Franconia Falls Hike, 1998

Recently, we went on a hike up the Pemigewasette Trail to Franconia Falls. Jennifer and her friend, LeeAnne joined the hike. We also brought Maggie, our Springer Spaniel, with us. We've taken this walk many times and never seem to tire of it. It's a long hike though. 3.6 miles to the camping area and an additional .3 mile to the falls. The hike to the camping area is very easy, along a wide flat path that was, at one time, a rail road bed. Your biggest risk is tripping over the many partially buried railroad ties.

This long hike provides many distractions to occupy your imagination as you stroll along. Bordering the pemigewasette river, you hear the constant flow of water, hike29th.jpg (12593 bytes)

in a musical symphony accompanying the wildlife along the way. Small water falls abound, cascading down moss cover rocks and burbling through small pools before joining the Pemi. The lush forest envelopes you in serene sounds with the tall, insidious trees providing a canopy overhead, like a cathedral.

Below, is a short photo essay of our most recent hike. Simply click on the underlined number to see the picture described. Use your browser BACK button to return to this page.

hike_001		Jennifer & LeeAnne with Maggie at the Tilton Diner
hike_002		Jim & Kathy
hike_004		The White Mountains in the distance
hike_006		Pemigewasette river and foot bridge
hike_008		Jennifer & LeeAnne walk along the wide trail towards Franconia Falls
hike_009		A long way to go (3.6 miles), but such a beautiful place
hike_010		LeeAnne! Don't jump! We're almost there!
hike_011		LeeAnne & Jen relax during a break from hiking
hike_012		I don't know why the kids didn't want to explore this feature...
hike_015		Bet that water's COLD!
hike_017		Sitting on a warm rock helps...
hike_018		Exposed roots lead the way to Franconia Falls. The hike becomes tougher.
hike_019		Not always the smooth, level trail. We must stay alert!
hike_020		Some facinating root patterns along this part of the trail.
hike_021		A small part of Franconia Falls. Beautiful rock formations, courtesy of running water.
hike_022		Jen & LeeAnne explore the rock formations and pools of crisp, clear water.
hike_023		Don't slip now...
hike_024		Kathy sits above this unique flow of mountain water.
hike_026		One of many water-formed bowls. over 15 feet deep, yet you can clearly see the bottom
hike_027		Jen & LeeAnne sit upon a rock. The rock beneath the water is not a reflection. The water IS that clear!
hike_028		DEAR GOD! That's COLD!
hike_029		Crystal clear, very deep and full of trout!
hike_030		A complicated series of cravases and diversions (That deep bowl from picture #26 is just to the left of center (the dark oval))
hike_033		LeeAnne & Jen swim under the natural shower of Franconia Falls.
hike_034		"Well, that was fun... ...GET ME OUTTA HERE!"
hike_035		Natures Water Slide. Several folks took advantage of this free ride into the icy waters below.
hike_036		Too much for my blood. I'd rather just watch and take pictures.
hike_037		At the end of our long hike (9+ miles in all) our tired puppy seems to be saying "carry me to the car...."