“It is the life of the crystal,
the architect of the flake,
the fire of the frost,
the soul of the sunbeam.
This crisp winter air is full of it.”
John Burroughs
Arethusa Falls during the summer is absolutely beautiful. the perfect place to have a picnic and get cooled off under the cascading water. During the winter it is magical.
The trailhead to Arethusa Falls is located on route 302 in Crawford Notch in Hart’s Location. There is a small upper parking lot and a larger lower lot. The trail is 1.5 miles one way. The difficulty level is easy, great for children and dogs. Hiking time depends on amount of time spent taking in the beauty of the falls. It can be done, round trip, in as little as 1.5 hours, but I prefer to take my time and enjoy the trip.
What better way to spend a day than a winter hike with friends to a frozen waterfall. It was a fabulous winter day in January. Blue skies, approximately 30 degrees above zero. The kind of winter day I had been waiting for after the 30 degree below zero start to this winter. This is my second year winter hiking and my first winter hike this year. Arethusa Falls was the perfect choice. The easy trail was perfect for taking in the beauty of the snow covered forest while conversing with friends.
We started up the trail mid-morning. The upper parking lot was already full; so, I knew that the trail would be well packed and we could leave our snowshoes in the car. The trail conditions were perfect, well packed and not terribly icy. We met many other hikers along the way. A few stopped to chat. We also encountered a small snowman perched on the handrail of a bridge. I did not know it on this day, but I would meet his snow brother another day on different hike. All and all a very pleasant trip up the mountain.
When we stepped out of the trees and caught the first sight of Arethusa Falls encased in ice we had to stop for a moment and just take it all in. It was an incredible sight. Two hundred feet of towering ice, with a small open spot at the bottom trickling under the frozen brook.
We decided to sit for a while and enjoy the view while having a bite to eat. As we sat near the base of the falls we got to watch a couple of ice climbers make their descent. I had never seen ice climbers before so watching them was a treat.
The trip back down the mountain was just as pleasant as the trip up. An after hike stop a Fabyans Station in Bretton Woods for lunch and 603’s made the day complete. It was a great day spent with friends.
Recent Comments