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Join Allison Bell, author of Field Guide to the New England Alpine Summits, as she shares her photography expertise in this engaging evening program. Learn basics of wildlife camera operation, explore strategies for set-up and locations, and discover possibilities for natural history observations.
Highland Happenings Featured Evening Programs are FREE and OPEN to the public. For more information, please call (603) 278-4453.
Starting May 6, nine holes will be available for play on the Mt. Washington Course, and the Mt. Washington Resort will roll out additional holes as conditions allow. TreeTop Golf will be open too with the latest in golf apparel, equipment and accessories.
The Mt. Washington Auto Road will begin its 156th season on Saturday, April 29 for guests to drive their own vehicles to treeline at 4,200 feet.
Operating hours will be 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., weather permitting. The 4.5 mile drive to treeline provides stunning vistas of the northern Presidentials and Great Gulf Wilderness offering a true taste of the Mount Washington experience!
A reduced rate of just $29 per vehicle to Drive Yourself includes: the famous bumper sticker and an audio tour on CD.
Safety considerations dictate that some vehicles cannot be permitted on the Auto Road please view our vehicle restrictions page before you visit.
Join AMC for our celebration of Earth Day! On Saturday, April 22, at AMC’s Highland Center, we’ll have an open house all day from 10am-4pm, with an outdoor picnic lunch from 11am-4pm. We’ll have family friendly activities ongoing throughout the day, including Trailhead Trash pickup, Recycled Crafts, Litter Relay, Energy Savings, Citizen Science, and more. We’ll also have representation from local conservation advocates and businesses on hand throughout the day for Q&A. This is a great opportunity for both kids and adults to get involved in conservation. The event will take place rain or shine, with lots of indoor activities in case of rain. All activities are FREE and OPEN to the public!
Activity Stations: Ongoing, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — • Recycled Crafts • Earth’s Geology • Energy Savings • Green Technology • Leave No Trace • Citizen Science
Scheduled Activities:
10:30 a.m. – Trailhead Trash Pickup
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Earth Day Outdoor Picnic
12 p.m. – Kids’ Scavenger Hunt
2 p.m. – Litter Relay
3 p.m. – Dark Skies Talk
5 p.m. – Social Hour & Meet Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust’s Rebecca Brown
For more information, please call (603) 278-4453 or visit the event page on Facebook.
Mud season hiking etiquette calls for staying in the middle of the trail and stepping on rocks, when possible.
Mud season can be a challenge for hikers and trail maintainers alike. So if you want to hike in the spring, knowing how to safely enjoy soggy trails without destroying them is an essential outdoor skill.
Wet Trails are Fragile
“More and more people are hiking year-round, and while it is wonderful to have people enjoying the trails, [hikers] are also having an impact,” says Alex DeLucia, the manager of AMC’s trails volunteers and Leave No Trace programs.
According to DeLucia, the saturated surfaces following spring snowmelt are a trail maintainer’s nightmare. Each hiker’s step churns up mud and sets the stage for serious erosion. “Some maintainers would like to see most trails closed in mud season, but we prefer to ask people to hike responsibly in all seasons,” he says.
Early spring hiking etiquette requires always walking in the center of the treadway. Sticking to rocks wherever possible will preserve both the trail and your footwear, and stepping into water and mud when necessary will minimize trail damage. Although you may be tempted to walk along the sides of the trail to keep your feet dry, doing so loosens soil and makes the trail more susceptible to erosion.
Mud and Ice are Slippery
A muddy trail forces you to slow down and pay attention to each step. Lug-soled hiking boots caked with mud don’t provide much traction, and a slip could be embarrassing or, worse, lead to injury. Expect to hike slower than normal and plan a shorter hike than you would when trails are dry. Once you do hit the trail, proceed with caution.
Trekking poles are helpful on wet trails, both to keep you upright and to probe the depths of what you’re stepping into. But, DeLucia cautions, poles loosen soil and accelerate erosion, so minimize your impact by fitting them with rubber tips.
Trails at high altitudes or in shaded areas can pose an additional challenge, with rails of winter ice lingering down the center of the trail. Traction aids, such as MICROspikes, are essential in these conditions.
Choose your Hike Wisely
A trail you can hike in soggy spring conditions without causing irreparable damag is a rare and precious find. This is not the season for exploring lowlands or wetlands, nor is it the time to hike steep basins, such as the Great Gulf or Wild River wilderness areas in the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF), where crossing runoff-swollen streams is dangerous.
In the mountains, the best spring trails are well-constructed, well-traveled routes that have been hardened for heavy use; the lower half of the Tuckerman Ravine Trail in the WMNF is a perfect example. Or follow a south-facing, rocky ridgeline trail; Old Toll Road to White Cross on Mount Monadnock in southern New Hampshire is a personal favorite. You’ll still encounter mud and ice, just not as much.
If you want an absolutely clear conscience, hike a sandy coastal route, such as the Great Island Trail in Wellfleet, Mass., or a road that’s closed in the spring, such as those on Mount Greylock in western Massachusetts, or Pack Monadnock or Cathedral Ledge in New Hampshire. Mud season is also an opportune time to explore old railbeds, like the Presidential Rail Trail between Gorham and Whitefield, N.H., which were built with heavier traffic in mind.
Keep Feet Dry and Comfy
Choosing springtime footwear is a conundrum: 6-inch-high water-proof boots don’t suffice when you step in an 8-inch-deep puddle, but knee-high rubber boots don’t offer adequate cushion or support.
Wearing gaiters will help keep your feet dry in the cold spring mud. You also could invest in a pair of knee-high waterproof socks and rubber-soled wading or portage boots—popular with anglers and paddlers. Your feet stay warm, you get the traction you need for safety, and you can comfortably walk in the center of the trail to reduce your impact.
LEARN MORE
Mud season also means high water levels. Learn how to cross moving water safely here.
When the temperatures warm up under the gorgeous blue skies of spring, the sun goes to work on the snowpack at the higher elevations sending torrents of icy water cascading down from the mountains, into waiting rivers that carry it to the sea. These are the days that are perfect to go Waterfall Watching in New Hampshire’s North Country.
There are literally hundreds of waterfalls scattered throughout the region. Some are hidden, only to be seen by backcountry hikers and sportsmen, while others were conveniently crafted in the last Ice Age next to, or a few steps from, the road.
Waterfalls are beautiful any time of the year, but in the spring, they cascade at their mightiest, so it’s a good time to watch the power of nature and be mesmerized by the sight and the sound of the rushing water.
A few of our favorite falls follow:
SILVER CASCADE AND FLUME CASCADE: These twin falls are located side by side a few miles east of the Omni Mount Washington Hotel, at the top of Crawford Notch. They are located right alongside Route 302, with a parking lot across the road from both of them. (Be sure to watch for traffic as you cross, as this is a busy road!)
Both have been delighting visitors for more than a century, inspiring Thomas Starr King to write in his 1887 book, The White Hills: “The Flume and Silver Cascade pouring down from Mount Webster have gladdened the eyes of almost all visitors, for they are visible from the road.”
GLEN ELLIS FALLS AND CRYSTAL CASCADE: These falls are located relatively close to one another in Pinkham Notch, a few miles south of the Mount Washington Auto Road on Route 16. Both are well marked and accessible by an easy walk along trails.
Children will love the quarter-mile trek to Glen Ellis Falls because the trail goes through a tunnel under the roadway. The two-tiered falls are one of the loveliest, dropping about 65 feet.
Park at the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Pinkham Notch base camp and take the three-tenths of a mile walk up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail to see Crystal Cascade. It is especially impressive as Mount Washington shrugs off winter and the water drops down 60 feet to another 20-foot plunge.
BEAVER BROOK FALLS: These falls are a great treat any time of the year. Located about 2.5 miles north from downtown Colebrook on Route 145, there is a pretty little wayside with tables, so go on a nice day, and be sure to grab some picnic fixings.
The falls drop broadly over the rocks for about 100 feet.
BABY FLUME: On the downside of Route 26, a stone’s throw east from The Balsams in Dixville Notch, Flume Brook pours through Baby Flume, creating its own gorge. There is a parking area for visitors, as well as picnic tables and the gorge itself is just a few steps from your car.
HUNTINGTON CASCADES: Right across the road from Baby Flume is another Dixville Notch waterfall, Huntington Cascades. For just a few minutes of walking on level ground you’ll be rewarded by the sight of the pretty, two-tiered fan of water close to 100 feet high.
GARFIELD FALLS: This is a waterfall for the true adventurer, for it requires setting out along one of the well-maintained logging roads in Pittsburg.
For this trip, you will want to be sure the gas tank is full. Take Route 3 to Magalloway Road. Turn onto Magalloway Road, and follow it for 12.2 miles until you get to a fork in the road. Stay straight — you don’t want to go over the bridge — and continue for another mile.
There is a parking area at the head of the trail leading down to the falls, an easy hike that includes some stairs. Follow the sound of the surging water and there are the falls, a pretty 40-foot drop in the East Branch of the Dead Diamond River.
History says that Garfield Falls was such an obstacle during log drives that men would be lowered by ropes to open jams and that if the logs had wedged up too tight, they’d be blown apart by dynamite.
There is no such drama today and it is a quiet and relaxing place. Below the falls, the water continues on placidly and once summer arrives there are places where you can dip your toes if you dare.
Waterfall Watching Tips:
Be sure to wear good sturdy footwear, especially in the melting season, because the ground will be wet and the rocks will be slippery.
The warmer the day, the nicer it is for a picnic lunch! A number of waterfalls have places where you can picnic and enjoy your lunch along with the ambiance, and many local restaurants will pack you a lunch to go.
Bring along a camera and play with your aperture settings to capture the mood and flow of the waterfalls.
Use caution if tempted to climb up the rocks beside the falls — you don’t want to slip and injure yourself.
By Eileen Alexander
A combination of impeccable hospitality, top notch accommodations and amenities, and amazing views of the mountain peaks from which it takes its name, have delighted visitors to the Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa for more than 150 years.
Come April, visitors to the Grand Hotel will relish the awakening landscape, misty mornings, sunny afternoons, and the glorious mountain vistas, while indulging in some much-needed R&R.
With a plethora of amenities from which to choose, it’s easy to plan a fun-filled day, or a quieter sojourn at the famous resort. Splash in the indoor pool, indulge yourself in the award-winning Tower Spa, take a hotel history tour, continue your fitness routine in the Health & Wellness Center, visit the farm animals, or relax in the in-house theater. Connect with family and friends over a meal in the casual Harvest Tavern Restaurant or make it a special occasion and dine in the 1865 Wine Cellar and choose a bottle or two from more than 6,000 wines. At day’s end, step onto the veranda and count the multitude of twinkling stars before retiring to your comfortable room.
The Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa offers several inviting packages each season to make your stay more enjoyable. One of these will surely help you make the transition between winter’s snows and chills and spring’s promise of warmer days, leafy green trees and tulips and daffodils popping up all over.
Or plan a visit at Easter and enjoy the bounteous breakfast buffet, Easter Egg Hunt, Easter Bunny Bash, and end the day with s’mores around the campfire.
By Eileen Alexander
As the days warm up in April, northern New Englanders get ready for Season #5 — our infamous Mud Season — when roads heave as the frost leaves the ground and all the water from snow and ice melt turn some dirt roads into quagmires.
Most visitors to northern New Hampshire will want to avoid those mucky roads, but some intrepid drivers will set their sites on getting down and dirty in all that mud at the 580-acre plus Team O’Neil Rally School in Dalton, with its more than six miles of loose surface roads and two miles of off-road trails. This is your destination when you want to conquer mud, water, sand, ditches, logs, snow and ice, and rocks and rough terrain.
Sign up for Team O’Neil’s Off-Road Driving Course and learn how to maneuver in challenging driving conditions. Expert instructors will coach you through left foot braking; uphills, downhills and side tilts; winching and recovery techniques; and much, much more to help you remain safe and reach your destination intact.
Along with its Off-Road Driving Course, Team O’Neil offers a variety of adrenaline-pumping courses:
Stay tuned for Team O’Neil’s Rally Fest 2017, set for August 12 and 13. The two days will be filled with workshops, rally car rides, guided tours of the property, Sig Sauer product demos, and a Rally X Course. Gold, VIP and Rally Cross Packages are available, in addition to general admission tickets. Kids under 12 are free.
For more information check out their website, www.teamoneil.com
Contributed by Jess Walter, Freelance Writer
New Hampshire’s Grand North is the perfect place for an adventurer. From fishing to off-roading and hiking, there are so many activities that allow you to become one with nature. However, the snowy mountains and icy patches can be dangerous. It is important to take caution and always bring a handheld GPS on your adventure in case of emergencies. These devices are lifesavers in dangerous situations.
Important Features to Have on Your Handheld GPS
Your GPS should be lightweight and small so that it can easily fit in your pocket. It should also be waterproof especially if you are fishing or traveling by rivers, and have an easy-to-read screen suitable for any weather condition. It is also great to have one with a distress beacon in the event of an emergency.
Top Three Handheld GPS Devices
· eTrex by Garmin: The device has a 65K color display with a 2.2”, 240×320 display screen, making it easily legible in sunlight. There is a microSD slot on the side which provides the ability to download maps. In addition to GPS, it also tracks GLONASS satellites which load 20% quicker than GPS, and has a barometric altimeter which records altitude for additional accuracy. This can come in handy when traversing the mountains of the Grand North. The device is also Bluetooth capable and waterproof for up to 30 minute immersions.
· Montana 680 Touchscreen GPS by Garmin: Another Garmin device, the Montana 680 is GLONASS and WAAS capable and with Hotfix prediction, can maintain your location regardless of the cover and canyons across New Hampshire’s Grand North. It has many additional, nice-to-have features such as a built-in 8-megapixel camera to take great shots of the wildlife and a touchscreen that is glove-friendly for the winter temperatures in New Hampshire.
· Rino 750 by Garmin: This model is a great device to have during an emergency. It has an easy-to-read 3” touchscreen with landscape and portrait views. It is Bluetooth-capable and even has updated current weather forecasts to help you plan your activities. Another special feature is its built-in 5 Watt 2-way radio. It has excellent range and comes in handy if you are ever in a dangerous situation. The Rino 750 also offers Active Weather Support with radar, position report, and emergency alerts, making the device
2017 Ski, Shoe & Fatbike to the Clouds — North America’s Toughest 10K Proved To Be This Winter’s Stand-Out Event
Pinkham Notch, NH–Since the Mt. Washington Auto Road first opened in 1861, it has been a proving ground for all types of adventurers. Throughout the years, many have secured their place in the history of the Auto Road, be it with a fastest time, or a landmark ascent.
History was made again with the 2017 Ski, Shoe & Fatbike to the Clouds. Held in cold, blue-sky conditions on March 5, it marked the first time that fatbikers have joined this annual winter event. First held in 1996 as Ski to the Clouds, it quickly proved to be a new and unique challenge for Nordic skiers, and at that time was held entirely on the Auto Road. In later years it was modified to increase the race distance to 10 kilometers, utilizing the Great Glen Trails Nordic system for the first four kilometers, before beginning the steep ascent up the Mt. Washington Auto Road. The race finishes just before the halfway point of the Auto Road at about 3,800 feet.
In 2013, a separate snowshoe category was added to entice snowshoe racers to take up the challenge, and was so successful that in 2014 the event was renamed as Ski & Shoe to the Clouds. In 2016, a new fatbike category was added, which quickly became the largest group of racers, but was sadly cancelled due to lack of snow.
Mother Nature was kind to us this year, and the 2017 event was attended by 120 racers in three disciplines–18 Nordic skiers, 33 snowshoers, and 69 fatbikers. Whether on skis, snowshoes or fatbikes, the race lived up to its reputation as North America’s Toughest 10K, testing the racers as only Mount Washington can.
The fastest time was posted by veteran racer Tristan Williams, with a blazing time of just 48 minutes 37 seconds, winning the men’s Nordic division. Tristan was closely followed by fatbiker Jeremiah Macrae-Hawkins, winning the men’s fatbike division with a time of 50 minutes 37 seconds–the second fastest time on course. Kudos to all the racers who battled the Mountain and finished, but particularly to the winners of each division:
A heartfelt “thank you” goes out to all the event sponsors, who have helped make this annual event such a success. For 2017, those sponsors included Dion Snowshoes, Stan & Dan Sports, Polartec, Littleton Chevrolet, Hannaford, and the Old Village Bakery.
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The family-owned Mount Washington Summit Road Company was formed in 1859, and completed the road to the summit of Mount Washington in 1861. The Mt. Washington Carriage Road, now called the Mt. Washington Auto Road, has the long-held distinction of being America’s oldest man-made attraction. Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center, opened in 1984, is one of New Hampshire’s premier Nordic ski areas, with 45 kilometers of trails for skiing, snowshoeing and fatbiking. During the summer months, the Outdoor Center focuses on human-powered outdoor activities including kayaking, biking, hiking and trail running.