It’s amazing how something simple like our Leki trekking poles have changed our lives. With poles in hand, we’ve been feeling much more secure climbing around on steep hiking paths and that has opened up new worlds for us.
Last Spring, inspired in part by an EasternSlopes.com story on Waterfall Hikes, we started checking out waterfalls. We both love them and visiting waterfalls is a great thing to do in the spring when there’s so much water; even small waterfalls which all but disappear in summer can be quite spectacular in the spring! However, there are a few things you should check out first. Be sure the trail is open for hiking. Some trails can be damaged by use too early in the season. If they are posted against hiking, please stay off them until they dry out.
Be sure you have boots with a good tread. Stones can be slippery, and you do not want to fall! Let the water do that!
Remember that weather is fickle (we all should realize that after this winter). Be ready for anything (warmer, colder,wetter,drier) with proper clothing. This is supposed to be fun, not an endurance test.
Easy Hikes For Waterfall Lovers: Now for the fun part!
Years ago our son Mark gave us a book on waterfalls in NH which we have used and enjoyed, Waterfalls of the White Mountains, by Bruce, Doreen, & Daniel Bolnick, He also told us about a wonderful web site, Waterfalls of the Northeastern United States, which we immediately checked out. WOW! — it is fantastic! Waterfalls in MA,NH,ME,VT, and eastern NY – thousands of them! The site is so well done, it’s easy even for computer illiterates like us to figure out, and has tons of great information including what maps to use, general location, height, type, if land is posted so you don’t need to waste your time going there, etc, etc. Go take a look…you will love looking at the beautiful pictures and great descriptions of these beautiful features of nature!
After whetting our appetites with these pictures, we picked out some waterfall we wanted to see. Then it was just a matter of lacing up our hiking boots, grabbing our trekking poles and daypacks (with first aid and emergency kits )and setting out!
Our first waterfall encounter last spring came on a snowshoe hike at Smugglers Notch . A short while later, we tried reaching Giant Falls in New Hampshire, but came up short. That’s OK, there’s always this spring!
We’re now confirmed waterfall hikers. If you are, too, when you get home from your next waterfall , we’d love it if you’d post a comment below and tell us what you thought about the experience, and if we should go check your waterfalls out!
In the meantime, we’re going to practice what we preach; look for our tales of trips to see them. We’ll let you know how the trip is, how long and how difficult, and what the view is like when we get there. We’re really starting to understand Tim’s “life isn’t a spectator sport…get out and enjoy!” comment; now that we’re feeling more secure, we’re realizing how much we’d missed getting out and seeing things!
So do your homework, then grab your boots, backpack, and trekking poles (DO NOT forget your poles!) and go have a wonderful time!