HIKING IN THE WHITE MOUNTAINS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

Since we have been here, co-workers have told us we needed to see the White Mountains in New Hampshire. The weather was supposed to be dry and warm so we headed towards "The Whites". Some of the scenery we drove past was reminiscent of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Not the dramatic mountains of Wyoming but domed, tree covered small mountains.  We saw a large ski resort complete with lifts and trails up the mountain, as well as plenty of tourist businesses including restaurants, shops, and hotels galore. Here are some scenic views taken from a tourist information center.

A different view showing a rocky mountain top with a sheer drop of over 100 feet. The sky was cobalt blue that day.

Our goal was to hike to Arethusa Falls, the single longest waterfall drop in New England. Our research showed the hiking time to be 60 minutes over a 1.5 mile trail with an altitude gain of 900 feet up, and 100 feet down with a difficulty of "moderate".

The day started beautifully with Google Maps getting us to the trailhead in about 2 hours. We headed up the trail until we came to this sign.

Relying on our research that the Bemis Brook trail would meet the main trail in a half mile, we took the trail to the left towards Bemis Brook. We encountered some significant roots to use as stepping stairs. Yes, the trail went up over those roots!  We climbed up and down boulders and vaulted over dead trees in the path, too.

The water in Bemis Brook was crystal clear as you can see below.

  This view reminded us of the many waterfalls we saw in Wyoming.

 
Here is a view of Coliseum Falls.

At Coliseum Falls, we searched the surrounding area, but we couldn't find the trail any more.  We saw markers on trees but did not understand what they signified. Yes, we were lost in terms of progressing forward. In one direction it looked like this.

Looking in another direction, we saw this.

Since there was no visible trail, we decided to head back to the parking area to eat lunch before trying the main trail to the falls.  We dreaded the hike back because of the difficult terrain of boulders and fallen trees on the path, when we had intended to only travel this difficult path one way.

The main trail was about 3 ft. wide in most areas and very rocky. But, it was easy to follow!

In some areas, there were staircases made of mostly rocks but with a few horizontal logs to hold the rocks in place.

The last portion of the trail was actually down towards the base of the falls. Here you can see some hikers who got under the falls to be cooled by the cascading water.

The multi-tiered plunge appears to fall from the sky. Notice how graceful the falls appears to be. 

A more close-up view.

The constant up, up, and up with minimal level areas along the trail made this the hardest hike we have ever taken, even more than those we hiked in Wyoming.

Despite the difficulty, the view of the falls from the base of the falls was spectacular. Our photos do not do the view justice.

As physically drained as we were, we needed to get back down the trail. Going down was no easier than going up. Climbing down the trail seemed to put more pressure on our knees and feet. 

During the down portion, we had a mystery to solve. Where did the Bemis Falls trail meet the main trail?  We looked for markers on trees, which were just paint splotches on tree trunks now and then.  We finally found the "trail" join, using the term loosely.  From the Coliseum waterfall, we would have had to climb a 60 degree unmarked hillside slope, grabbing onto trees or boulders to pull ourselves up.  No, thanks!  Not our style of hiking, even if we had found the trail from the bottom of the hill. This is the view from the main trail looking down towards Coliseum Falls. Do you see a trail?

After finally arriving at the parking lot, we were two tired hikers. We had sweated a lot during the hike in the heat and had drunk all our water along the trail.  Being very thirsty and hungry, we headed to the closest town, North Conway, NH, to visit a brew pub recommended by a work colleague. The beer was cold and the food was good at the Moat Mountain Smokehouse and Brewing Company.  We have enjoyed tasting local craft beers all over the area and will miss that aspect of our travels when we return to Florida.

As tired as we were, we determined that this hike was worthwhile for the views which were so different than what we have seen previously in Maine while hiking mostly along the coast. In the future, we will pay closer attention to the descriptions of hikes, especially the elevation gains.