Trail Report: Tuckerman Ravine Trail Pinkham Notch

I haven't hiked over in Pinkham Notch in a few years so I was excited to get a chance to drive over to the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center on Route 16. The Pinkham Notch Center is  in between Wildcat and Glen Ellis Falls. At the Center there are many trails you can hike and if you want to stay for a night or longer HERE TO SEE ABOUT LODGING on Joe Dodge Lodge at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center. I enjoy visiting the gift shop and also great place to eat.
The trail we took was the Tuckerman Ravine Trail which starts at the Center and headed up to Hermit Lake Shelters. The trail is very rocky and opened. It is easy to hike up as a group and stay together for you can see long distance in most parts plus its wide. When you are .4 miles on the trail you will also come up to Crystal Cascade which is beautiful. There are a few bridges to cross but the hike is wonderful. Its 2.3 miles to the Center to Hermit Lake Shelters. 

The sign at the beginning to show the trails

The information board to check out before going on trail

Crystal Cascade

What you see when you reach Hermit Lake Shelters: Tunkerman Ravine

Now, from here we went another .7 miles to get closer to the base floor of the Ravine bowl. We had started hiking a little late in the day so we didn't have time to go up to Lion Head. Lion Head is located up on top of Tuckerman Ravine on the right side. My stepson enjoyed getting water from a Pump that was near the trail going to the base of the bowl. The water was cold which was wonderful.

getting fresh cold water from the pump

Close to the Base of the bowl

Can see Wildcat from the Base of Tuckerman

The hike was wonderful. It was a 6 miles hike round trip. Its a great hike for everyone to do and its a very well kept up trail. Happy Hiking!

Three Haunted Trails I want to hike this Spring/Summer

1. Coppermine Trail

I have always loved the story of Betty Davis meeting her husband, Arthur Farnsworth on this trailback in the summer of 1939. She was lost and he found her. It's that love story of boy saves girl and marries her. But it has a sad twist, which is when he falls on the sidewalk "dead" and Betty is accused of killing him. Later a plaque appears on the trail which reads "The Keeper of Stray Ladies" No one knows who put the plaque but many believe it was Betty Davis herself. The Trail is located off Easton Rd 116, on Coppermine Rd. The Coppermine trail is 2.1 miles and leads to Bridal Veil Falls. If headed near Framconia Notch, check out this trail.

2. Nancy Pond Trail

Nancy Barton was a girl in love, so much in love that she followed her lover's tracks through the cold snow in the dead of winter. Nancy was to marry Jim but Jim left one day without word to war with his brother. Nancy followed his trail but dead at the ponds where she was later found frozen. The trail is named after her and located in Crawford Notch. The trail is called Nancy Pond Trail and it is believed that when she was found she was buried by the pond. Some who have trailed the trail have heard her cries. I am hoping to travel along this trail this summer and see the ponds for myself. The trail is about 4 miles of beautiful nature!

3. Nineteen Mile Brook Trail

 Has anyone seen Red Mac? He was once the watcher for Carter Notch Hut starting in 1916. He worked at the hut for many many years and later when he pasted away, they say he still watches over the Hut. Weird things happen at the hut to this day, some say that you can see Red Mac's lantern shining in the night over by the hut. He still watches over the place. Carter Hut is located in Pinkham Notch. The Nineteen Mile Brook Trail is 3.6 miles to the hut, and worth the trip. I have gone up the trail to Carter Notch Hut a few years ago and I had felt like I was being watched the whole time when I got close to the hut, every eery feeling. The weird part is that I didn't know this story at the time, but now it makes a little sense, so I want to travel up to the Hut again.

Have a Happy Spring Hiking Season and if you head to these places, enjoy the Haunts of the White Mountains!

Leaf Peeper Season is coming...great places to stay!

This is a great time of year to be hiking up in the White Mountains. The trees are turning colors, the air is cool and there is so much "ah" around! I love this time of year to get outdoors and get hiking, biking and taking walks on the paths. So when you come from other areas of New England or even further away, you might not know the best places to stay at and what are around them. Here are a few great spots that I have enjoyed over the years and places around them you might love to see!

Our first Stop:

Jackson NH : This is a great town to stay in when you are up here in the Whites. There are some beautiful hotels and lodges to stay at such as Inn at Thorn Hill and Spa (which is award winning), Whitney's Inn at Jackson which has been around since 1840's,  Glen Oaks Inn, Inn at Ellis River and much more! When you stay around here there are so many places to hike and see! Pinkham Notch is just a hop down Route 16! There are tons of places to explore in Pinkham Notch, which as Auto Road up to Mt. Washington, Bike Trails at Great Glen Trails, hike up Tuckerman Ravine, visit the Lost Pond, see Glen Ellis Falls, go up Mt. Wildcat (Four Peaks) one is also the ski resort and zipline! There is so much to see on that road!
Plus if you want to head another direction, go over to Crawford Notch on route 302! There are lots of trails to hike, mountains to see lovely views from, stop by & see the Mt. Washington Hotel! So beautiful. Also on this road is the Cog Railway up to Mt. Washington, and two trails if hiking is your style! There is also Bretton Woods is near by!
If you want to head over to North Conway there are some great places to eat and places to shop! When you are in Conway, you are not far from the Kancamagus Highway where you can hike up Mt. Chocorua!
Staying in Jackson is such a great idea for you are in the heart of such a beautiful area for the fall! You will be happy about your stay here!
I say all this because, as a kid, we traveled through these parts all the time, since I didn't live far away and loved it most when it was Fall:) Even as an adult, I travel here with my family to see the leaves through Jackson and around the area!

Our Second stop will be Lincoln NH on the next post!

Hiking Pickham Notch....In the White Mountains!

I have always loved traveling through Pinkham Notch as a child up through my twenties on my way to Storyland where I worked every summer. There were always some beautiful view to look at on Route 16! I remember how many wild animal encounters I had on that road, mainly moose! I loved traveling by Mt. Washington and seeing Tuckerman Ravine along the way. As a child my parents took us hiking places around Pinkham Notch and later on I did some of the trails myself. Here are a few place you should check out on your next adventure! up in the White Mountains of New Hampshire!

Glen Ellis Falls...This is located across from on Route 16. It's a very easy trail, I remember my parents taking me here as a child. It's about .6 miles round trip. The Waterfall is beautiful! It's 64-foot waterfall! It's a must see!!

Lost Pond....This is also a trail my parents took me down as a kid. I loved following the river to the pond, I also remember seeing beavers. And it was a great place to view Mt. Washington! This was a mile walk around, but a fun place to bring the family. Follow the trail all the way down and it will lead you to Glen Ellis Falls!

Nineteen Mile Brook Trail...that leads to AMC Carter Notch Hut! GREAT HIKE! It is about 7.5 miles round trip, and if you want to hike longer, can head one way to Mt. Wildcat or the other way over to Carter Dome!
Both Mts are 4000 footers! I have been up Mt. Wildcat! Great Views! This is on Route 16 closer to Gorham, not far from the Mt. Washington Auto Road!

Tuckerman Ravine...this is a great hike! I loved hiking here as a child and as an adult! The trail starts at Pinkham Notch Visitors Center. It's about 2.3 miles to get to Hermit Lake Shelter. I came up here once in spring and watched skiers and snowboarders fly down Tuckerman Ravine! There is always snow up here until June believe it or not!

Thompson Falls Trail...starts at Wildcat Mountain Base Lodge and is about 1.4 miles round trip! There is a lovely waterfall when you reach the top.

Glen Boulder...I remember going up here when I was younger. The trail is across from Glen Ellis Falls. You follow up Glen Boulder Trail to Glen Boulder. This is about 1.6 miles up, if you want to continue on there is also Slide Peak and it's about one mile from Glen Boulder. Nice views!

Enjoy you next adventure through Pickham Notch! Happy Hiking!:)

For the Day Hiker

I have never slept over in one of the huts in the White Mountains. Though I do hope that one day I get the chance to go so, for I have the equipment for a night over. It would be so wonderful to walk up looking over the valleys and seeing beautiful views. But for now, I am a day hiker! I love hiking from morning until evening.
But sometimes during a travel, there is not enough time to do a long hike so it's fun to get out and stretch the legs on a walk. 
Here are some great day hikes that are very easy to do and wonderful things to see...

1. Glen Ellis Falls
When I was younger, my parents would stop here every summer to check out falls. This is a 64-foot waterfall and it's so beautiful. It's an easy hike for all ages, about .6 mile round trip. It could take you about 30 minutes but it's worth the stop. It's in Pinkham's Notch, near Wild Cat.

2. The Basin and The Basin-Cascades Trail
I love going here every year. My parents sometimes would take my sister and I here when we were younger. Great for kids and pets. It's located in Franconia Notch. It's about 2 and half miles round trip. It starts off easy but on the way up can get rocky. There are some great falls to see and the Basin is so beautiful. It's a great place to stop and check out.

3. Mt. Willard
This is not a large mountain to hike up. The elevation gain is about 900feet from where you start. It's about a moderate hike. Great for pets and children. The trail starts near the AMC Highland Center. The trip can be around 3 to 4 hours long. Great views! To find Mt. Willard travel to Crawford Notch!

4. Boulder Loop
I love boulders and so does my stepson. This trail has a few wonderful boulder spots to climb around. The loop itself is about 3 miles around and can take you about 2 to 3 hours. Though if you enjoy playing on the boulders, it can take even longer!  This wonderful trail can be found on the Kancamagus Highway!

Happy Hiking!:)