The weather put a damper on my adventures in Maine but I did manage to get in a couple of decent days in the White Mountains before heading home. Seems to be a common theme with me and these trips. Acadia then the Whites. This one may be the last time I make this journey, well, for while. I will be turning my sights elsewhere for future solo journeys which hopefully will not be solo. Natalie did say she is interested in a spot in West Virginia I am eyeing up so we will see if the city beach girl is up for an adventure there.
The four hour drive from Bar Harbor to North Conway provided me with ample time my first day in the Whites. I was able to check in early at the hotel and this opened up even more time for me, so I did something I would rarely ever do. Paid admission to an attraction. I did not have any hikes planned out, I had already seen the falls I wanted capture in previous trips and I figured I had two hours to kill so I purchased a ticket to The Flume Gorge. It was actually a cool way to spend the time and it turned out to be very educational. A few falls and a bunch of huge glacial boulders and a visitor center filled with information, pictures and relics. The park made you really embrace the history of the area. And it was not crowded. Ahhhhh, peacefulness. Totally worth the $18 admission. And I thought it was going to be cheezy, oh how wrong I was.
I came away with a few photos, the first being Avalanche Falls. It is a very photogenic place but you do have a walkway to contend with and when people are milling about it is hard to include in the composition so you get what you are given. Still nice to look at.
Since it was the middle of the summer the flow of water was subdued, I would certainly like to experience this during the spring thaw. The decrease was especially noticeable at Liberty Falls
My favorite look in the park was the covered bridge and cascade running underneath it. This in the fall would be magnificent. It’s like I am talking myself in to going back.
After the park it was time for an early dinner at Gordi’s then off to grab a sunset. Before the sunset though I stopped by a little pull off and grabbed this little diddy. Probably about as artsy as I am going to get here.
My sunset location for the evening was at the Pemigewasset Overlook on the Kanc. This was more crowded than the park but I got there early enough to have no one in front of me. To the side and behind yes, but all clear in front. I have been trying out circular neutral density filters lately but I have found they are not as forgiving as regular filters are. I brought my Lee’s with me just for this type of shot. I think I had a 0.9 soft grad on for this one.
Turning out to be quite a busy day considering I got into town around 13:30. It was the only clear and not cloudy or rainy day of the trip. So, setting off on what I made the trip up for I went down the road a bit to set up for the night sky. While not as dark as Acadia it was gorgeous. Met a local and asked him about other locations to grab and he was kind enough to let me in on a few spots so they will be recorded in the notes for the next time. This years Milky Way adventures did not turn out at all like I was hoping. Weather has been terrible and it is now mostly in the southern sky so that will negate almost any location possible in NJ. So because of the interruptions I guess my Milky Way education will be continuing for another year. Tragedy eh? I think I learned mostly about positioning this year. Still have a couple more months to go so there is hope.
I finally made it up to the top of Mt. Washington – by car- other times it has been closed or only 4200 feet access. The weather is wicked. The clouds are wicked and there was a bunch of them at the top. Like nearly a white out. After walking around a bit and checking out the museum I went down to a pull off a few hundred feet below the summit.
Can I tell you again the clouds are wicked. I could have watched them all day long. Rolling right through.
Next one is just because clouds are cool when they are at eye level. Even though we are right now under a Tornado watch in NJ, I adore Mom Nature.
Shortly after I got back down to the bottom it started to rain, so the rest of the day was shot. One shot of the Milky Way, two different locations. Could have been worse. Make the most of what is in front of you!
It was a trip back to sea level for me the following day to await the next journey.
Thanks for stopping by!!
Phil
Twilight and Dusk 