The Kancamagus Highway

We drove back from North Conway to Lake Winniesepaukee (and I hope I spelt that right) via the Kancamagus Highway, which is touted as the most scenic drive in New Hampshire. It is actually quite a high altitude drive reaching almost 3,000 metres at its height.

The scenery along the way was quite spectacular with waterfalls and rapids, and scenic lookout points. We had to take a little walk to see first the Rocky Gorge, and the Sabaday Falls (photos of each in order mentioned).

There are typically little signs at each stop telling the visitor about it. For example, Rocky Gorge had a story of a girl who fell in the swirling waters of the Gorge. Apparently, there is a huge sinkhole in the gorge which was caused through erosion and the waters create a mini whirlpool at that point. The girl fell into the whirlpool, and her rescuers feared she had been drowned. But then someone saw a hand sticking up - he grabbed it and got a shock when the hand grabbed back! They pulled her out, managed to revive her and she lived happily ever after. And how did the Sabbaday falls get its name? The story is that long ago a work crew cutting a road nearby finished their work on a Saturday and named the waterfall after the next day, the Sabbath. Over time the name got corrupted to Sabbaday.

Continuing our drive, we would stop at the many beautiful scenic spots. Unfortunately for us, the foliage was a little after its peak. Nonetheless, we managed to view beautiful panoramas of mountains, valleys, and bright blue skies.
As we continued driving higher and higher, the temperatures again went lower and lower. Snowdrifts began to appear on the sides of the road. We finally hit 32 degrees Farenheit! Zero degrees Celcius! When we finally got to the peak, it was nearing the end of the day. Bear in mind that at this time of year, the days are shortening and it is getting dark earlier and earlier. So in a sense we were racing against time to get down from the highway before dark. This photo was taken at the highest point of the Highway, just before we started our descent again:




I suppose it is also timely to disclose that I had been stalked this entire day, from the time we reached Mount Washington till now. One of my dear classmates, who had evidently had a childhood deprived of any snowball fights, had taken every opportunity to make snowballs. And I am sorry to say that his primary target was yours truly. One would have thought that a grown man (and supposedly a gentleman at that) would never have dreamt of hitting a lady with a snowball. He contended that he deliberately missed the first 2 times. But he definitely scored a hit with the last one (by the way, he threw it as I turned my back!). What especially riled me is that some of my other dear classmates saw it as no more than a photo opp! Or a video opp! Sigh. But I want to emphasise that I definitely turned the other cheek and did not engage in a snow fight with him.