[Journal entry for March 26, 2105; Flume Gorge, Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire]. Dallas and I drove up to New Hampshire last night and are staying with Paul and Gigi Estes in Plymouth. In the morning, we drive up Interstate 93 to Flume Gorge, just south of Franconia Notch. We take a trail that crosses the Pemigewasset River via a covered bridge and that follows Flume Brook uphill. The brook flows though a narrow gorge that has nearly vertical sides, a groove about fifty feet deep in the granite of the mountain. Gigi says that it is formed by a basaltic dike that has eroded out. A great many icicles, some white, others yellowish brown, still others a delicate blue, hang from the cliffs. We follow a boardwalk up into the gorge until we reach a barrier. They boardwalk beyond is closed for the winter. We meet a woman who is planning to ice climb.

We backtrack and take a trail the climbs up to the rim of the gorge. I take several detours to overlooks where I can peer down into the chasm. We soon come to a little lean-to at the top of the gorge and to the upstream section of the boardwalk. We have a quick lunch sitting beside Flume Brook. Afterward, I follow the boardwalk downstream, past large ice flows, until I reach another barrier. Returning to the top of the gorge, I crawl into a little boulder cave, being careful to keep my microspikes in contact with the ice on its floor.

We then took a circuitous trail that follows the edge of Liberty Gorge. We cross the gorge via the Sentinel Pine Covered Bridge and then gaze into a deep Pool in the Pemigewasset River, below. The pool is in wide part of the gorge with steep and smooth sides decorated with giant icicles. The trail follows the gorge and leads us back to the car.

About three hours.