. One of these years the whole thing is going over the edge. Spring, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

A diseased and decayed American beech (Fagus grandifolia), still standing a month after I was sure it was going to fall. The ghoulish face, a mouth formed by the ominous crack in the dead wood, is further accented by two snowy eyes. Early winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

The trail of a fox (Vulpes vulpes) in deep snow wanders under a fallen tree. Early winter, Crawford Notch State Park

Frankenstein Cliff is lightly dusted with new-fallen snow, winter, Crawford Notch

Clouds creeping up Crawford Notch seem to be set afire by the rising sun, as new-fallen snow dusts the trees. Mount Webster on left, Mount Willard on right. Winter, Crawford Notch

Snow coats the trees and the bare rock of Elephant Head (right) and Bugle Cliff (left). Winter, Crawford Notch

Tracks of a fox (Vulpes vulpes) making its way through the thicket beside the Ammonoosuc River. Winter, White Mountain National Forest

The Mill Pond Trail is a wide, snow-covered avenue lined with white birches (Betula papyrifera) as it makes its way beside the canal. Winter, Mine Falls Park

Tracks of a shrew (probably a northern short-tailed shrew, Blarina brevicauda) lead to a perfectly circular tunnel in the snow. Winter, Crawford Notch State Park

Imprint of a fox's (Vulpes vulpes) body, where it bounded into the compacted trail, then back out again. You can see the round outline of the animal's chest, and light drag-marks where its feet brushed the snow as it jumped out. (The circular holes and drag-marks running parallel to the trail are from a hiker's walking poles.) Winter, Crawford Notch State Park

A winter crane fly of the family Trichoceridae rests on the winter snow. Read more about my "discovery" of these unusual insects in Snow Flies. Winter, Mine Falls Park

A white-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) in an American beech near the Marion Davis trail, fall, Pack Monadnock

Footprints of a muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) in a thin dusting of snow atop the ice on the Mill Pond, late fall, Mine Falls Park

Tracks of a mink (Mustela vison) in the late-fall snow. You can see where the little carnivore loitered, possibly to investigate a scent or to leave its own scent-mark on a dead branch. Late fall, Mine Falls Park

A lost feather decorates the snow on Christmas Eve, winter, Mine Falls Park

Tracks of a bird, probably a spruce grouse (Falcipennis canadensis), foraging in the snow. I've never seen spruce grouse at such low elevation, but I rarely go to Frankenstein Cliff in winter conditions. Late fall, Frankenstein Cliff Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A small Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana) near the edge of Frankenstein Cliff. Notice how water has worn a neat channel in the ledge right up to where it spills over into the forest far below. Late fall, Frankenstein Cliff, Crawford Notch State Park

The dramatic peak of Mount Crawford as seen from Frankenstein Cliff. Late fall, Frankenstein Cliff, Crawford Notch State Park

Lightly falling snow glitters among the trees in the weak morning sunshine. Late fall, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Snow-covered trail bridge across a partly-frozen mountain stream. This is the "Bridge of Kazad Dum" on the Arethusa Falls Trail. Late fall, Crawford Notch State Park

Uprooted trees, victims of the movement of the scree on the western side of Pack Monadnock. Notice how little soil is on the root disks, and you can barely detect the scar on the land where the trees once stood. Fall, Pack Monadnock

In places on the north and west sides of Pack Monadnock, junipers (Juniperus sp.) are so abundant they could be called the dominant "tree." Fall, Pack Monadnock

Looking south from Frankenstein Cliff in late fall. The effect of shading and slope on the types of trees that can grow is very apparent when the leaves are gone. Steeper slopes, shaded and less able to hold rainwater, are covered in evergreens, while more level areas are usually hardwood forests. Late fall, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking southeast from Frankenstein Cliff toward Mount Crawford. Montalban Ridge is in the background. Late fall, Crawford Notch State Park

Mount Jackson from the overlook on Frankenstein Cliff Trail, through the bare branches of beech. Late fall, Crawford Notch State Park

The summit of Mount Washington from the overlook on Frankenstein Cliff Trail, late fall, Crawford Notch State Park

Mount Washington and the southern Presidential Range from the overlook on Frankenstein Cliff Trail, late fall, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking east from Frankenstein Cliff, you can see the Giant Stairs on Stairs Mountain through the trees. Late fall, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking west along Frankenstein Cliff (before we get to Frankenstein Cliff proper). Arethusa Falls is the white patch of ice near the head of the Bemis Brook Valley, just below the second dead branch (the "V" shaped one). Late fall, Crawford Notch State Park

Bobcat tracks in the snow along the Frankenstein Cliff Trail, late fall, Crawford Notch State Park

The last leg of the Frankenstein Cliff Trail is nearly level as it passes through a rich but rock-strewn forest. Contrast this with the sparse forest in the scree of the western slope of Pack Monadnock. Late fall, Crawford Notch State Park

Blue blazes on the beech trees mark the connector trail from the Frankenstein Cliff Trail to the lower parking lot. Late fall, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking up from beneath Frankenstein Trestle, late fall, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking south-southwest from Frankenstein Cliff in late fall. Notice the effect of shading and slope. The far side of the Bemis Brook Valley is all evergreens, and most of the sunny areas are hardwoods. The clump of evergreens on the near side of Bemis Brook, just left of center in the picture, is just below where the Bemis Brook Trail joins the Arethusa Falls Trail. Late fall, Crawford Notch State Park

A small avalanche catches the winter wind and glitters in the steely sunshine as it streams down Webster Cliff, late fall, Crawford Notch

Elephant Head Trail is passable in winter, despite appearances, late fall, Crawford Notch

The swamp across the road from Elephant Head, late fall, Crawford Notch

Bemis Brook Trail is sometimes well packed in winter, but not always, winter, Crawford Notch

Approaching the top of Mount Willard, late fall, Crawford Notch

Looking south into Crawford Notch from the top of Mount Willard. In winter months, Willey Pond is drained, but it's hard to tell in this view. Late fall, Crawford Notch

Looking west along the summit of Mount Willard. late fall, Crawford Notch

Frankenstein Cliff, late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail Head, Crawford Notch

Bemis Brook Trail, late winter, Crawford Notch

Bemis Falls, late winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch

A fallen tree covered in two feet of snow forms a low underpass along the trail, late winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch

Montalban Ridge as seen from the top of Arethusa Falls. Does that ridgeline look familiar? It's the one I use as a horizontal rule between sections of pages on this Web site (taken from this very photo). The sharp stair-step in the horizontal center of the picture is the Giant Stairs on Stairs Mountain. Late winter, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch

The first light of dawn strikes Frankenstein Cliff, late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch

Mount Washington, mid-spring, Bretton Woods, White Mountain National Forest

Footprint of a moose (Alces alces) in the middle of Arethusa Falls Trail, early spring, Crawford Notch

Tracks of a red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) traveling right to left cross those of a lemming (Synaptomys borealis) going from top-left to bottom-right, winter, Crawford Notch

Mouse tracks, either white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) or deer mouse (P. maniculatus), in the snow, winter, Crawford Notch

Paper hornets (Dolichovespula sp., probably D. arenaria) overwinter in their nest near the Arethusa Falls Trail, mid-winter, Crawford Notch

Question mark butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis) emerged from hibernation before the snow had melted, early spring, Crawford Notch

Arethusa Falls is beginning to break out of its winter sarcophagus of ice. The footprints leading up to the ice face may indicate the first ice climber of the year to decide that the ice is too rotten to climb. Early spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls is beginning to break out of its winter sarcophagus of ice. Early spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Bemis Brook above Arethusa Falls, with a few holes opening up in the ice. Early spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A hole in the ice of Bemis Brook above Arethusa Falls. The layers in the snow reveal the history of the past winter's snowstorms, but they will soon disappear into the brook. Early spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

This odd fence is designed to prevent beavers from damming the culvert where Beaver Brook passes under Beaver Brook Trail. Late winter, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Cattail (Typha latifolia) seed heads rise above the frozen Beaver Pond. Winter gales shred the seed heads, carrying some of the fluffy seeds far afield, but many remain until the stalk falls into the pond in spring. In this way, the plant both propagates itself over great distances, and ensures that its parent patch has a chance to spread. Late winter, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Arethusa Falls locked in ice. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls locked in ice. "My" ledge, just to the right of the center of the waterfall, is also covered with ice that spills down its right-hand edge. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls locked in ice. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A frozen seep beside Arethusa Falls. The tiny watercourse is inconspicuous most of the year, but it burgeons into a massive natural ice sculpture in winter. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

The stump of a winter-killed white pine (Pinus strobus) stands on the bank while the tree lies in the canal below. Winter, Mine Falls Park

Bemis Brook peeks out from its winter sarcophagus of snow and ice. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Ice slowly grows its way upstream to cover a hole in the winter covering of Bemis Brook. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Gray granite ledge can still be seen on the bed of Bemis Brook through a hole in its five-foot-thick blanket of ice and snow. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Gray granite ledge can still be seen on the bed of Bemis Brook through a hole in its five-foot-thick blanket of ice and snow. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Frozen Bemis Falls is hidden behind a blanket of snow. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Bemis Falls is hidden behind a stockade of fallen logs and a blanket of snow. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking upstream from Fawn Pool toward Bemis Falls. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Tracks where a fox (Vulpes vulpes) loped across the frozen Mill Pond. Winter, Mine Falls Park

A grove of pitch pine (Pinus rigida) across the narrow bay of the Mill Pond from my favorite sitting rock. Winter, Mine Falls Park

Looking east across the main body of the Mill Pond. Winter, Mine Falls Park

The frozen waterfall of Centennial Pool. Late fall, Mount Willard Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Bemis Brook is buried under five feet of snow just upstream from Fawn Pool. Bemis Falls is behind the jumble of fallen logs. Late winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A fallen tree covered with nearly two feet of snow spans the narrow canyon of Bemis Brook just downstream of Coliseum Falls. Late winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Two ice climbers begin climbing Arethusa Falls. The first has just reached the top of the massive snowdrift at the foot of the waterfall and begun climbing the vertical ice. Late winter, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls. Late winter, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

The top of Arethusa Falls. The ledge where I usually kick back was a bit too slippery this particular morning. Winter, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls in the light of a late-winter morning. Winter, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls in the light of a late-winter morning. Winter, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls in the light of a late-winter morning, seen from about a third of the way up the cliff on the south side. Winter, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls in the light of a late-winter morning, seen from about a third of the way up the cliff on the south side. Winter, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

The footbridge where the Mill Pond Trail crosses one of the little distributary stream is nearly lost in a snowstorm. Winter, Mine Falls Park

Old stumps poke through the ice on Beaver Brook, late winter, Beaver Brook Association

The footbridge where the Mill Pond Trail crosses one of the little distributary streams, framed by towering pines (Pinus sp.) and bare deciduous trees, while snow and late-fallen oak leaves blanket the frozen pond. Late fall, Mine Falls Park

Tracks of a muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) that emerged through the ice on the Mill Pond and made its way toward shore, late fall, Mine Falls Park

The Mill Pond Trail is a wide, snow-covered avenue lined with white birches (Betula papyrifera) as it makes its way beside the canal. Winter, Mine Falls Park

Patches of snow on leaves that rise out of a tiny watercourse. Smaller dry spots are covered with miniature "Christmas trees" of rime frost. Winter, Crawford Notch State Park

Ice from a frozen seep forms a layer-cake across the trail. Late fall, Frankenstein Cliff Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A small waterfall frozen in the act of spilling across the trail. Late fall, Frankenstein Cliff Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Ice crystals grow from the mud and curl as they rise. Late fall, Frankenstein Cliff Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Similar crystals, but shorter, thicker, and not curling, rise through red mud. Fall, Pack Monadnock

And again, shorter, thicker, straight crystals of ice. Fall, Pack Monadnock

Oak leaves (Quercus sp.) locked in the ice until spring. Late fall, Mine Falls Park

Ice on the Mill Pond has taken on a pattern that looks almost like leaves. Late fall, Mine Falls Park

Moss-covered boulder on the edge of the newly-frozen Mill Pond. Late fall, Mine Falls Park

Snow-covered trail bridge across a partly-frozen mountain stream. This is the "Bridge of Kazad Dum" on the Arethusa Falls Trail. Late fall, Crawford Notch State Park

A frozen seep forms a pretty layer-cake and a treacherous hazard on the trail, late fall, Crawford Notch State Park

This frozen stream and fallen logs across the trail present a real challenge, late fall, Crawford Notch State Park

This ice-covered cliff is a hazard of falling icicles on a winter morning as the sun warms the night's ice. And the seep below is perilously slick with inches of solid ice. Late fall, Crawford Notch State Park

Facing downstream from Fawn Pool, late winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch

Fawn Pool, late winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch

Bemis Brook Trail, late winter, Crawford Notch

Bemis Falls, late winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch

Ice climber halfway up the waterfall, late winter, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch

Frozen waterfall, late winter, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch

Male mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) in winter/breeding plumage, early spring, Mine Falls Park

A young oak (Quercus sp.) waits out the winter. Oaks retain many of their dead, brown leaves right through the winter, though this little one has only about a dozen left. Young beeches (Fagus grandifolia) also tend to hold onto their leaves, but the mature trees don't. Late winter, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Cattail (Typha latifolia) seed heads rise above the frozen Beaver Pond. Winter gales shred the seed heads, carrying some of the fluffy seeds far afield, but many remain until the stalk falls into the pond in spring. In this way, the plant both propagates itself over great distances, and ensures that its parent patch has a chance to spread. Late winter, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

A hemlock sapling (Tsuga canadensis) has been collecting the winter's snow into a large snowball. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) sits on a stump assessing whether I am a threat or not. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Footprints of a red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). This shallow impression in dusty snow on top of a hard crusty snow shows the details very clearly. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Tracks of a red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) record the rodent's busy, energetic foraging. Notice that the tracks record the way the squirrel moves: He hops, rather than walks. The snow is littered with winter-fallen twigs and the empty husks of beech nuts (Fagus grandifolia). Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Tracks of a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) prowling. You can tell a fox's track from a dog's because the fox is usually very careful to place its hind foot into the footprint of its front foot, reducing the likelihood of stepping on a twig or crunching a noisy dry leaf. The snow is littered with the empty husks of beech nuts (Fagus grandifolia). Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A clump of young red spruce (Picea rubens) in the meadow near the Elephant Head Trail Head. Late winter, Crawford Notch State Park

A twig and cone of a red spruce (Picea rubens) lies on the snow. In late winter, the snow is littered with cones, twigs, and needles of spruce and fir. They may have been cut by a squirrel who then forgot to collect them, or simply blown down by the wind. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A fallen yellow birch (Betula lutea) turns part of the Arethusa Falls Trail into an obstacle course. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A young hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) has succumbed to the winter gales. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A bare white birch (Betula papyrifera) stands in stark contrast to the winter sky. Late winter, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Many meadow flowers hold their seeds all winter, dropping them in the spring. I don't know the species of these. Late winter, White Mountain National Forest

Many meadow flowers hold their seeds all winter, dropping them in the spring. I don't know the species of these. Late winter, White Mountain National Forest

Moss, which remains green all winter and photosynthesizes any time there is enough light, pokes through the melting snow of late winter. Winter, Mine Falls Park

The stump of a winter-killed white pine (Pinus strobus) stands on the bank while the tree lies in the canal below. Winter, Mine Falls Park

It's interesting how this orange-brown polypore fungus (family Polyporaceae) grows only on the underside of this leaning dead tree. Winter, Mine Falls Park

Even in the relative shelter of Crawford Notch, winter gales keep this tall eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) perpetually leaning south. White birches (Betula papyrifera), cowering below the old giant, have a somewhat easier life. Mount Willey in the background. Winter, Crawford Notch State Park

Even in the relative shelter of Crawford Notch, winter gales keep this tall eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) clear of branches on its upwind side. Mount Willey in the background. Winter, Crawford Notch State Park

Old eastern hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis) are tortured by the frequent winter gales, while white birches (Betula papyrifera) live a more serene but shorter life. Mount Willey in the background. Winter, Crawford Notch State Park

Tracks of a red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). You can see where the squirrel's tail brushed the snow as it hopped along. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A mouse, either a white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) or a deer mouse (P. maniculatus), left its tracks in a thin dusting of new snow atop the older, crusted snow. You can tell the tracks of a mouse from those of a shrew because mice hop, but shrews walk. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A forest of bare hardwoods, including American beech (Fagus grandifolia), white birch (Betula papyrifera), hickories (Carya sp.) and others on the southward-facing north wall of the canyon of Bemis Brook. The snow lies at a seemingly impossible angle on the hillside. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A leaf-like green lichen spreading on the trunk of a dead tree. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Branches of a red spruce (Picea rubens) sapling overhang two seelings of red spruce peeking out from the snow. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Myriad species of fungus and lichen coat a broken stump, and are themselves coated with snow. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A garden of mosses and seedlings on top of a pink granite boulder and under a blanket of snow. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Lichen growing on a dead twig. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A tall eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) stands out against the skyline of the southern wall of the canyon of Bemis Brook. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

The steep southern wall of the canyon of Bemis Brook is mostly covered with evergreens, especially eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). Late on a winter morning, the sunshine is just beginning to appear at the tops of the trees at right. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Snow on a sawn log forms a neat white wedge nearly two feet high. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Buds of the hobblebush (Viburnum alnifolium) seem to herald the spring, but this is the dead of winter. The hobblebush has borne nearly-opened leaf buds like this since October, and they will not really leaf out until near the end of April. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Bare hardwoods, mostly white birch (Betula papyrifera) and some American beech (Fagus grandifolia) stand in stark contrast against the dark hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis) and the steely blue winter sky. Winter, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

It's interesting that these two dead hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis), less than five feet apart, are infested with two different species of fungus. The one on the left has only a white polypore fungus, and the one on the right has only an orange fungus. Winter, Mine Falls Park

A young pine (Pinus sp.) in the snow. Winter, Mine Falls Park

A long-dead tree covered with polypore fungus (family Polyporaceae). Winter, Mine Falls Park

Improbable though it seems, this dead log has been held up by that little sapling and leaning against that tree in the same position for so long that the polypore fungus (family Polyporaceae) on it grows at an odd angle to the log, but parallel to the ground. Winter, Mine Falls Park

Tracks where a fox (Vulpes vulpes) loped across the frozen Mill Pond. Winter, Mine Falls Park

Close-up of footprints of a fox (Vulpes vulpes) in a dusting of snow on top of ice. Winter, Mine Falls Park

A grove of pitch pine (Pinus rigida) across the narrow bay of the Mill Pond from my favorite sitting rock. Winter, Mine Falls Park

Looking east across the main body of the Mill Pond. Winter, Mine Falls Park

A white pine (Pinus strobus) lies for years on the shore of the Mill Pond. Winter, Mine Falls Park

A tiny ground cedar clubmoss (Lycopodium complanatum) pokes through the leaf litter and snow at the base of an oak (Quercus sp.). Winter, Mine Falls Park

A single brown leaf in an oak (Quercus sp.) catches the cold sunshine of a winter afternoon. Winter, Mine Falls Park

The cocoon of a moth rides out the winter in the branches of a rhododendron. Winter, Mine Falls Park

Snow on the branches of a rhododendron forms a natural snowball. Winter, Mine Falls Park

A winter crane fly of the family Trichoceridae hanging on a twig, with my hand behind it for scale. Read more about my "discovery" of these unusual insects in Snow Flies. Winter, Pack Monadnock

A winter crane fly of the family Trichoceridae rests on the winter snow. Winter, Mine Falls Park

A winter crane fly of the family Trichoceridae rests on the winter snow. The straight line under the insect is an illusion. It is actually the fly's left legs, the foreleg extending straight out in front and the hind leg extending straight out behind. Winter, Mine Falls Park

Tracks of a shrew (probably a northern short-tailed shrew, Blarina brevicauda) lead to a perfectly circular tunnel in the snow. Winter, Crawford Notch State Park

Imprint of a fox's (Vulpes vulpes) body, where it bounded into the compacted trail, then back out again. You can see the round outline of the animal's chest, and light drag-marks where its feet brushed the snow as it jumped out. (The circular holes and drag-marks running parallel to the trail are from a hiker's walking poles.) Winter, Crawford Notch State Park

A winter crane fly of the family Trichoceridae rests on the winter snow. Read more about my "discovery" of these unusual insects in Snow Flies. Winter, Mine Falls Park

A white-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) in an American beech near the Marion Davis trail, fall, Pack Monadnock

Footprints of a muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) in a thin dusting of snow atop the ice on the Mill Pond, late fall, Mine Falls Park

Tracks of a mink (Mustela vison) in the late-fall snow. You can see where the little carnivore loitered, possibly to investigate a scent or to leave its own scent-mark on a dead branch. Late fall, Mine Falls Park

A lost feather decorates the snow on Christmas Eve, winter, Mine Falls Park

An abandoned hornet's nest. Fall, Pack Monadnock

I count at least 30 annual growth rings in this 8-inch slice of red spruce (Picea rubens). Late fall, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

I haven't counted very precisely, but there are clearly well over 100 annual growth rings in this 18-inch slice of red spruce (Picea rubens). Late fall, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Oak leaves (Quercus sp.) locked in the ice until spring. Late fall, Mine Falls Park

Moss-covered boulder on the edge of the newly-frozen Mill Pond. Late fall, Mine Falls Park

A small Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana) near the edge of Frankenstein Cliff. Notice how water has worn a neat channel in the ledge right up to where it spills over into the forest far below. Late fall, Frankenstein Cliff, Crawford Notch State Park

Uprooted trees, victims of the movement of the scree on the western side of Pack Monadnock. Notice how little soil is on the root disks, and you can barely detect the scar on the land where the trees once stood. Fall, Pack Monadnock

In places on the north and west sides of Pack Monadnock, junipers (Juniperus sp.) are so abundant they could be called the dominant "tree." Fall, Pack Monadnock

Looking south from Frankenstein Cliff in late fall. The effect of shading and slope on the types of trees that can grow is very apparent when the leaves are gone. Steeper slopes, shaded and less able to hold rainwater, are covered in evergreens, while more level areas are usually hardwood forests. Late fall, Crawford Notch State Park

The last leg of the Frankenstein Cliff Trail is nearly level as it passes through a rich but rock-strewn forest. Contrast this with the sparse forest in the scree of the western slope of Pack Monadnock. Late fall, Crawford Notch State Park

Blue blazes on the beech trees mark the connector trail from the Frankenstein Cliff Trail to the lower parking lot. Late fall, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking up from beneath Frankenstein Trestle, late fall, Crawford Notch State Park

Nearly-bare branches of oak against the steely sky, late fall, Mine Falls Park

Before winter, the hobblebush (Viburnum alnifolium) puts out leaf buds, which partially open and remain on the plant all winter, so it can be first to open its leaves in spring, early spring, Crawford Notch

Hobblebush (Viburnum alnifolium) in bud. This odd plant has leaf-buds like this right through the winter, ready to leaf out before the taller trees, mid-spring, Crawford Notch

Various mosses and ferns, greenery under the winter snow, mid-spring, Crawford Notch

Close-up of ferns and mosses, mid-spring, Crawford Notch

Moss, ground pine clubmoss (Lycopodium clavatum), lichen, and hemlock seedlings (Tsuga canadensis) on an undercut bank, late winter, Mine Falls Park

Clubmoss (Lycopodium lucidulum), and seedling hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) and pine (Pinus sp.), late winter, Mine Falls Park

Ground-pine clubmoss (Lycopodium clavatum), late winter, Mine Falls Park

Can't identify the species, or even genus, of most fungus, but I know this is of the family Polyporaceae. This is the "wallpaper" of one of my virtual computers. Late winter, Mine Falls Park

Underside of a bough of hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), winter, Mine Falls Park

Moss-covered roots, winter, Mine Falls Park

Polypore fungus (either the same species as above, or not), winter, Mine Falls Park

Lichen on red pine (Pinus resinosa), winter, Mine Falls Park

Polypore fungus (probably a different species from the two pictures above), winter, Mine Falls Park

Hemlock cones (Tsuga canadensis), winter, Mine Falls Park

Footprint of a moose (Alces alces) in the middle of Arethusa Falls Trail, early spring, Crawford Notch

Tracks of a red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) traveling right to left cross those of a lemming (Synaptomys borealis) going from top-left to bottom-right, winter, Crawford Notch

Mouse tracks, either white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) or deer mouse (P. maniculatus), in the snow, winter, Crawford Notch

Paper hornets (Dolichovespula sp., probably D. arenaria) overwinter in their nest near the Arethusa Falls Trail, mid-winter, Crawford Notch

Question mark butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis) emerged from hibernation before the snow had melted, early spring, Crawford Notch

Red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), early spring, Crawford Notch

Red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), early spring, Crawford Notch