Hidden Gem in the Backyard

I discovered Cascade Falls today. I might feel a little embarrassed not to have seen the falls in my six or so years of living above Pinkham Notch, except that I’m sure there are plenty of Gorham and Berlin residents who haven’t seen them either. They are located between Gorham and Berlin, (actually by the settlement known as Cascade—imagine that!), off the power line. I came upon them on a mountain bike ride up the rail trail along the east side of the Androscoggin River. A little south of Berlin a dirt lane crossed the rail trail. Going west led me to an overview of the Cascade Dam on the Androscoggin. Turning east the lane led through the woods to the power line. Looking across the power line, which has recently been mowed, is this beautiful waterfall, on Cascade Alpine Brook. (I checked the NH Gazetteer for the name when I got home.)

There are two drops to the falls. The top is short and steep, a narrow thick foam of whitewater. As the flow continues, it spreads out over the broad rock below. The water hits many small ledges, some creating little air pockets. This section of the waterfall could easily and very accurately be called the bridal veil, as it resembles the trail of lace fanning out from a gown. Adding to the natural beauty and interest of the area are many cedar trees along the sides of the falls.

I imagine as summer nears and the snowmelt ends, the water will lessen. Right now (end of April), is a great time to see the falls. Now that I know they are there, I’m sure I’ll make some other trips out that way, to see them in different seasons.

--Sue W

maybe Spring's not so bad after all . . .

I’m beginning to like Spring! It’s taken me a long time. In the past, Spring has been somewhat of a downer for me—I love to cross country ski and Spring brings the end of my cross country skiing for another year. I used to think I was alone in my somewhat melancholic turn each March-April, but in talking with other skiers, I discovered others too experienced a big letdown when the snow started melting away. But . . . I am learning to appreciate, dare I say even like Spring! It has everything to do with getting out and observing nature.

Saturday morning Howie and I joined naturalists Lori Kinsey and Mike Cline on a Tin Mountain Conservation Center program. It was a walk to see Ephemeral Wildflowers—the earliest and fleeting blooming of certain wildflower species in our area. We explored the forested bowl below Humphrey’s Ledge off of Westside Road in Bartlett. Not two minutes into the walk, Lori pointed out a collection of trout lilies in bloom. I recognized their mottled green and brown leaves, which give the plant its name, but hadn’t really ever focused on its flower. Lori talked about its pollination strategy. Mike filled in with information about the soil in general in the area. Further into the woods we trooped and came upon our next point of interest: Dutchman’s Breeches. The delicate little white flowers hang in a group from their stem, looking like little pantaloons hung out to dry. We saw a whole collection of these on top of a boulder at the far point of our walk, thanks to Lori’s pre-program explorations. The woods were bursting with surprises to find, more wildflowers that included squirrel corn, trillium, hepatica, violets, spring beauty and bellwort. Some of the group spotted a wild turkey before it dashed away. The protected shelf below the shelter of a rock revealed porcupine quills. Howie and I discovered several gelatinous egg masses floating in the vernal pool. Mike said they were either frog or salamander eggs.

It was a wonderful morning. I delighted in the discoveries that nature revealed as I opened my eyes, ears and finally my mind to the glory Spring was providing.
Sue

Transition Time

It's April, and that means a time of transition here in Pinkham Notch. We watch the snow fade away and start thinking about summer.

But, there is still some snow hanging on in pockets out there on the trail system—a few remaining reminders of the great winter past. And, it was, indeed, a great winter. Sometimes it seems the snow is so deep, it will never melt. But, each spring we're reminded that it can melt just as quickly as it falls.

So what's on the horizon? In short, a lot.

Nate has already been out paddling a fair amount. He's always excited to see rain in the forecast because it means great whitewater gets even better. Susan has reluctantly put her skis away for the season, but I wouldn't be surprised the hear that Eli is still skiing on some hidden, super secret patch of snow that only he knows about. Personally, I'm making the transition to running in the mud. I've managed to run a fair amount this winter, so the transition has been less painful than in may years. But, it's always a fun change when you come home from a run covered in mud. It means that spring is here.

Of course, we're also getting the operation ready for the summer. Right now, we're staying off the trail system in order to let it dry out. Nate has been busy getting Great Glen Outfitters set up on the bottom floor, and soon our rental bike fleet will arrive. It seems that transition, too, is a busy time.

If your moving slowly in your own transition, it's time to get out there. The Spring Trail Running Series starts on May 14.

See you soon.
- Ryan

A new Blog.....Finally

So it's been a great winter so far at Great Glen - so great that none of us can peel ourselves away from our skis long enough to blog apparently. So here goes.

Our 8 week Nordic Meister series concluded today so the pressure is off, I stayed ahead of Nate all season and can now relax and bask in the glory.

We really have been doing quite a bit of skiing and snowshoeing these past couple of months or so, it comes as a byproduct of being addicted to winter and the incredible human powered sports that a New England winter brings. Most days off are at least partly spent at neighboring resorts or in the neighborhood woods.

Here's Sue at the Peeko Fulsom Bridge on one of the Randolph Mountain Club trails in Randolph, NH near where we live - very cool to be able to snowshoe here from the house.

My daughter, Cory and I had a great day of alpine skiing at Wildcat. THE quintessential New England downhill ski area IMHO.

Sue and I tried skiing the trails of the Nansen Ski Club, the oldest ski club in America. They've newly relocated to the Milan Hill State Park where John Morton has laid out a very entertaining trail network. As you can see, we were in deep fresh snow and knowing they operate with volunteer grooming we weren't expecting freshly groomed trails. Beautiful little trail network that is destined to grow.

I think this yurt is part of the summer Milan Hill State Park operation.

Waterville Valley XC is always worth the drive, they seem to have stepped up the grooming and have some fabulous terrain with great and entertaining hills. So much for cell phone camera shots.

Mt Orford near Magog, Quebec is our favorite Canadian destination since it's only 3 hours away, has tons of snow and excellent trails and grooming. You really have to work at it if you want a soda!

But it's pretty cool being right here at Great Glen too - lots of options for snowshoeing and skiing.

















And the scenery ain't half bad either!
- Howie

Um...It's Kind Of Good.

In case you haven't noticed or been here recently, I need to let you know how sweet the skiing is right now. The snowshoeing? Perfect. We've got the stuff winter postcards are made out of right now. Yup, it's that good.

Now, I know that a ski area guy talking about snow conditions often has the same credibility as the Big Bad Wolf espousing the wonders of vegetarianism. But, trust me. It's awesome right now. Really.

- Ryan

Nordic Meisters - Week 2

I have to admit, my photography skills really shone through this week, which is to say, these photos aren't that great. But, they do show the action out on the trails, and that's what counts. Conditions were a little trickier for the racers this week (as well as the photographers), but everyone gave it their best.









BTW, have you been on the tubing hill, yet? It's open. Oh yeah, and it's bigger & better this year!

- Ryan

People Who Get It

“I like cross country skiing”, my husband, Brian whispered to me while we were sitting in the living room - which is good, seeing as how we are going to Mont Ste Anne this weekend with friends.
He was whispering because he was admitting I was right, when I kept telling him that he would like it. I already knew he did because he was skiing on his own, working on technique and going on the occasional ski trip with me, plus, he is a natural athlete and had a short learning curve. How could he not?
He says I am not aware of the getting used to it (working hard) part, since I started skiing early; everything feels easier when you’re a kid. My love for Nordic skiing is ingrained. My parents had my sister, Jen and me on skis pretty much shortly after we could walk. We went through the BKL in western Vermont (traveling out of town to do so) and then raced through High School. The towns we lived in, first in VT and then NH were more alpine proponents than cross country and didn’t really have youth nordic programs, and we didn’t alpine. So, our friends didn’t quite get it. Of course, the picture they had in their head was shuffling through a flat wind blown field, so yeah, that’s not much fun. That's not what we did, we skied the groomed ups and downs of Putney and Mountain Top, then Storrs Pond/Oak Hill. After college I moved to the Mt. Washington Valley, and was kind of floored with its’ 6(!) nordic areas, and the nordic programs in the schools. I started meeting a large number of people who… got it.
I get excited when people discover cross country for what we, dear blog reader, already know it is; so much freakin’ fun! Not to mention healthy, I feel great after a ski. Brian is a practical guy, he sees it as something we can do well into our later years…I hadn’t really thought about it that way. My sister and brother-in-law are thinking about getting skis for the atv/snowmobile trails behind their house on the coast of Maine and I am giddy giving them equipment recommendations. I want other people to love the sport as much as I do, and skiing with people who get it, makes it that much better!
-Amy