Waumbek
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If I understand this correctly, the Gale River Trail used to begin near Rt. 3, pass Hawthorne Falls just below the ridge, and come out on the ridge about 1 mile east of the Garfield summit. The Galehead Trail diverged east from the Gale River Trail at about 2200' and reached the ridge in about a mile, a 1/2 mile west of the hut.
What remains now is the old Gale River Trail to the point where the Galehead Trail diverged plus the Galehead Trail, all of which is now called the Gale River Trail. My question is how overgrown the "abandoned" section of the Gale River Trail that passed Hawthorne Falls is. I raise the question because this section of an article in today's Union Leader concerning undiscovered places and places to be rediscovered in NH mentions the beautiful 90-foot Hawthorne Falls:
[start quote]If New Hampshire has a Holy Grail awaiting discovery, some would argue that it is a piece of plunder carried by nine Rogers' Rangers, who legend says got lost on the rugged slopes of Mount Washington in 1759, during the French and Indian War.
"There's the story of the silver chalice that Rogers' Rangers hid on Mount Washington, in Castle or Cascade Ravine," said Dave Govatski, recently retired from a career with the U.S. Forest Service.
The story goes that it was a silver statue of the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child taken from a Jesuit mission in St. Francis, Quebec.
If it has ever been discovered, no one has ever made that claim. Still, people look for it.
"I've looked for it," Govatski said.
But there are other treasures in the mountains, he said, if not waiting discovery, then at least rediscovery.
"There are a lot of falls that need to be rediscovered," he said. "There are places where there are old trails."
Hawthorne Falls, on Mount Garfield, is an example.
"It's a beautiful 90-foot waterfall that few people see," he said, because the trail to get there has been abandoned.
Old maps are a wealth of information and the University of New Hampshire has a collection of New England maps online (http://docs.unh.edu/nhtopos/nhtopos.htm).
"There are people who love to hike old trails," he said. "They'll use old AMC guidebooks and old maps."
And there are little discoveries to be made along the way. In his tramps, Govatski has found old trail signs and abandoned camps. On a hike earlier this year to the Zealand area, he discovered a can of grease from an old engine shop for the Zealand Valley Railroad.
A sad truth about these small relics is that there are those who will take items from where they have remained for years and years and sell them. [end quote]
Is there still a discernible trail to the falls?
What remains now is the old Gale River Trail to the point where the Galehead Trail diverged plus the Galehead Trail, all of which is now called the Gale River Trail. My question is how overgrown the "abandoned" section of the Gale River Trail that passed Hawthorne Falls is. I raise the question because this section of an article in today's Union Leader concerning undiscovered places and places to be rediscovered in NH mentions the beautiful 90-foot Hawthorne Falls:
[start quote]If New Hampshire has a Holy Grail awaiting discovery, some would argue that it is a piece of plunder carried by nine Rogers' Rangers, who legend says got lost on the rugged slopes of Mount Washington in 1759, during the French and Indian War.
"There's the story of the silver chalice that Rogers' Rangers hid on Mount Washington, in Castle or Cascade Ravine," said Dave Govatski, recently retired from a career with the U.S. Forest Service.
The story goes that it was a silver statue of the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child taken from a Jesuit mission in St. Francis, Quebec.
If it has ever been discovered, no one has ever made that claim. Still, people look for it.
"I've looked for it," Govatski said.
But there are other treasures in the mountains, he said, if not waiting discovery, then at least rediscovery.
"There are a lot of falls that need to be rediscovered," he said. "There are places where there are old trails."
Hawthorne Falls, on Mount Garfield, is an example.
"It's a beautiful 90-foot waterfall that few people see," he said, because the trail to get there has been abandoned.
Old maps are a wealth of information and the University of New Hampshire has a collection of New England maps online (http://docs.unh.edu/nhtopos/nhtopos.htm).
"There are people who love to hike old trails," he said. "They'll use old AMC guidebooks and old maps."
And there are little discoveries to be made along the way. In his tramps, Govatski has found old trail signs and abandoned camps. On a hike earlier this year to the Zealand area, he discovered a can of grease from an old engine shop for the Zealand Valley Railroad.
A sad truth about these small relics is that there are those who will take items from where they have remained for years and years and sell them. [end quote]
Is there still a discernible trail to the falls?
