Rain rain go away. Nicole and Debbie want to play. Well…it’s been a bit overcast as I’ve begun as one of the Interpretive Rangers at Franconia Notch State Park.
Allow me to sum up my thoughts on the weather.
The cons of rain include: dampness, wearing layers, reduced attendance at programs and less sun.
- Happy Orange Hawkweed near the Old Man Historic Site
The pros of rain include: interesting fog, rushing rivers and waterfalls, reading, drinking hot coffee, increase visitors in our hiker/ interpretive information center (if it’s raining people spend more time inside talking to me- yes!!), happy plants, and mud.
Yep- mud. I’ll explain…a few days ago I was walking along the Pemi Trail. The path runs along the Pemigewasset River and it’s relatively flat for a trail in the Notch. I’m admiring the neat mist (another pro) and I often stop to scope out muddy spots for animal tracks. I saw a bunch of human footprints but no animal tracks for most of the route. Then right in the center of the trail is a single, perfect moose track! It ‘s so lovely and prominent that I honestly looked around to see if someone was pulling a prank or something. I know, I know that wouldn’t make any sense but it almost seemed too crisp and fresh to be real. I was really excited. The first bit of moose evidence I’ve seen here! Anyway, I didn’t get a picture but check out my photos of happy plants and clouds. It’s looking sunnier and I’ll keep my eyes open for moose. Hope to see you in the park soon!
By Nicole Juppe, Discover Power of Parks Interpretive Ranger
