Dryad and Giant Falls Loop Hike

On Saturday, May 3rd, we all congregated at the Peabody Brook Trailhead on North Road in Shelburne.  We were Kevin, Scott, Tim, Paul, Jose, Tyler, Rick, myself...and Paul's dog Blitz!  After waiting for about 20-25 minutes for Jim to show up, we decided to proceed down the road to the other trailhead at Austin Brook...taking 2 cars.

It was roughly 9:30 as we headed out on the trail and the skies were clearing and it was quickly warming up.  At the start of the trail, there was a nicely crafted gate with a turn style.  In the brook nearby there was a nice falls that was probably left over from a mill pond.  The first part of the trail coincided often with logging tote roads, but it was clearly marked and easy to follow.  The open areas provided by past logging operations gave way to beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and even to the impressive Dryad Falls off in the distance.  By about 10:40 we had reached the junction with the Dryad Falls Trail and we turned onto this...reaching the falls off of a short spur about 20 minutes later.  The views were fantastic from the ledge near the top of the falls.  Visible were the mountains across the Androscoggin Valley, which surround the Wild River Wilderness area.  After a decent break on the falls, we re-joined the main trail and continued our ascent.  There was a small patch of snow and ice on the herd path, but little did we know what would lie ahead!  By 11:30 we were encountering persistent stretches of snow and it was getting deeper in spots.  In areas we were post-holing up to our knees!  It was obvious that this trail wasn't used during the winter much (if at all), since there was no hard packed "rail".  Pressing on, we made it to Dream Lake by lunchtime (12:15PM).  Despite the increasing clouds, there was a beautiful view towards Madison across the far side of this high elevation pond.  Another view a little further up the shore revealed a partial view of Mt. Washington.  The pond was covered in snow, but it was hard to tell how firm the ice might still be.  We stayed near the shore and trail and enjoyed a much deserved lunch.  

It was cold...and a number of guys had chosen to wear shorts...so after about 20 minutes everyone was ready to move on.  We took the Peabody Brook Trail from here.  As we started down the trail, Tyler and Jose decided that they had had enough and were just going to backtrack the way we came.  The rest of us pushed on as we trudged through the soft, unstable and in places deep snow...even Blitz was post-holing some.  By about 1PM we were passing the junction with the spur trail for the Bald Cap Peak Ledges.  Noone was very enthusiastic about going up with the unbroken trail, so we just continued on.  After this point the trail started to descend and in no time the snow depths finally were decreasing...it still took about another 40 minutes before there was no snow on the trail.  As we descended, we were paralleling the Peabody Brook, where there were impressive falls and cascades.  While we didn't get to take in the views from the ledges on Bald Cap, by about 2:30PM we were reaching areas along the trail with views of the Presidentials.  Clouds had covered up Washington, but it was still pretty nice.  At just about 3PM we reached the junction with the spur out to Giant Falls.  Rick just continued down the trail, while the rest of us checked out the falls.  It didn't disappoint, even though we could only see a section of the lower part.  While here it started to sprinkle, but nothing serious.  We rejoined the trail and continued back to our cars at the trailhead.  This took roughly an hour from the falls...arriving back to North Road at 4:10PM.

While everyone got settled again, I took Rick down the road to pick up his car.  Afterwards the six of us headed back to Gorham to enjoy a meal together at J's Corner Restaurant and Lounge.

Despite the persistent "winter" conditions, it was a fun, social day out!  I certainly had a wonderful time with everyone in the group and it was great to discover another gem in the White Mountains!  Thanks to everyone for joining me on this outing!

Join me for a modest jaunt into the lower Mahoosuc Region, where we'll visit two spectacular waterfalls...the 300-foot Dryad Falls and the beautiful cascading Giant Falls...and the shores of Dream Lake.  Along the way there will be ledges with views over the Androscoggin Valley as well as over to the Carter and Presidential Ranges, from the trail and from the modest summit of Bald Cap Peak (2795').   To make this loop a little easier, we'll spot cars...taking the Austin Brook Trail up and returning via the Peabody Brook Trail.

Total Distance and Elevation Gain:  Approximately 8.5 miles with 2300 ft elevation gain.  There are portions of this hike that are modestly steep.

Total Time: 6.5 hours depending on breaks and group's speed.  

Rain or harsh weather may postpone to another date or cancel, as appropriate.  

What to Bring:  Typical early spring hiking gear should be appropriate:  convertible hiking pants, good sturdy hiking boots with thick socks, a windbreaker/raingear and extra layers (e.g. fleece).  Also bring along lunch, snacks and plenty of water (at least 2-L).  Optionally, pack sunscreen, bug spray, and anything else that you may require for a day hike.   NOTE:  Significant snow and ice and, therefore, traction should not be an issue

Carpooling:  Contact other participants or the trip leader to arrange for a rideshare to the trailhead.  

Afterwards:  If there is sufficient interest, we will have drinks and/or dinner in the Gorham area afterwards.