Spring Favorites
May and June are both some of the prettiest times to hike, and some of the most difficult times to hike. The trails are beginning to look green and pretty and most of the snow and ice are melted away. Everything is starting to bloom and come alive. The problem? Everything is coming alive! This means mosquitos, ticks and the ever so famous to the mountains – the dreaded black flies. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t hike. I say – don’t give in to those little bloodsuckers. Just be prepared. Bug spray, citronella, clothes that cover and even those silly nets that go over your hats and face. Laugh if you want, but they really do work! Another way to avoid them as much as possible is to choose where you hike and the conditions that you hike in. A windy and breezy day will be your friend at this time of year. And the higher you go, the fewer bugs you will encounter. As for ticks, stay away from areas with tall grasses and swamps. Yes, they still occupy the woods, but not as much. It doesn’t hurt to do a thorough body check when you return just to be safe. All warnings aside, as always, preparation is half the battle.
As we are in the tail end of spring and approaching summer, choosing great trails is pretty easy. In May, I vote to continue chasing waterfalls. Arethusa Falls is my number one pick for a challenging trail with a great final destination.
The trail is only 1.3 miles long, but it has a fairly steady incline all the way. Arethusa Falls is a 200-foot-high waterfall with a great cliff on the left that is used year-round for rock climbers. If that sounds exciting to you, there are a few companies that offer assorted guided tours and hikes in the area.
As a bonus, if you take the Bemis Brook Trail that diverges on the left about 1/10th of a mile in, you will get to see extra waterfalls as it goes along the river. Coliseum Falls and Bemis Brook Falls are both stunning even though they lack the impact made by the enormous Arethusa Falls. The trail joins up about ½ mile into the trail to continue to Arethusa. Caution – this trail is much more difficult as you go along, filled with lots of rock and roots. The final part that joins up to the main trail is a very steep scramble so be prepared.
June is a little trickier to choose for the simple fact that everything is in bloom now, but so too are the bugs. For this reason, I say hit a nice open area like Mt Eisenhower which has enough height that even the heartiest of the black flies would think twice about hanging out here. But if you aren’t up for a nice 4K that will definitely take up your whole day, check out some of my favorite go to trails and bug spray up. Artist’s Bluff, Bald Mountain and Lonesome Lake Trail are all located in Franconia Notch. Mt Willard and the Ripley Falls Trail in Crawford Notch, and if you are headed into the Lincoln area, the Wilderness Trail along the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River is simply beautiful. It’s an old rail trail so it’s very (you guessed it) FLAT. This makes it a great trail for those who love to hike but might not be able to do incline at the moment.
Whatever you decide to do, prepare well and as always, be safe!
