Kancamagus Highway...

The breathtaking White Mountains can best be captured by taking a drive down the Kancamagus Highway. This drive across the magnificent mountain range should be experienced by anyone visiting the White Mountain National Forest. The highway provides you with several scenic vista viewing areas which offer amazing scenery and spectacular views of the incredible mountains that cover the region. The strip of highway (Route 112) that offers the breathtaking scenery runs from Lincoln to Concord and is approximately 35 miles in length. Along your journey across this incredible roadway one will find numerous hiking trails that venture off to some wonderful gorges, ponds and picnic areas. Weather your an outdoor adventurist or just want to cruise down the mountains, the Kancamagus Highway has something to offer everyone. The easiest way to access the roadway is to follow I-93 to exit 32, this will place you in the heart of Lincoln and at the start of the spectacular stretch of highway. Remember to gas up since you will not find civilization until you reach Concord on the other end of the vast mountain range. 

A Moose in Moose Muck!!!

This hungry gal was seen on route 16 in Errol. We found her along the side of the road in what we like to call "moose muck". It was around 8am in mid-August and we were heading back to Rhode Island after a week of camping in Rangeley Maine. This stretch of route 16 which runs from Rangeley to Errol has dozens of great "moose muck" areas and we have seen several moose along this stretch of road. This moose in-particular was not bothered by our presence and at one point she even stopped eating and approached our vehicle, which was a bit intimidating since she was easily 9 feet tall at the shoulder and one charge could have caused some damage to our jeep. It has been my experience that some moose just don't seem to care when you pull over and watch them while others will flee out of sight as soon as they notice you. We were very lucky with this cow since she allowed us to watch and photograph her for well over a half an hour before we decided to drive away and let her eat in peace. Spotting a moose is one of the main reasons we visit the remote area of Errol and this part of New Hampshire has proven to be one of the best areas to see them along roadways. If your interested in spotting a moose for yourself I would recommend traveling up and down route 16 from the central part of Errol up to the Maine state line. We have had the best luck seeing moose at dusk and it is also recommended to look for them at dawn as well. Along this route you may catch one anywhere but it is most likely you will see one in "moose muck". So what is this "moose muck" I speak of? It is simply areas along the roadside that are yucky, muddy puddles of sorts. They are filled with large amounts of grasses which the moose depends upon and they also contain high yields of salt that has washed off of the ice treated roads during the winter months. These areas are depositories for the salt that washes off of the roads once the winter snow melts. The salt attracts the animals since their diets require high amounts of sodium. The photograph above portrays a great "moose muck" area and as we can see this moose is loving the nutrients it is providing her.

Beaver Brook Falls Natural Area

This beautiful waterfall located in Colebrook is a must see for any nature lover. It is the most amazing one that I have yet to see and provides a wonderful little picnic area for you to sit and relax or walk your dog. My photograph is only a shot of one section of the waterfall and does not even come close to capturing the immensity of this rushing water flow. To feel the cool mist splash your face as the water crashes over hills of mountain rock is mesmerizing. There are a couple of hiking trails that allow you to venture up the side of the waterfall and a quaint little bridge runs along the front of the fall which allows tourists to get up close and admire the tremendous falling water flow. Beaver Brook Falls Natural Area is the perfect place to hang out for an afternoon and take in the beauty of this magnificent natural wonder. The natural area can be easily visited by anyone, just simply follow route 3 north to route 145 (Park Street) north. The parking area is about 5 miles down route 145.

Silver Cascade

One of the most beautiful waterfalls that can easily be seen by anyone is the Silver Cascade. Located along the left side of route 302 (if your traveling east) in the Hart's Location of the White Mountain National Forest it is extremely easy for any tourist to find and admire. The waterfall is over six hundred feet tall and flows through the heart of Crawford Notch. Every time we visit the White Mountains we stop to photograph this beautiful landscape. I wish I was a better hiker and could make it to the top but there is no man-made trail that will lead you up this waterfall. If your looking for a good waterfall to hike up check out the Basin in Lincoln.

Big Moose!!!!

During Labor Day weekend of 2010 my husband and I were heading up Interstate 93 to check into Lafayette Campground. As we were driving through Franconia Notch dozens of cars were pulled over in the breakdown lane and people were lined along the side of the highway. We pulled over with everyone else to see what all the commotion was about and as we approached the crowd I saw him. There in front of approximately 40 people stood a massive bull with two cows. They were grazing in the muck that lined the forest edge about 75 feet from the amazed crowd which had stopped to admire these massive wonders that stalk the forests of New Hampshire. I was surprised to see them since it was mid-afternoon which is not the typical time to observe moose. It was also fascinating that they were not that bothered by the crowd of observers and simply went about their business feeding upon the lushes grass that grew in the muddy puddle. Over the years I have observed dozens of moose but never had I seen one of such magnitude. My best description for this bull is a hunters dream. His rack was as wide as I am long and he had to have been at least 10 feet tall as his shoulders. We were able to take in this amazing sight for about fifteen minutes and then with no warning and three simple lunges he was masked by the immense thickness of the woods and out of sight. We have yet to see another bull that compares to this one and have yet to catch another moose feeding in this area. I will never forget what it felt like to be in the presence of such a spectacular creature, the natural rush that comes over you while standing in front of a creature of this size is unexplainable. Want a chance to see a bull for yourself? Try looking in the muck holes that line Interstate 93between the Kancamagus Highway (exit 32) and Echo Lake (exit 34C).