Free Pictures of Landscapes

White birches (Betula papyrifera) overhang the Mill Pond. Their reflections can only be seen in a small open patch in the morass of floating aquatic vegetation on the over-fertilized pond. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

Looking northwest across the Mill Pond. The shallows are covered with a lush growth of water milfoil (Myriophyllum sp.) entwined with spirogyra (Spirogyra sp.) and interspersed with patches of floating duckweed (Lemna minor). The trails through this morass mark the passage of beavers (Castor canadensis) and muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus). Summer, Mine Falls Park.

Wildlife Pond is a veritable meadow of American lotus (Nelumbo lutea). Summer, Wildlife Pond Loop Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH.

The lower, smaller, and drier of the two bogs on the northern shoulder of Mount Jackson. I don't know what those cottony seed heads are. I always see them here, and I've also seen them on Mount Monadnock, but I've never seen so many. They usually occur in small clumps, usually near the edges of the bog, but this day, they covered the entire bog. This may have some connection to this year's unusually wet and cool spring and summer. If you have a clear idea what this plant is, please let me know via the contact page. Summer, Webster Cliff Trail, Presidential Range, White Mountain National Forest.

The lower, smaller, and drier of the two bogs on the northern shoulder of Mount Jackson. I don't know what those cottony seed heads are. I always see them here, and I've also seen them on Mount Monadnock, but I've never seen so many. They usually occur in small clumps, usually near the edges of the bog, but this day, they covered the entire bog. This may have some connection to this year's unusually wet and cool spring and summer. If you have a clear idea what this plant is, please let me know via the contact page. Summer, Webster Cliff Trail, Presidential Range, White Mountain National Forest.

The higher, larger, and wetter of the two bogs on the northern shoulder of Mount Jackson was also covered with a dense stand of those cottony seed heads such as I had never seen before. I don't know what they are. If you have a clear idea what this plant is, please let me know via the contact page. Summer, Webster Cliff Trail, Presidential Range, White Mountain National Forest.

Everyone I met between Mizpah Springs Hut and Mount Jackson warned me that the trail bridges across one of the bogs were under the mud. One man warned me that there was a gap, but most said, "Just walk straight and trust that the planks are there, and you'll be all right." Turns out there were, indeed, no gaps. Besides, I was able to see the water and mud "gooshing" up from the gaps between the planks as my weight forced the bridges down into the muck, so it was easy to see where the planks were. The mud on top of the bridges never got above two inches up my hiking boots, so it was no problem. Not sure why the mud was so deep this year. Maybe these new bridges just don't have as much footing as the old ones. I've been hiking up Mount Jackson for nearly twenty years, and never saw the mud on top of the bridges before. Summer, Webster Cliff Trail, Presidential Range, White Mountain National Forest.

The higher, larger, and wetter of the two bogs on the northern shoulder of Mount Jackson was also covered with a dense stand of those cottony seed heads such as I had never seen before. I don't know what they are. If you have a clear idea what this plant is, please let me know via the contact page. Summer, Webster Cliff Trail, Presidential Range, White Mountain National Forest.

Looking toward Mount Washington from the upper bog on the north slope of Mount Jackson. The bog is covered with a dense stand of those cottony seed heads such as I had never seen before. I don't know what they are. If you have a clear idea what this plant is, please let me know via the contact page. Summer, Webster Cliff Trail, Presidential Range, White Mountain National Forest.

Looking toward the peak of Mount Jackson from the upper bog. Summer, Webster Cliff Trail, Presidential Range, White Mountain National Forest.

The last scramble up the rock before reaching the summit of Mount Jackson. The cracks in the bare granite peak of Mount Jackson were decorated with a dense growth of diapensia (Diapensia lapponica). It seems that it does not bloom in such profusion every year. I visit Mount Jackson at least once a year, and often twice, and I can only recall seeing this many diapensia flowers once before, at least ten years ago. It is a perennial plant, so the plants are always there, but not always the flowers. Summer, Webster Cliff Trail, Presidential Range, White Mountain National Forest.

Looking toward Mount Webster from the peak of Mount Jackson. The bare rock in the foreground is decorated with diapensia (Diapensia lapponica). Summer, Webster Cliff Trail, Presidential Range, White Mountain National Forest.

The cracks in the bare granite peak of Mount Jackson were decorated with a dense growth of diapensia (Diapensia lapponica). It seems that it does not bloom in such profusion every year. I visit Mount Jackson at least once a year, and often twice, and I can only recall seeing this much diapensia once before, at least ten years ago. It is a perennial plant, so the plants are always there, but not always the flowers. Summer, Webster-Jackson Trail, Presidential Range, White Mountain National Forest.

Wildlife Pond, on the Beaver Brook Association lands in Hollis, NH, may be the largest stand of American lotus (Nelumbo lutea) that I know. The upper part of the pond, above the causeway where Old City Trail crosses the pond, is literally covered with them. Summer, Wildlife Pond Loop Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH.

Stairway to Heaven. The "Giant Stairs" on Stairs Mountain disappear into the clouds. Late spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Arethusa Falls swollen with late spring rains. Late spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Arethusa Falls swollen with late spring rains. Late spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

The ledge at the top of Arethusa Falls is partly awash, but not too bad. I could still stand there for an hour or so, but I didn't sit down. Late spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Notice the cracks in the ledge. You can see that the three boulders on top - which were part of the solid ledge just twenty years ago - are being nudged closer to the edge with every spring flood. One of these years, I'll have to find a new place to sit. Late spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Looking down from the top of Arethusa Falls. Two young red spruce trees (Picea rubens) look like something artificial, with their neat shelves of branches trimmed with pale green new growth. Late spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

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

Looking northeast along the narrow western bay of the Mill Pond. The marshy point in the foreground is home to cattails (Typha latifolia), soft rush (Juncus effusus), and other mud-loving plants fading to winter brown, while the northern shore is ablaze with oak (Quercus sp.), white birch (Betula papyrifera), and sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) against a backdrop of white pine (Pinus strobus). Fall, Mine Falls Park.

Oaks (Quercus sp.) are among the last deciduous trees to turn color and shed their leaves, blazing with rich red or golden yellow, depending on the species. The American beeches (Fagus grandifolia) are already bare, and only the towering white pines (Pinus strobus) are still green. Fall, Mine Falls Park.

Oaks (Quercus sp.) are among the last deciduous trees to turn color and shed their leaves, blazing with rich red or golden yellow, depending on the species. The American beeches (Fagus grandifolia) are already bare, and only the towering white pines (Pinus strobus) are still green. Fall, Mine Falls Park.

Again we see oaks (Quercus sp.) turning red and yellow among the bare American beeches (Fagus grandifolia) and the green pines (Pinus sp.). The pitch pines (P. rigida) at left are smaller and bushier than the tall white pines (P. strobus). Notice that the young white birch (Betula papyrifera) near the pitch pines is still bright yellow. Young trees often keep their leaves a little longer than the mature trees of their species. Underneath this young birch is where the beavers built their newest lodge the year after this photo was taken. Fall, Mine Falls Park.

The northern shore of the Mill Pond glows with oak (Quercus sp.) and white birch (Betula papyrifera) upstaging the taller white pines (Pinus strobus). Fall, Mine Falls Park.

A trio of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) feeding on water milfoil (Myriophyllum sp.) and other aquatic plants in the shallows of the narrow western bay of the Mill Pond. Fall, Mine Falls Park

A tongue of open water slowly advances through the ice in the narrow western bay of the Mill Pond. Late winter, Mine Falls Park.

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

Trees in fall colors reflected in the Mill Pond, blazing extra bright in the westering sun. Fall, Mine Falls Park.

Trees in fall colors reflected in the Mill Pond. Even the white pines (Pinus strobus) are burnished by the late afternoon sunshine. Fall, Mine Falls Park.

Trees in fall colors reflected in the Mill Pond. The small pitch pines (Pinus rigida) at left have a brownish tinge, as they lose nearly half their needles in the fall. Fall, Mine Falls Park.

Trees in fall colors reflected in the Mill Pond. Fall, Mine Falls Park.

Trees in fall colors reflected in the Mill Pond. On the opposite bank, a small white birch (Betula papyrifera) stands in front of a beaver lodge about 1/3 of the way from the left-hand edge of the picture. Fall, Mine Falls Park.

Trees in fall colors reflected in the Mill Pond. On the opposite bank, a small white birch (Betula papyrifera) stands in front of a beaver lodge about 1/3 of the way from the left-hand edge of the picture. Fall, Mine Falls Park.

Trees in fall colors reflected in the Mill Pond. On the opposite bank, a small white birch (Betula papyrifera) stands in front of a beaver lodge about 1/3 of the way from the left-hand edge of the picture. In this picture, the browning of The pitch pines (Pinus rigida) at left is especially obvious. Unlike most conifers, pitch pines are strongly seasonal, losing nearly half their needles in the fall. Fall, Mine Falls Park.

Cloudscape in the late afternoon sunshine in fall. Fall, Mine Falls Park.

In late afternoon, brightly-lit clouds are reflected in the darkening Mill Pond. Fall, Mine Falls Park.

Cloudscape in the late afternoon sunshine in fall. Fall, Mine Falls Park.

Cloudscape in the late afternoon sunshine in fall. Fall, Mine Falls Park.

Cloudscape in the late afternoon sunshine in fall. Fall, Mine Falls Park.

Cloudscape in the late afternoon sunshine in fall. Fall, Mine Falls Park.

Cloudscape in the late afternoon sunshine in fall. Fall, Mine Falls Park.

Cloudscape in the late afternoon sunshine in fall. Fall, Mine Falls Park.

Fall foliage reflected in the Mill Pond. Fall, Mine Falls Park.

An American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) turns golden yellow among the red leaves of silver maple (Acer saccharinum) and the green oaks (Quercus sp.) and pines (Pinus strobus). Fall, Mine Falls Park.

Maples (Acer sp.) turn yellow and red, while the oaks (Quercus sp.) stay dark green for another week or two. Fall, Mine Falls Park.

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 has nearly lost its leaves. Fall, Mine Falls Park

Looking across the narrow western neck of the Mill Pond, the fall foliage reflected in the still water. Fall, Mine Falls Park.

Mine Falls. This natural-looking waterfall is actually a spillway beside the dam, but there was once a natural waterfall here. Fall, Mine Falls Park.

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 Downloaded 101 Times.

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 Downloaded 143 Times.

"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 Downloaded 138 Times.

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 Downloaded 138 Times.

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 Downloaded 216 Times.

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 Downloaded 223 Times.

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 Downloaded 207 Times.

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 Downloaded 143 Times.

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 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 Downloaded 235 Times.

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 Downloaded 321 Times.

A knee-high forest of juniper (Juniperus sp.). Spring, Wapack Trail, Pack Monadnock Downloaded 133 Times.

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 Downloaded 501 Times.

A red-brown oak (Quercus sp.) forms a perfect backdrop for a yellow-leafed white birch (Betula papyrifera). Fall, Mine Falls Park Downloaded 144 Times.

A red-brown oak (Quercus sp.) forms a perfect backdrop for a yellow-leafed white birch (Betula papyrifera). Fall, Mine Falls Park Downloaded 161 Times.

Frankenstein Cliff is lightly dusted with new-fallen snow, winter, Crawford Notch Downloaded 280 Times.

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 Downloaded 503 Times.

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 Downloaded 285 Times.

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 Downloaded 290 Times.

Lightly falling snow glitters among the trees in the weak morning sunshine. Late fall, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park Downloaded 232 Times.

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 Downloaded 599 Times.

This dripping wet monolith offers cool shade and dampness on a hot summer afternoon as you descend Frankenstein Cliff. Spring, Crawford Notch State Park Downloaded 3,304 Times.

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 Downloaded 295 Times.

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 Downloaded 175 Times.

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 Downloaded 153 Times.

A little garden of ferns on a granite boulder, late summer, Presidential Range Downloaded 372 Times.

A little garden of ferns on a granite boulder, late summer, Presidential Range Downloaded 330 Times.

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 Downloaded 123 Times.

An aquatic flower garden, including pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) soft rush (Juncus effusus) and common cattail (Typha latifolia), summer, Mine Falls Park Downloaded 372 Times.

A field of lupines (Lupinus perennis). Some are white when they first open, passing through pink before they become purple. Early summer, Crawford Notch Downloaded 128 Times.

Layered rock cliff face, summer, Pack Monadnock Downloaded 382 Times.

The swamp across the road from Elephant Head, northern slope of Mount Willard on left, Mount Tom background left, late spring, Crawford Notch Downloaded 180 Times.

"Wild Bonsai" red spruces (Picea rubens) on top of Mount Jackson, summer, Presidential Range Downloaded 176 Times.

Mount Willard as seen from Willey Pond. Notice how the top is not a "peak," but a flat shelf. Early summer, Crawford Notch Downloaded 127 Times.

Ice climber halfway up the waterfall, late winter, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch Downloaded 128 Times.

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 Downloaded 134 Times.