Skip to main content

The White Mountains- Cascade Path




This year, for obvious reasons (COVID 19😞), we weren't able to go to our beloved Scotland.  If you know my husband (and my children!) you know what a blow to them cancelling the trip was.  My husband has fond memories of vacationing in New Hampshire as a boy, and repeatedly kept bringing it up.  This year certainly isn't a year for international travel but we could hop in the car and head north! I strongly, forcefully even maybe, "encouraged" him to make a reservation.  There has been a lot of time in our house (rightfully so!) and even with as much outdoors and hiking as we do, that climbing-the-wall feeling had started to settle in...and with the mid-summer heat...agh!  It was becoming unbearable.  People lovingly expressed concern about us traveling to New Hampshire: the length of the car trip (10-12 hours), the rest stops  for gas, food, restrooms (germ infested- again COVID), going to grocery stores, etc.  I was determined.  We packed our modesty sized car with as much food as possible, left at 4:30 in the morning, missed all city traffic, stopped 4 times and spent less than 5 minutes at each stop.  Not one of us went into a rest stop, having hiked so much recently everyone is comfortable with the shrubbery.  We arrived in 10 hours at around 2:30-3:00 in the afternoon.  We unloaded the car, let an afternoon shower pass, and being somewhat crazy people (it wasn't even me, it was the huz: hey, we still have time for a "short" 5 miles) decided on an easy 5 mile hike. 

Let me start by saying the northeast is beautiful, and the White Mountains in New Hampshire are stunning.  Our hike was lovely, a perfect way to stretch our legs after 10 hours in the car.  It wasn't too strenuous, and lead to a pretty waterfall and swimming hole.  Our eldest loved exploring while his younger brother erected rock towers.  They were very generous with allowing me to take photos of them, too 😆.



A good portion of the walk was along the water

That's some vivid fungus

We spent most of our time at the waterfall

N wanted to take a waterfall photo

Exploring the path on both sides of the waterfall

Posing with his first 2 rock towers (bottom right-ish)

Looking older in the photo 😍

Contentedly building more rock towers while his brother explores the waterfall

Finished

Out of the forest and down the hill to finish the hike, Little Man doing what his heart loves best 💗

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fraser Preserve, Great Falls, VA- Spring

They take conservation seriously there.  This amused me to no end. Conservation trash talk! Fraser Preserve is admittedly a new discovery to me and my family.  It was property given to the Nature Conservancy in the 70's that allows and encourages walkers to enjoy.  It doesn't have tremendous mileage in terms of trails, but you can easily extend your walk via their connector trail west into Seneca Regional Park via the fire road or Potomac Heritage trail or east via the Potomac Heritage Trail towards Riverbend (see my very detailed map below).  The actual preserve is rich in wildlife and lush vegetation.  Once you enter the park from the parking lot there is, what I named in my map, an unmarked "Obvious Dirt Trail" to the left.  Take it!  I have never seen so many toads and frogs in one place in all of my life.  I dubbed that "Frog Forest."  It is also a pretty spot to stop for a snack or to have a picnic lunch.  The "Obvious Dirt Trail"...
Post a Comment
Read more

Exploring Lake Fairfax

Early one morning in the beginning of June, my boys and I left our house, sights set on Lake Fairfax.  Our backpacks were stuffed with snacks and water, cameras and binoculars, gloves and containers to examine any interesting critters that happened to be found.  We were set for a day in the woods, ready for adventure. Great Egret Lake Fairfax is a county run suburban park with many amenities.  It has a lake with various types of fish, a water park, a skate park, picnic pavilions, sports fields, and camp grounds.  It is easy to overlook as a local and turn to another park such as Great Falls or Riverbend, especially if you are looking to hike, but I highly suggest exploring it.  Go beyond the obvious attractions and head into the woods where a thick web of trails awaits your discovery. Over the years, my family and I have become intimately familiar with the park and trails as my sons' school has an annual cookout, and overnight camping trip there.  I have a...
Post a Comment
Read more

The White Mountains- Mt. Osceola

In the months leading up to this trip, my boys and I heard a lot about Mt. Osceola and Mt. Tecumseh.  Both are 4,000 footers my husband had done with his family growing up.  Our first full day in New Hampshire we decided to go for the gold and tackle Mt. Osceola.  We got to the trailhead pretty early and the small parking lot was pretty full.  We did pass some people, but not too many- thank goodness.  We heard lots of new birdsong, and saw some adorable chipmunks.  My youngest son has been very excited to see new colors and types of mushrooms.   The hike itself is ranked moderate, and I would say that is true for both me as an adult and for our kids (if you hike regularly).  It is however a very, very rocky hike, and makes its relative shortness of about 3 miles to the summit seem, and take, a lot longer than you might expect.  But Wow!  Just Wow!  The summit of Mt. Osceola does not disappoint.  It is worth all of the swi...
2 comments
Read more