Archived Free Pictures of Landscapes

Mount Tom in fall colors. Notice how the steeper slopes are all evergreens, while the more level areas, which get more sun and retain more rainwater, are covered with hardwoods. Early fall, Elephant Head Trail Head, Crawford Notch State Park.

Mount Webster, seen from the top of Elephant Head. Early fall, Elephant Head Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Looking down along the cliff from the north side of Elephant Head. Early fall, Elephant Head Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

A small clump of bushes in the middle of the big meadow north of Crawford Notch. Early fall, White Mountain National Forest.

Looking east across the big meadow north of Crawford Notch. Early fall, White Mountain National Forest.

Looking east across the big meadow north of Crawford Notch. Early fall, White Mountain National Forest.

Looking north across the big meadow north of Crawford Notch. The forest beyond is a typical mix of green spruce and oak with blazing red beech, while most of the birches have already lost their leaves. In the meadow are wilted black-eyed Susans, lupines, and goldenrods holding their seeds until the winter winds scatter them. Early fall, White Mountain National Forest.

Sunrise behind the Presidential Range. Late summer, White Mountain National Forest.

Sunrise behind the Presidential Range. Late summer, White Mountain National Forest.

Overlooking a swampy stretch of the Ammonoosuc River just after sunrise. This is a great place to watch for moose in early morning and evening. Late summer, White Mountain National Forest.

Frankenstein Cliff in the sparkling sunlight of a late-summer morning. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail Head, Crawford Notch State Park.

This is just about as dry as I've ever seen Arethusa Falls near the end of a parched summer. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

This is just about as dry as I've ever seen Arethusa Falls near the end of a parched summer. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

The waning moon over Arethusa Falls. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

The waning moon over Arethusa Falls. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Arethusa Falls, seen from about halfway up the cliff on the south side. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Arethusa Falls, seen from about halfway up the cliff on the south side. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

These crossed red spruce trees (Picea rubens) mark the halfway point as I climb up or down Arethusa Falls. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Arethusa Falls, seen from the top of the south side of the cliff. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Bemis Brook above Arethusa Falls. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

"My" ledge at the top of Arethusa Falls. When I first started coming here in the early 1990s, the cracks were barely noticeable. Over the years, they've grown wider as each spring flood pushes the ledge a little closer to the edge of the cliff. One of these years, I'm going to have to find a new place to sit. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

The Giant Stairs on Stairs Mountain, part of Montalban Ridge, seen from the top of Arethusa Falls. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Frankenstein Cliff, seen from the top of Arethusa Falls. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

The riffle above Arethusa Falls, which might count as part of the overall height of the waterfall. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

This deep pothole in the riffle above Arethusa Falls is normally hidden by the torrent, but now visible in low water. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Montalban Ridge, seen from the top of Arethusa Falls. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Looking down Bemis Brook from just above Arethusa Falls. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Arethusa Falls at the end of a dry summer. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Bemis Falls. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

The lower "horseshoe" section of Bemis Falls. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Looking down Bemis Brook from Bemis Falls toward Fawn Pool. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

The steep walls of the canyon of Bemis Brook support a lush forest, but close to the book you can see that it is just a thin mossy layer of soil on top of crumbling bedrock. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

The steep walls of the canyon of Bemis Brook support a lush forest, but close to the book you can see that it is just a thin mossy layer of soil on top of crumbling bedrock. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Looking down Bemis Brook from Bemis Falls toward Fawn Pool. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Bemis Falls. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Fawn Pool on Bemis Brook. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Between Bemis Falls and Fawn Pool, Bemis Brook flows along slanted layers of granite, forming something like a stair-step waterfall more than 200 feet long and only thirty feet tall. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Bemis Brook takes one last plunge into Fawn Pool. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Bemis Brook. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Bemis Brook. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Moss-covered boulder beside Bemis Brook. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Frankenstein Cliff towers over the trail head parking lot. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail Head, Crawford Notch State Park.

One of several small brooks that will merge to form Silver Cascade near the northern end of Webster Cliff. Summer, Webster-Jackson Trail, White Mountain National Forest.

Trail bridges must be replaced every once in a while, but here in the permanently wet outflow of Tisdale Spring, they rot especially quickly. Summer, Webster-Jackson Trail, White Mountain National Forest.

This sign marks Tisdale Spring, where the Webster-Jackson trail descends out of the alpine zone. Summer, Webster-Jackson Trail, White Mountain National Forest.

Trail bridges through the swampy balsam forest. Summer, Mizpah Cut-Off, White Mountain National Forest.

Crude stairs improve the footing on the muddy, steep part of the Mizpah Cut-Off just where it leaves Crawford Path. Summer, Mizpah Cut-Off, White Mountain National Forest.

A small stand of pitch pine (Pinus rigida) on the north shore of the Mill Pond, opposite my favorite sitting rock. The lone birch (Betula papyrifera) poking out of one spot near the left is just beginning to turn yellow. Early fall, Mine Falls Park

A narrow trail climbs up toward the main path. Early fall, Mine Falls Park

A huge patch of pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) in a shallow bay of the Mill Pond. Summer, Mine Falls Park

In early May, Arethusa Falls still has a bit of ice on its shaded southern side. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A tiny trickle of an unnamed brook forms a pretty little waterfall as the snowbound forest thaws out. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A good-sized brook with no name that I am aware of flows through the thawing forest. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A good-sized brook with no name that I am aware of flows through the thawing forest. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Morning sunlight spreads quickly through the forest, as spring is spreading at a more deliberate pace. Notice how the lower branches of the spruce (Picea rubens) and hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) saplings are still bent down, trapped under the surrounding snow, while their higher branches reach up toward the sunlight. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A hardwood forest of American beech (Fagus grandifolia) and more white birch (Betula papyrifera) than you usually see grows on a gentle, sunlit slope of the valley of Bemis Brook. Tall red spruces (Picea rubens) on the top of the ridge point down the direction of the prevailing winds. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

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

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 southwest from the meadow north of the Crawford Connector Trail Head. Mount Avalon at center, flank of Mount Tom at left and foreground. Early spring, White Mountain National Forest

Looking east from the Arethusa Falls Trail Head toward Montalban Ridge. The sun is above the horizon, but not yet above the eastern ridges. Early spring, Arethusa Falls Trail Head, Crawford Notch State Park

Hmmm ... I don't remember precisely where I took this picture. It was along Interstate 93 near the south end of Franconia Notch, but I don't remember precisely whether I was in the park or still south of it, and I don't know the area well enough to say for sure from memory. (I drive through it often, but I don't stop in Franconia Notch very often, and I don't recognize all the mountains.) That might be Mount Liberty in the middle, Mount Flume at right, and the southern flank of Little Haystack at left. Pretty pre-dawn sky, anyway. Early spring, Franconia Notch State Park

Hmmm ... I don't remember precisely where I took this picture. It was along Interstate 93 near the south end of Franconia Notch, but I don't remember precisely whether I was in the park or still south of it, and I don't know the area well enough to say for sure from memory. (I drive through it often, but I don't stop in Franconia Notch very often, and I don't recognize all the mountains.) I think this is Mount Flume. Pretty pre-dawn sky, anyway. Early spring, Franconia Notch State Park

A rather dramatic skyscape of cirrostratus clouds above maturing cumulonimbus thunderheads. Summer, Nashua, NH

A maturing cumulonimbus thunderhead beneath a layer of low cirrostratus clouds. Summer, Nashua, NH

A double-arc rainbow. Look at the rough triangle of sky formed by the rainbow, the top of the picture, and the trees on the right. About halfway from the rainbow to the opposite corner is a very faint rainbow with the sequence of colors reversed. (It shows better in the full-size version. Click on the picture.) (Photo taken with older Concord Eye-Q camera.) Summer, Nashua, NH

A bright, full-arc rainbow over my house. (Photo taken with older Concord Eye-Q camera.) Summer, Nashua, NH

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Arethusa Falls in spring flood. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls in spring flood. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls in spring flood. "My" ledge, the uppermost boulder on the right, is awash today. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Frankenstein Cliff rising above the bright green spring forest. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail Head, Crawford Notch State Park

A grove of pitch pine (Pinus rigida) across the narrow bay of the Mill Pond from my favorite sitting rock. The Mill Pond is free of ice, but the hardwood trees are still leafless and the ground cover is still brown. Early spring, Mine Falls 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

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

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 east from the top of Arethusa Falls on a crystal clear fall morning. Fall, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking east from the top of Arethusa Falls on a crystal clear fall day. Even now, near noon, the steep, narrow valley is in deep shadow. This is why Arethusa Falls remains frozen so late in the spring. It receives almost no direct sun from October until March. Fall, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking upstream from the top of Arethusa Falls. Even though it's only Thanksgiving Day, Bemis Brook has begun to freeze. Fall, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

The hillside where the Self-Guided Nature Trail descends from Brown Lane Barn to Beaver Brook Trail is a dense, old forest of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) and balsam fir (Abies balsamea), with a few pines and hardwoods here and there. Early summer, Self-Guided Nature Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Falling needles of pine and hemlock have collected into the countours of this old basalt boulder. Early summer, Self-Guided Nature Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Bouchard Bridge crosses a relatively fast-flowing part of Beaver Brook, providing a wide view of the swampy brook and its inhabitants. Early summer, Bouchard Bridge, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Looking north into the swampy margin of Beaver Brook from Bouchard Bridge. The nest box is intended for wood ducks (Aix sponsa), but I've never seen them there. Mostly, the red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) use it as a perch. Early summer, Bouchard Bridge, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

A summer skyscape above the swampy Beaver Brook. Early summer, Bouchard Bridge, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

A summer skyscape. Early summer, Bouchard Bridge, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

The Eastman Meadow Trail, north of Bouchard Bridge, passes through a mixed hardwood and evergreen forest, home to oak (Quercus sp.), American beech (Fagus grandifolia), and eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), with a few pines. Early summer, Eastman Meadow Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Looking northeast from the summit of Mount Jackson toward Mount Washington. Summer, Webster Cliff Trail, White Mountain National Forest

Looking north from the summit of Mount Jackson toward Mount Pierce, with Mizpah Spring Hut on its near flank. Notice the little cairn on the bare bedrock left and below center. In some places, these are the only visible trail markers, though they're not really necessary here on Mount Jackson. In most places, people just build them in random locations for the heck of it. Summer, Webster Cliff Trail, White Mountain National Forest

Looking west from the summit of Mount Jackson toward Bretton Woods and the Pemigewasset Wilderness. At the nearest portion of road (U.S. Route 302) that is visible, notice that there's a little clearing just showing above the intervening ridgeline. That is the far side of the large meadow on the north side of the parking lot at the Crawford Connector Trail Head. The parking lot, and most of the meadow, are hidden by the ridge. Summer, Webster Cliff Trail, White Mountain National Forest

Looking south from the summit of Mount Jackson beyond the southern end of Crawford Notch. Summer, Webster Cliff Trail, White Mountain National Forest

Looking west from Elephant Head as the sun disappears behind Mount Tom. Summer, Elephant Head, Crawford Notch State Park

The Merrimack River flows gently between forested banks, hidden from the suburban sprawl all around. Summer, Town of Andover Conservation Commission, Andover, MA

This swampy backwater of the Merrimack River supports a variety of aquatic plants and animals, and slow-water fish. Summer, Town of Andover Conservation Commission, Andover, MA

Bemis Brook skips across stair-step granite ledges between Bemis Falls and Fawn Pool. Spring, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Bemis Brook skips across stair-step granite ledges between Bemis Falls (in the distance) and Fawn Pool (behind the camera). Spring, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls in spring flood. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls in spring flood. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls in spring flood. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

For years, trees have been dying and falling into this gully and rotting away, but the hobblebush lives and blooms. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

The little swamp on the south side of Bemis Brook above Arethusa Falls. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

The little swamp on the south side of Bemis Brook above Arethusa Falls. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

The little swamp on the south side of Bemis Brook above Arethusa Falls. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Bemis Brook above Arethusa Falls. This is the place where I usually cross after climbing the cliff on the south side of the waterfall, then make my way down to the ledge on the north side. This point is just about opposite the little swamp. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Bemis Brook above Arethusa Falls, looking upstream from the little swamp, about a hundred feet back from the waterfall. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking upstream from the ledge atop Arethusa Falls. This steep riffle, visible from Frankenstein Cliff, is technically part of the waterfall, though it is not vertical. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking east along the valley of Bemis Brook from my crossing point above Arethusa Falls. Frankenstein Cliff appears beyond the trees on the left, Montalban Ridge in the distance, misty with spring rain. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking east along the valley of Bemis Brook from the top of Arethusa Falls. Frankenstein Cliff is on the left, Montalban Ridge in the distance, including the prominent Giant Stairs on Stairs Mountain at center. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking down from the top of Arethusa Falls. I'm on the south side, before I head upstream to cross. The ledge where I usually kick back is the uppermost rock on the left. A sprig of swamp honeysuckle (Rhododendron viscosum) overhangs the waterfall from the right. It blooms almost a month later here than down in Nashua. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking down from the top of Arethusa Falls, from "my" ledge on the north side. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) wheels above Frankenstein Cliff, as we look down the valley of Bemis Brook from the top of Arethusa Falls. Later this day, we hiked to the top of Frankenstein Cliff and saw a falcon fighting with a raven. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking south along the cliff from the top of Arethusa Falls. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A little stream with no name that I'm aware of trickling among the boulders, flanked by blossoming hobblebush and other spring greenery. Spring, Arethusa-Ripley Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A little stream with no name that I'm aware of cascading down the cliff above before seeping across the trail. Spring, Arethusa-Ripley Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking southwest from the Frankenstein Cliff Trail. Spring, Frankenstein Cliff Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking west from the Frankenstein Cliff Trail along Frankenstein Cliff. Spring, Frankenstein Cliff Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking southwest from the Frankenstein Cliff Trail toward Arethusa Falls and Mount Bemis, framed by a couple of pine trees (Pinus strobus). The hardwoods below, mostly American beech (Fagus grandifolia) and white birch (Betula papyrifera) carpet the mountain with the pale greens of spring. Spring, Frankenstein Cliff Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking southwest from the Frankenstein Cliff Trail toward Arethusa Falls and Mount Bemis, framed by a flowering maple tree (Acer sp.). Spring, Frankenstein Cliff Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking south from the Frankenstein Cliff Trail across the valley of Bemis Brook. Notice how hardwoods predominate on the sunny areas, and evergreens on the shaded slopes. Spring, Frankenstein Cliff Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking southeast from Frankenstein Cliff toward the dramatic "breaking wave" of Mount Crawford. Spring, Frankenstein Cliff Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking west-southwest from Frankenstein Cliff toward Arethusa Falls. Spring, Frankenstein Cliff Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking west-southwest from Frankenstein Cliff toward Arethusa Falls. "My" ledge is just to the right of the middle section, above where the waterfall fans out before disappearing behind the trees. Spring, Frankenstein Cliff Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Weather-blasted jack pines (Pinus banksiana) on the edge of Frankenstein Cliff. Even the near-dead one on the right has some life in it, as the green needles on its topmost branch attest. Spring, Frankenstein Cliff Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

This stunted birch (Betula papyrifera) on the edge of Frankenstein Cliff is older than its seven-foot height might suggest. They must be somewhere around eight years old, usually about 12 feet tall, before their bark turns white. Mount Crawford in the background, Saco River, Route 302, and the lower parking lot of the Arethusa Falls Trail Head below. Spring, Frankenstein Cliff Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

This little seep dripping down a vertical rock face provides cool shade and moisture on a hot afternoon as you wend your way down the switchbacks from Frankenstein Cliff. Spring, Frankenstein Cliff Trail, 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

Gibbs Falls running low in the middle of a dry summer. The geologically recent change in its path is even more apparent in these conditions, and the casual observer might suppose that the waterfall moves farther to the left in normal, higher rainfall conditions. This is not so, and the waterfall flows pretty much where we see it now even in flood conditions. Summer, Crawford Path, White Mountain National Forest

Looking northeast along the Presidential Range from the peak of Mount Jackson. At left is Mount Pierce, then Mount Jefferson in the distance, then round-topped Mount Eisenhower, then Mount Washington. There are other peaks between Eisenhower and Washington, but they don't show up well against the backdrop of Mount Washington. Summer, Webster Cliff Trail, White Mountain National Forest

Mount Washington seen from the upper bog on the north flank of Mount Jackson. Summer, Webster Cliff Trail, White Mountain National Forest

Looking north from the upper bog on the north flank of Mount Jackson, we see the Mizpah Springs Hut on the side of Mount Pierce. Summer, Webster Cliff Trail, White Mountain National Forest

Looking northeast along the Presidential Range from the upper bog on the north flank of Mount Jackson. At left is Mount Pierce, then Mount Eisenhower, then Mount Washington (with the forest of antennas on top). Summer, Webster Cliff Trail, White Mountain National Forest

Looking down into Saco Lake from Idlewild overlook. Summer, Saco Lake Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking southwest across Saco Lake from Idlewild overlook. At left is the shoulder of Mount Willard. Next in the distance is Mount Willey. At center, Mount Tom. To the right, the shoulder of Mount Avalon. Summer, Saco Lake Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

The Saco River tumbles over boulders of pink and gray granite as it flows through a mixed hardwood and evergreen forest just upstream from the Dry River Campground. Late spring, Saco River, Crawford Notch State Park

The Saco River flows through a flowery meadow near the Dry River Campground. Late spring, Saco River, Crawford Notch State Park

Mosses and other plants line the cracks in the pink granite beside the Saco River. There are many veins of pink granite in the Crawford Notch area, including this one near the Dry River Campground. In the foreground, gravel dropped by the river in flood lies atop the more common gray granite. Late spring, Saco River, Crawford Notch State Park

Lupines (Lupinus perennis) and orange hawkweed (Pilosella aurantiaca) bathe the meadow near the Elephant Head Trail Head in a riot of color. Late spring, Elephant Head Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Bugle Cliff seen from the top of Elephant Head. Late spring, Elephant Head, Crawford Notch State Park

Floodwaters of spring thaw flow on top of the ice on Saco Lake. Across this narrow cove, you can see where a stream has carried a load of dirt, rocks, leaves, and logs out onto the ice. Spring, Saco Lake, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls in spring thaw, flanked by the last of the winter ice in the sunshine of a spring morning. There's the hint of a rainbow in the spray, just below the midpoint of the waterfall. Spring, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls in spring thaw, flanked by the last of the winter ice in the sunshine of a spring morning. There's the hint of a rainbow in the spray near the lower right corner of the picture. Spring, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls in spring thaw, seen from about halfway up the cliff on its south side. Spring, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking upstream from the ledge atop Arethusa Falls. This steep riffle, visible from Frankenstein Cliff, is technically part of the waterfall, though it is not vertical. The end-of-season snow on either side of the brook shows the dirt that has accumulated in it over the last few months. Spring, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

Spring thaw floodwaters leap over the edge of Arethusa Falls while snow and ice linger in the shaded woods below. Spring, Arethusa Falls, 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 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. Notice the red strap around the spruce tree, left by ice climbers to use again on their next visit. It remained there all through the following year. 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

The top of Arethusa Falls, on the north side of Bemis Brook. The ledge where I usually kick back is at the vertical center of the picture on the left. Notice the cracks growing in the ledge as it slowly slides over the edge of the cliff. When I first started coming here, in the late 1980s, the cracks were barely noticeable. The ledge has moved nearly a foot since then. Spring, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

The view from the top of Arethusa Falls. Spring, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

Sapling oaks (Quercus sp.) and various herbs prepare for fall on the bank of the Nashua Canal, while the surface of the canal is littered with fallen leaves. Notice that in addition to the leaves of hardwoods, the litter includes many needles of pitch pine (Pinus rigida). Pitch pine is strongly seasonal, losing nearly half its needles in the fall. Fall, Mine Falls Park

Elephant Head, late spring, Elephant Head, Crawford Notch

Profile Mountain, illuminated by the morning sunshine. This might not be meaningful to anyone outside of New Hampshire, but this was the former site of our beloved trademark geological formation, The Old Man of the Mountain. I took this photo just about a year after the Old Man crumbled and fell. (I'll scour my old archives for a picture of the Old Man as he was. For now, just look at our license plates.) Spring, Franconia Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls is swollen in spring thaw, while ice lingers on the shady southern side of the cliff. Spring, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

Strawberry fields forever. Wild strawberries (Fragaria virginiana) blanket a meadow near Elephant Head. Late spring, Crawford Notch State Park

Blueberry fields forever. Low-bush blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium) blanket a meadow near the Crawford Path trail head. Late spring, White Mountain National Forest

Bunchberry fields forever. Bunchberries (Cornus canadensis) blanket the roadside near the Crawford Path trail head. It's a bit unusual to see bunchberries growing out in the open like this. They usually grow in shady forests. And I don't think I've ever seen such a wide patch of them. (I know you're really enjoying this joke, but I'm afraid I'm all out of berry blossom pictures for now.) Late spring, White Mountain National Forest

A plaque commemorating the 1994 rededication of Crawford Path, the oldest continuously-used mountain trail in America. Late spring, Crawford Path, White Mountain National Forest

A steep hillside overlooking the narrow west end of the Mill Pond is covered with great laurel (Rhododendron maximum) and young maples (Acer sp.). Great laurel is one of the most common shrubs in the wooded areas of Mine Falls Park, but it is only conspicuous when it blooms in spring and summer, and when its leathery leaves are the only green thing in the forest understory in the dead of winter. Late spring, Mine Falls Park

Canada mayflowers (Maianthemum canadense) beside the trail. Spring, Mine Falls Park

The western bank of the Nashua Canal is carpeted with violets (Viola sororia) and alpine bluets (Houstonia caerulea var. Faxonorum) peeking out from the grass. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Looks like they'll have to find a new place to paint a trail blaze around here. Spring, Wapack Trail, Pack Monadnock

Horizontal layers of rock have sagged over the eons into curved layers, but cracked under the strain in more recent geological time. Spring, Wapack Trail, Pack Monadnock

A boulder of quartz, broken out of a large seam, gleams among the dull granite. Spring, Wapack Trail, Pack Monadnock

The trail crosses a rockslide. Spring, Wapack Trail, Pack Monadnock

Loose boulders lie on a steep incline as they slowly slide down the western side of Pack Monadnock. Spring, Wapack Trail, Pack Monadnock

Looking north-northwest from the summit of Pack Monadnock, North Pack Monadnock on the right, Crotched Mountain and Mount Kearsarge on the left, the White Mountains in the distant haze in between. Spring, Pack Monadnock

A knee-high forest of juniper (Juniperus sp.). Spring, Wapack Trail, Pack Monadnock

A vertical channel more than an inch wide has opened up in a boulder which otherwise has only horizontal layers. This may be a small example of a structure like a dike or flume, where a crack was filled with softer material, which is now eroding faster than the surrounding rock. Spring, Marion Davis Trail, Pack Monadnock

A classic New England stone fence, a relic from the time when Pack Monadnock was farmland more than a century ago. Spring, Marion Davis Trail, Pack Monadnock

Ledges of ancient rock crumble out from under the forest they support on Pack Monadnock. Spring, Marion Davis Trail, Pack Monadnock

The view looking north from Bouchard Bridge. Spring, Bouchard Bridge, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

This boardwalk carries the trail through the very marshy margins of Beaver Brook out to the Bouchard Bridge. The ground beneath the boardwalk is fairly dry now, but at some times of year, you'll be very glad there's a boardwalk! Spring, Bouchard Bridge, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Whirligig beetles (family Gyrinidae) milling about on the Beaver Pond. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

An unused dirt road is carpeted with Canada mayflowers (Maianthemum canadense), on its way to reverting to forest. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

The Beaver Brook area has more thoroughly mixed groundcover than most places I know. Instead of a wide swath of one plant here and another there, all types of plants are everywhere! In this picture, we see New Hampshire's ubiquitous Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense), Beaver Brook's equally ubiquitous partridge berry (Mitchella repens), numerous fringed polygala (Polygala panicifolia), and quite a few other small plants. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense) carpets much of Mine Falls Park in spring and early summer, here beside the trail on the south side of the Mill Pond. Spring, Mine Falls Park

A small stand of pitch pine (Pinus rigida) on the north shore of the Mill Pond, opposite my favorite sitting rock. A lone birch (Betula papyrifera) pokes out of one spot near the left. Spring, Mine Falls Park

A carpet of Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense) covers most of the shady to moderately sunny parts of Mine Falls Park from spring to fall. Spring, Mine Falls Park

A dense carpet of alpine bluets (Houstonia caerulea var. Faxonorum) in a sunny clearing, with a couple of dandelions (Taraxacum sp.) and a few violets (Viola sororia) in the mix. Spring, Mine Falls Park

A carpet of Violets (Viola sororia) in a sunny spot. Most of the greenery here is Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense), and not the leaves of the violets. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Moss-covered boulder on the edge of the Mill Pond surrounded by budding spring. I photographed this same boulder shortly after the pond froze the previous fall to make a nice set of contrasting pictures. Spring, Mine Falls Park

The Beaver Brook Trail, once a road for the tree farm, is still open to horses and bicycles. It is lined with mostly young white pines (Pinus strobus) and a mixture of even younger broadleaf trees, and the forest is carpeted with Canada mayflowers (Maianthemum canadense), not yet blooming. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

The Red Pine Trail begins near the cabins and climbs a hill forested with red pines (Pinus resinosa) to the Brown Lane Farm, headquarters of the Beaver Brook Association. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

A nest box intended for wood ducks (Aix sponsa) rising from the Beaver Pond. There are many examples like this where the Beaver Brook Association has attempted to enrich the environment for wildlife. After a century or so, there might be enough standing dead trees on this former tree farm that wood ducks and woodpeckers will no longer need these artificial nesting sites. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

An unused dirt road is carpeted with Canada mayflowers (Maianthemum canadense), not yet in bloom, on its way to reverting to forest. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Ripley Falls in spring thaw. I've never seen more water in Ripley Falls than this, but I don't go there very often in spring or fall flood seasons. Spring, Ripley Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Avalanche Brook, swollen in spring thaw, as seen from the railroad bridge on the Ripley Falls Trail. Spring, Ripley Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A sizeable stream flows across the Ripley Falls Trail. I usually go there in late summer, and I had referred to this little watercourse as a "seep." Now in spring thaw season, it is a good-sized brook, and you must walk along in the stream for a good twenty feet as you follow the trail. Spring, Ripley Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A small cascade above the Ripley Falls Trail might be considered a hundred-foot waterfall, but it's seasonal. In late summer, when I usually hike the Ripley Falls trail, this little brook is just a few damp rocks. Now in spring thaw season, it is a good-sized brook. Spring, Ripley Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

If you're looking for the Giant Toad, this boulder marks the spot. As you head up the trail, this is the first boulder with a blue blaze that projects into the trail. From this boulder, look up to the right. Spring, Ripley Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

The same boulder as you come down the trail. Look for the blue blaze on top of the boulder, then look up to the left. Spring, Ripley Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

The Giant Toad. I had hoped it would be easier to get a picture of the whole thing in spring, before the trees leaf out. It turns out that there are enough hemlocks in this immediate vicinity that you can't quite get an unobstructed view from any distance anyway. You'll just have to see it for real. Spring, Ripley Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

The Giant Toad. Spring, Ripley Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Various shrubs and saplings in vibrant fall colors decorate the shore of the Mill Pond. Fall, Mine Falls Park

A red-brown oak (Quercus sp.) forms a perfect backdrop for a yellow-leafed white birch (Betula papyrifera). Fall, Mine Falls Park

A red-brown oak (Quercus sp.) forms a perfect backdrop for a yellow-leafed white birch (Betula papyrifera). Fall, Mine Falls Park

A pair of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) cross the pond as the evening darkens the fall foliage. Fall, Mine Falls Park

Red-brown leaves of oaks (Quercus sp.) stand out in contrast against the deep green pines (Pinus sp.). Fall, Mine Falls 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

Swollen with meltwater and choked with snow and leaf litter, a tiny stream spreads out into what might be called a vernal pool. Only it's not spring, this is just an unusually warm day after an unusually warm week in January. Winter, Pack Monadnock

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

A fallen white pine (Pinus strobus) slowly decays into the Mill Pond as oaks (Quercus sp.) on the far shore put on their fall colors and white birches (Betula papyrifera) have already lost their leaves. I used to stand under this leaning pine on rainy Sunday afternoons, until it fell over a couple of years ago. Now I've found another leaning pine to shelter me. Fall, Mine Falls Park

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

The same footbridge a month earlier, immersed in fall colors. Fall, Mine Falls Park

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

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

They say that on a sufficiently clear day, you can see Boston from Pack Monadnock, but I think it's a myth. There is no such thing as a "sufficiently clear day." Fall, Pack Monadnock

This is almost a "micro-bog" where lichen has created a substrate for numerous small plants in a small depression on top of a very large boulder along the Wapack Trail north of the summit of Pack Monadnock. Fall, Pack Monadnock

This large boulder was obviously worn by flowing water for a very long time, but there are no rivers anywhere nearby, and there are no other such smooth-looking boulders in the area. It must have been scooped out of a riverbed by the ice sheets in the last ice age, then deposited here on the southeast side of Pack Monadnock. It may have come from the Connecticut River, about 50 miles away, or from many hundreds of miles away. Summer, Pack Monadnock

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

The ferns and mosses that took root on the little ledges of this crumbling boulder have begun to slide down the side of Pack Monadnock. The trees rooted in the cracks will follow before they become fully mature. 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

Majestic Mount Monadnock dominates the western skyline as seen from the summit of Pack Monadnock. Fall, Pack Monadnock

Looking west-southwest from the Wapack Trail on Pack Monadnock toward Peterborough, we see the legendary New England foliage spread out around Cunningham Pond. Fall, Pack Monadnock

This white pine (Pinus strobus) is growing out of a tiny crack in a large boulder right in the middle of the Wapack Trail. Notice the odd way its branches and needles grow, densely packed and all on the top side of the tree, unlike the other pine just ten feet away. I suspect this pine is much older than most in the area. Most pines and other trees on the western side of Pack Monadnock die young as the rocks on which they grow quickly erode down the mountain. Fall, Pack Monadnock

Classic New England stone fence on Pack Monadnock. It once separated two farms, and now marks the boundary between the state park (right) and the Nature Conservancy property (left). Fall, Pack Monadnock

This view of the Wapack Trail shows how rocky the western side of Pack Monadnock can be. All of this scree is slowly sliding down the mountain. Fall, Pack Monadnock

The Wapack Trail scrambles up several low cliffs like this one. Notice the trees rooted in the cracks in the ledge. Fall, Pack Monadnock

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, Arethusa Falls Trail, 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

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

This dripping wet monolith offers cool shade and dampness on a hot summer afternoon as you descend Frankenstein Cliff. Spring, Crawford Notch State Park

The same 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

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

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

The sign indicating the "outlook" near the highest point of the Frankenstein Cliff Trail, late fall, Crawford Notch State Park

Distances on trail signs are only approximate. From the intersection of the Arethusa Falls Trail along the Arethusa-Ripley Falls Trail to the Frankenstein Cliff Trail is 1.1 miles according to this sign. Late fall, Crawford Notch State Park

According to this sign, from the Frankenstein Cliff Trail along the Arethusa-Ripley Falls Trail to Arethusa Falls Trail is 1.2 miles. It's longer if you go this way! 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

The summit of Mount Washington from the overlook on Frankenstein Cliff Trail, 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

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

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 south from Frankenstein Cliff in spring. You can see the braided Saco River, U.S. Route 302, and the Conway Scenic Railroad headed for North Conway. Spring, 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

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

Trail sign is meant to indicate how to start your hike, but it also marks where to finish. (They spared every expense.) 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

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

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

Looking west-southwest from Frankenstein Cliff along the valley of Bemis Brook in spring. Arethusa Falls is near the right-hand edge of the picture, about a quarter of the way down. Spring, Crawford Notch State Park

Mizpah Cut-Off trail, entering the alpine zone, summer, Presidential Range

The lower of two bogs near the peak of Mount Jackson, summer, Presidential Range

The peak of Mount Jackson as seen from the lower bog, summer, Presidential Range

One last scramble up the rock, and you're above timberline on Mount Jackson, summer, Presidential Range

Looking northeast from Mount Jackson along the Presidential Range. Mount Pierce at left (with Mizpah Spring Hut on its near flank), round-domed Mount Eisenhower, Mount Franklin and Mount Monroe in foreground, Mount Washington dominating. In the distance, Mount Jefferson and Mount Clay. Summer, Presidential Range

Looking northwest from Bugle Cliff, Saco Lake on right, the swamp across the road at the northern foot of Mount Willard. The tiny speck of bare rock overlooking the swamp is the top of Elephant Head. Summer, White Mountain National Forest

The meadow north of Crawford Notch, early fall, White Mountain National Forest

The meadow north of Crawford Notch, early fall, White Mountain National Forest

The meadow north of Crawford Notch, early fall, White Mountain National Forest

The meadow north of Crawford Notch, early fall, White Mountain National Forest

The Saco Lake Trail, where it leaves the lake and enters the forest, early fall, Crawford Notch

Trail bridges on the Saco Lake Trail get you past a place where the rock face touches the lake itself, early fall, Crawford Notch

Looking northeast across Saco Lake, early fall, Crawford Notch

Looking east across Saco Lake, early fall, Crawford Notch

Northern slopes of Mount Willard (foreground) and Mount Tom (background), early fall, Crawford Notch

Elephant Head, early fall, Crawford Notch

Elephant Head, early fall, Crawford Notch

Trail bridges through the swamps on the Elephant Head Trail, early fall, Crawford Notch

Basalt bedrock on Elephant Head Trail. Near the bottom of the picture, about a third of the way from the left-hand side, is an odd depression that we've always called "the fossil." I don't really know what it is, but I'm sure it's not an actual fossil in basalt. Early fall, Crawford Notch

Looking west from the top of Elephant Head, down into the swamp. Mount Willard in left foreground, Mount Tom in the background. Early fall, Crawford Notch

Looking north from the top of Elephant Head to Saco Lake and the AMC Highland Center. Early fall, Crawford Notch

Bugle Cliff seen from Elephant Head, early fall, Crawford Notch

Looking south from the top of Elephant Head into Crawford Notch, early fall, Crawford Notch

Looking southwest from the top of Elephant Head at Mount Willard, early fall, Crawford Notch

Mount Eisenhower, early fall, White Mountain National Forest

Mount Washington, early fall, White Mountain National Forest

Mount Washington, early fall, White Mountain National Forest

Skyline of the southern Presidential Range, early fall, White Mountain National Forest

A stair-step horseshoe-shaped waterfall below the main part of Bemis Falls on Bemis Brook, late summer, Crawford Notch

A stair-step horseshoe-shaped waterfall below the main part of Bemis Falls on Bemis Brook, late summer, Crawford Notch

Coliseum Falls on Bemis Brook, late summer, Crawford Notch

Coliseum Falls on Bemis Brook, late summer, Crawford Notch

A little garden of ferns on a granite boulder, late summer, Presidential Range

A little garden of ferns on a granite boulder, late summer, Presidential Range

A gray jay (Perisoreus canadensis) near the summit of Mount Jackson. Mount Webster in the background, Mount Willard nearly lost in the haze below. Late summer, Presidential Range

The basalt bedrock of Mount Pierce can be seen at several points along the Mizpah Cut-Off. Although cracked and worn, it still shows gouges from the continental ice sheets that crept over it in the last glaciation. Glacial scars run from upper right to lower left. The Canadian Shield is northwest of here, toward the upper right of the picture. Late summer, Presidential Range

An aquatic flower garden, including pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) soft rush (Juncus effusus) and common cattail (Typha latifolia), summer, Mine Falls Park

Silver Cascade, early summer, Crawford Notch

Silver Cascade, early summer, Crawford Notch

A field of lupines (Lupinus perennis). Some are white when they first open, passing through pink before they become purple. Early summer, Crawford Notch

Layered rock cliff face, summer, Pack Monadnock

An overhanging ledge projecting above the forest, summer, Pack Monadnock

The moon above the trees, late summer, Crawford Notch

Arethusa Falls with far less water than usual, late summer, Crawford Notch

Overlooking Saco Lake from Idlewild Overlook, Crawford Depot on opposite shore, Mount Tom in background, summer, Crawford Notch

Looking northwest from Idlewild Overlook across Saco Lake, early summer, Crawford Notch

Ripley Falls, summer, Crawford Notch

The "Giant Toad" beside the Ripley Falls Trail, summer, Crawford Notch

The "Giant Toad" beside the Ripley Falls Trail, summer, Crawford Notch

The "Giant Toad" beside the Ripley Falls Trail, summer, Crawford Notch

The "Giant Toad" beside the Ripley Falls Trail, summer, Crawford Notch

My kids called this prominence at the north end of Webster Cliff "Baboon Head," late summer, Crawford Notch

Trail bridges in the swampy areas, like these on the Elephant Head Trail, make many of the White Mountain trails passable. Early summer, Crawford Notch

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

"Granddad's secret hideout" on top of Elephant Head, late spring, Crawford Notch

The swamp across the road from Elephant Head, northern slope of Mount Willard on left, Mount Tom background left, late spring, Crawford Notch

Same swamp in winter. Elephant Head is not nearly so popular in Winter. Can you find my car in the parking lot? Late fall, Crawford Notch

Bemis brook scoots across broken ledges between Bemis Falls and Fawn Pool, spring, Crawford Notch

Bemis Falls, spring, Crawford Notch

Coliseum Falls along Bemis Brook, spring, Crawford Notch

Another view of Coliseum Falls along Bemis Brook, spring, Crawford Notch

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

"Wild Bonsai" red spruces on top of Mount Jackson, summer, Presidential Range

Mount Willard as seen from the top of Mount Jackson. Not so large and imposing from 2,000 feet above! The next line of peaks behind it, from left, Mount Willey, Mount Field, Mount Avalon. In the distance, Zealand Mountain. Summer, Presidential Range

Mount Willard as seen from Willey Pond. Notice how the top is not a "peak," but a flat shelf. Early summer, Crawford Notch

Approaching the top of Mount Willard, early summer, Crawford Notch

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

Looking south into Crawford Notch from the top of Mount Willard. Crawford Notch is a textbook example of a U-shaped glacial valley. Early summer, 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. This wide, spacious shelf provides lots of quiet places to kick back, even on this very popular and easily climbed mountain. Early summer, Crawford Notch

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

The sign that marks the summit of Mount Willard, early summer, Crawford Notch

Elephant Head, mid-spring, Crawford Notch

Small waterfall with a pink granite boulder, mid-spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch

The east-facing side of Frankenstein Cliff, mid-spring, Arethusa Falls Trail Head, Crawford Notch

The south-facing main crag of Frankenstein Cliff, mid-spring, Arethusa Falls Trail Head, Crawford Notch

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

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

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

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

Frozen waterfall, late winter, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch

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

View from a secret cove, fall, The Mill Pond, Mine Falls Park

View from the point on the southwest shore, fall, The Mill Pond, Mine Falls Park

The bridge over the canal, fall, Nashua Canal, Mine Falls Park

White pines flank the canal, fall, Nashua Canal, Mine Falls Park

A sugar maple in fall colors leans precariously over the canal, fall, Nashua Canal, Mine Falls Park

The road along the north shore of the pond, fall, The Mill Pond, Mine Falls Park

Looking east along the Mill Pond from the height on the southwest shore, fall, The Mill Pond, Mine Falls Park

Maple trees across the pond, fall, The Mill Pond, Mine Falls Park

Birch trees across the pond, fall, The Mill Pond, Mine Falls Park

Looking south into Crawford Notch from Elephant Head, summer, Elephant Head, Crawford Notch

Bugle Cliff as seen from Elephant Head, summer, Elephant Head, Crawford Notch

Looking west into Crawford Notch from Mount Jackson. Mount Willard is nearly lost in the fog, summer, Mount Jackson, Presidential Range

Looking northwest from Mount Jackson. Mount Pierce is nearly lost in the fog, summer, Mount Jackson, Presidential Range

Gibbs Falls on Gibbs Brook along Crawford Path. Does it look familiar? This is the waterfall I use as a vertical margin on the left side of each page of this Web site. Notice the smooth stone to the left of the main fall, clearly indicating that the water flowed there very recently. Notice the boulder in the pool just over halfway up the waterfall, which slows the flow of the water as it begins its final plunge. Clearly, this boulder fell into that pool very recently and changed the whole character of the waterfall. Summer, Mount Pierce, Crawford Notch

Emerging on top of Elephant Head, late spring, Elephant Head, Crawford Notch

Elephant Head, late spring, Elephant Head, Crawford Notch

Arethusa Falls, late spring, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch

Frankenstein Cliff, spring, Arethusa Falls Trail Head, Crawford Notch

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