We had about two inches of rain last week and almost all the snow has now melted, so I set off to find out how our streams and rivers were handling all of the extra water. Brickyard Brook in Richmond (above) didn’t look any different than it would in high summer. The small gorge this little brook cuts through is a favorite spot of mine. It’s always shaded and cool and is a great place to just sit and enjoy the sounds of falling water.
Bailey Brook in Nelson drops considerably more than Brickyard Brook and has two waterfalls along its length. This photo shows the lower falls, which were roaring. This is not the place to come if you’re looking for a quiet day beside a gentle stream.
I was very surprised to see false hellebore (Veratrum viride) shoots about four inches high. Nelson is supposed to be one of the coldest towns in the county but many plants are further along there than they are in the warmer southern towns.
I was also surprised to see that something had eaten a couple of the false hellebore shoots. This plant is among the most toxic in the forest but I’ve read that deer have a “toxicity threshold” and can eat as many as they like as long as they don’t go above that threshold. This lets them also eat skunk cabbage, another toxic plant. False hellebore can sicken sheep, goats and cattle, and can kill people who sometimes mistake it for wild leeks at this time of year.
The upper falls on Bailey Brook didn’t have anywhere near the amount of water falling over them as I thought they would. Again, not much more than they would in summer. I wanted to get closer for a better photo without the tree in the way but I took a fall here last year and almost ended up in the brook, so I decided that I could live with the tree in the shot.
Further south in Keene Beaver Brook was different. There was a lot of water there, filling the banks.
Even thought it was high, you could see by how the water stripped the bark from the lower part of this tree that it has been much higher in the past. The exposed part of the log had been bleached silver-gray.
White foam swirled in eddies in the sheltered areas along its banks.
There is still a lot of ice left to melt in shaded areas of the forest. Maybe this was why Beaver Brook was running faster than the others.
The disappearing waterfall on the far hillside was there, just as I thought it would be. It runs for a day or two after a good rain and then disappears, so it can literally be here one day and gone the next. There was still snow in the shaded areas on that side of the brook.
Beaver brook falls roared over its 30 to 40 foot height. It wasn’t deafening but it was plenty loud. The surface of the brook was made much choppier than it usually is by the force of so much falling water. Since the ice was gone in this spot I was able to climb / slide down the steep embankment to the canyon for an unobstructed view. I’ve wasted many a climb down to the brook only to find the falls in deep shade, but on this day the lighting was perfect.
Regular readers of this blog know that this story will end at the Ashuelot River as it must, since all streams, brooks, and rivers in the region drain into it before it drains into the much larger Connecticut River. Its banks are full at the moment. The clouds above it formed an arrow pointing upriver and as I look at the photo I wonder if I should have followed the sign.
For those new to this blog, the name Ashuelot is pronounced ash-wil-ot or ash-wee-lot. I was raised to say ash-wil-ot. In Native American Penacook or Natick language the word means “the place between.” I assume they must have meant “between hills” because we have plenty of those and the river does run between them.
Downriver in Swanzey the Ashuelot had jumped its banks and turned these hayfields into a temporary marsh. The normal course of the river is off in the distance, just in front of the trees to the left, and it would be hard to see from this spot in summer. This land has probably been flooding since the glaciers that helped form it melted.
The Canada geese seemed very happy with the flooding.
Sit by a river. Find peace and meaning in the rhythm of the lifeblood of the Earth. ~Anonymous
Thanks for stopping in.
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[…] the more exotic plants we came across was mentioned recently by New Hampshire Garden Solutions in Spring Runoff . Just shows that sometimes, even with the Atlantic in between, Spring is Spring in the northern […]
Thank you for the blog mention.
I always love that walk through the woods with you, great photos.
Thank you Charlie. It’s good to hear from you again.
I bet you could still hill the running water when you went to bed that night. Beautiful pictures.
Thank you. Yes, it was loud!
Wonderful landscape photos — running water is just amazing in what it creates, and mesmerizing to watch.
Thanks Sue. I agree. I’m never very far from a river, pond or stream.
Sorry I’m late to comment again, I’ve been busy.
Loved the waterfalls, the color of the sky in several photos, as well as the color of the water in the next to last photo. I was surprised by how much ice there was left there, but I shouldn’t be, places in northern Michigan still have two to four feet of snow on the ground. But, it looks as if spring is finally getting to your neck of the woods.
No problem Jerry, I appreciate your comments but it won’t be the end of the world if you can’t. Yes, spring is finally happening for real with the wildflowers starting to bloom. I’ve seen coltsfoot, spring beauties and trout lilies and it’s great to see them again.
I just fell in love with your Beaver brook falls! Gorgeous photo too!
So far the small streams in my area haven’t shown much at all of the runoff. In our higher places there is still new snow adding to the snow pack. The streams should start to rise though in the next few weeks.
Thanks Montucky. Beaver brook falls can be pretty impressive at times.
I was watching the weather this morning when the forecast for the west came on, and I saw that parts of Montana were going to get snow.It sounds like you’ll have quite a runoff.
I’ve been watching along I-93 for false hellebore, but haven’t seen any yet. Maybe that’s because it hasn’t come up yet, and maybe it’s because I can’t search very effectively while driving a car. Better to pay attention to the road, I think. But it does grow there just north of exit 16 in Concord.
I find it near route 101 in Keene and other places.It likes wet feet so there is usually a water source not too far away.
I also look for flowers while driving and it’s a bad habit to get into.
It’s a bad habit, but I have found some that way that I haven’t seen anywhere else.
A lovely contrast between the raging falls and the flooded area. I am glad that your snow and ice is clearing at last.
Thank you. Sometimes it seems like spring is having a hard time coming but the flowers are blooming at just about the same time as they always do.
It sounds like a lovely walk and I’m glad you didn’t risk falling into the river. With all that ice hanging about I’m guessing it’s freezing.
Yes, you don’t see many people swimming at this time of year!
Another really enjoyable post, are many extra birds attracted in when you have this flooding?
Thank you Julie. I see a lot of ducks and geese but I’m colorblind so I can’t see many of the smaller birds that hide in trees and brush. That’s why you don’t see many bird photos here. If a red cardinal lands in a green tree, he disappears.
Hi A. N.
This is Redfrost. In Harrisville, just about same elevation as Nelson, also saw False Hellebore about 3-4 inches high. Compared to similar photos from last year, they are only 1 day off– Apr 18 vs Apr 19 (this year). Also noticed that many Skunk Cabbage flowers had been eaten. Not surprising considering the snow cover making it harder for S C to get up. A lot of hungry critters looking for food.
David
“The Physical facts fix all the facts.” — Alex Rosenberg
Thanks for the information David. It always seems odd to me when plants bloom in the north before they do in the southern part of the state but I don’t know why, because any number of variables can affect them. I finally did see some false hellebore yesterday in Keene but they had just broken through the soil. I’m sure deer and bear are eating all they can find. There isn’t much else available at this time of year.
Beautiful shots of the falls. I’ve started treating foreground obstructions, trees and branches, etc., as creative elements. Sometimes they really add something as you move around looking for a composition that pleases.
Thank you. I’ll have to start looking at it that way. Last year I tried hopping from one little island to another and lost my footing, so I decided not to do a repeat.
Great shots Allen, love all the water cascading photos!
Thanks Michael. I know you have a few in your neck of the woods too.
Love the shot of the arrow in the sky. Poetic!
I thought so too, but I didn’t really notice it until I saw the photo.
A walk in nature without leaving my chair. Thank you. 🙂
You’re welcome Ben. I hope you occasionally leave that chair and see it for yourself. Otherwise my plan isn’t working.
On Easter Saturday. And again soon, or that’s the plan. 🙂
It’s fascinating how the water looks so different in the varied environments, sometimes meandering and sometimes powerful until it finally mixes all together in the river. Beautiful shots, Allen, and thanks for the language lesson on pronouncing Ashuelot.
Thank you Mike. It is strange how waterways can look so different because of the surrounding terrain. I thought it might be time for another language lesson. We don’t see words like Ashuelot every day and they can be tongue twisters.
I loved all the running water and cascades that you photographed and wished I was there too. Glad you didn’t take any risks though.
Thank you Susan. We’ve got a lot of water on the move right now. I learned last year how easy it was to take a fall in the woods, so I’m more cautious now.
After all the snow we had this year, lots of rivers and streams are pushing their banks. There are several “roadside falls” in Wilton that will disappear by early summer. The half-naked log is neat looking and I love the arrow shaped clouds.It must be close to time to check out the bog in Antrim.
Hi Laura. I hope your recovery is going well. Yes, I was thinking of the bog in Antrim the other day but I saw enough snow in Nelson to convince me that it might be a little early. Maybe next week I’ll give it a try.