554 - Basin Cascade
The journey for fall colors officially begins.
I only have to drive 9 hours up to New Hampshire first. 9 HOURS. I’m in Philadelphia right now. I thought everything on the East Coast was within 2-3 hours. Isn’t this place basically Europe?
Anyway. I’m not going to bore you with details of the long drive. Since I avoided tolls, I was basically driving through backwoods for an entire day.
But, I made it. Somehow. The thing that sucked the most was this anxiety I had in my mind that I was “missing” the fall colors. According to the New Hampshire foliage tracker, the White Mountains (where I was headed) were currently at “100% Peak” conditions. I had no idea what this meant. Two days ago they were at 60%.
Does “100% Peak” last for a week? Is it gone in a day? Is this everywhere?
So by the time I arrived, I was borderline manic to look at fall colors. Couple that with the fact that I had near zero sleep the night before and I had been driving all day, you end up with a fun combo.
I decided to take a drive down the “Kancamagus Highway.” A road known around the world for its fall colors. What I didn’t realize was that people actually lived around here. For the longest time I thought New Hampshire (and let’s throw Vermont/Maine in there too) were desolate “nobody cares land.”
I mean think about it. When was the last time you met someone from one of these places? Never.
Therefore, it came as quite the surprise when I found myself in bumper to bumper traffic for 30+ miles on the yellow-speckled highway. It also came as a surprise that it was Columbus Day weekend. I didn’t even know that was a holiday.
Can someone tell me why Halloween isn’t a holiday but Columbus Day is? NOBODY CARES ABOUT COLUMBUS. Give me high fructose corn syrup, smokin’ hot witches, and serial killer flicks. That’s an American holiday. Not Columbus’ fat ass.
Long story short, I sat in traffic for two hours hoping to land somewhere cool before the sun set. Spoiler alert: I didn’t.
I ended up just pulling over on the shoulder and editing for two hours until the traffic died enough for me to get out of there.
I’m telling you. The place was pure insanity. And I could only dream about what tomorrow would bring…
So I crafted a genius plan to sleep outside of the Basin Cascade trailhead (a lesser known spot,) and wake up for a sunrise session. Well, not entirely genius. I do this all the time. But I felt crafty, OK?
And that’s where all the fall magic begins:
“Fall’s Web”
Taken with Sony a7rIV + Sony 24-105mm f/4 G
[ISO 100 ~ 26mm ~ f/14 ~ 1/3s]
(Want a Print? Get one here.)
Boom. Banger right off the bat.
And I’m just going to say it. This place felt like an actual fairy tale. A wooden forest, glistening with fresh rain from the night before, fall colors, and water features everywhere.
Maybe it was because I went through so much hell yesterday. I guess I’ll never know. But needless to say, I was in heaven now.
The next shot I got was off some roots, right next to where this waterfall was. The sprinkle of red leaves caught my eye and made for a trippy pattern:
“Twisted Red”
Taken with Sony a7rIV + Sony 24-105mm f/4 G
[ISO 2000 ~ 26mm ~ f/9 ~ 1/100s]
(Want a Print? Get one here.)
Y’all KNOW how much I love roots. Especially if you were reading these blogs during my Central America era.
Shoutout the OGs.
I kept walking. The funny thing was that I originally came here for one waterfall. And it wasn’t even the waterfall I just showed you. The longer I walked, the more I discovered. The path felt like a portal to a surreal world of color.
My next favorite shot was this one here:
“God of the Dead”
Taken with Sony a7rIV + Sony 24-105mm f/4 G
[ISO 2000 ~ 32mm ~ f/9 ~ 1/100s]
(Want a Print? Get one here.)
The white, green, and red felt spiritual. And I centered the white tree to give it more power. What caught me off guard was how symmetrical the whole scene was… A rarity for nature, especially in tree-based landscapes.
Let’s see… What else?
Oh! This leaf shot:
“Gold Coin”
Taken with Sony a7rIV + Sony 24-105mm f/4 G
[ISO 1000 ~ 86mm ~ f/4 ~ 1/200s]
(Want a Print? Get one here.)
Reminded me of a lucky gold coin.
In total, I ended up walking for another 2 miles or so. And I had the place entirely to myself. THAT is the magic of waking up early. (We’ll see how long that lasts.)
As I headed back to my car, hordes of people began to swarm in like ants to chunky peanut butter. I snagged one more shot:
“Fingers of Fall”
Taken with Sony a7rIV + Sony 24-105mm f/4 G
[ISO 1000 ~ 48mm ~ f/9 ~ 1/160s]
(Want a Print? Get one here.)
I liked this image because those two branches almost look like creepy fingers trying to touch each other. Halloween is in the air, and I CAN FEEL IT.
God I’m amped for these fall colors.
I’m pretty much posting up camp in New England for the next couple weeks, until all the color is gone. Once an area is extinguished, I’ll simply move more South. That’s how the colors work. North to South.
We’re just getting started around here.
I’m on a mission to explore as much as humanely possible.
Want to see my progress? Check out the Adventure Map.
*Please note this page contains affiliate links.
