Russell Pond, New Hampshire

June 3, 2024

Now that we had ventured into New England, it didn't take very long to get to the next state on our route.

Must be pretty close to the Quebec border

Despite not having traveled very far, New Hampshire really did look different from Vermont. At least in the area we were in, there were less farms, and the mountains appeared taller and more rugged.

Our campground was up in the mountains on a pretty little lake (they call them ponds up here). We had no electric hookups, and because we had a good amount of shade, we weren't quite able to charge the batteries fully each day. But, we survived well enough on the solar we did get, thanks to Rick's solar panel upgrade this past winter.

When we arrived, the weather was cool with a mixture of sun and clouds. We did a little exploring of the grounds before dinner. The evening turned pretty cold (low 40s), and we ended up using extra blankets that night.

Russel Pond

The little beach area

Sunset at Russell Pond

The next day was still on the cool side, but mostly sunny. We hiked the Artist Bluff trail at nearby Franconia Notch State Park.

The drive through Franconia Notch State Park was gorgeous

The trail was fairly steep and rocky in parts

The trail suddenly opened up to our first view

And what a nice view it was!

Overlooking Echo Lake

The next view was atop Bald Mountain--up a pretty steep granite slab

The temperatures warmed up considerably over the weekend--from the low 60s when we arrived to upper 70s and even into the 80s by Monday. We took advantage of a nice sunny Sunday to ride the scenic bike trail at Franconia Notch State Park. It was a really nice trail, and it hit most of the attractions at the park. The only thing we did not see was the famous flume gorge. It's supposed to be nice, but at $18 per person to walk the 2-mile crowded trail, we just didn't think it was worth the cost. Besides, there was plenty of other nice scenery for free along the bike trail.

Franconia Notch State Park bike trail

Our first stop was a fun set of rapids on the Pemigewasset River

There's a reason New Hampshire is called "The Granite State"

Nice of someone to build a ladder for us old folks

Next stop was the Basin

As with most of the unique geography in the area, the Basin was formed by erosion from glacial melt water

It sure looks like it would be fun to swim in

There was a short trail to several other interesting features

Back on the trail

Profile Lake

Until 2003, a major icon of New Hampshire used to be The Old Man in the Mountain, a rock formation at the top of Cannon Mountain in Franconia Notch State Park. Alas, all things must come to an end, and on May 3, 2003, the Old Man met his demise when he came tumbling down the mountain. The Profile Plaza, an homage to the Old Man, was the next stop on our ride.

Cannon Mountain, sans Old Man

By standing in the appropriate place according to one's height, a virtual Old Man can be seen on the mountain

Here you can see the side of the profile viewer

It worked pretty well!

Guess you have to give them credit for trying

Next stop was the Skiing Museum. New Hampshire prides itself in being the first to train professional skiers with expert European instructors. Additionally, the museum had a sizable display of one of its famous native sons, Bode Miller.

The docent said that Bode didn't care that much about his medals, which is why they were in the museum

The trail was near its end, and we soon headed back the way we came. It was a very enjoyable day!

The ground view of Echo Lake (We saw it from Artist Bluff a couple of days prior)

Julie saw what she thought was a dog on the trail. But it wasn't a dog--it was a baby bear! Immediately, it scurried into the nearby brush. We held our breath, and sure enough, Mama was nearby. Freezing in a bit of a Mexican standoff, we just stood there for a while until Rick suggested that we move along. This is the best picture Julie got before getting out of Dodge:

Yeah, so it looks kind of like a Big Foot picture, but there is really a mamma bear and a baby bear (climbing a tree) in here!

Monday was sunny and very warm--mid to upper 80s. We drove the nearby Kancamagus Highway which had several lookouts and small trails to explore in the White Mountains.

Along the trail to Sabbaday Falls

The first glimpse of Sabbaday Falls

Rocky Gorge Scenic Area

Lovequist Loop Trail -a pleasant little loop around Falls Pond

Falls Pond

Lower Falls of the Swift River

This area is a popular place to play in the water in the summertime

The western White Mountains region has been quite scenic--we're looking forward to exploring the eastern end at our next stop!

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