Lots of water

Sunday the Whites saw way too much water. 2 inches fell with 3 inches expected by the close of day. Flooding was everywhere. I heard FS reports of several trails being totally washed out by their description. Sorry I couldn't hear the specific trails. I didn't catch the names but I am sure at some point AMC/USFS will probably be listing them. I also know that brooks and streams were so swollen that several people were rescued in the Bartlett area. No injuries that I heard. Water at Rocky Branch and the Pemi in Lincoln (and lots of others) was the highest I can remember in a long time.

If you are heading out, just be aware. I would expect (speculation) that the levels aren't going to stay high very long but the damage may take some time to fix.

Keith

Flooding in the Franconia area continues today, Monday. I rarely see water levels as high in the local streams as now. There's a flood warning for the Pemigewasset R., which drains the headwaters of Franconia Notch and the East Branch that runs along the Kanc (112). More rain predicted for this week.

I should have also mentioned that even if Bear Notch road was open (it still wasn't on Wednesday night) it was impassable on the Kanc side because of the water that was over the road by more than a foot probably at least two. It was being inundated by the Swift river. I saw no one get through though several, including me, tried. Again, this was Sunday afternoon.

Keith

I did trail maintenance on the Webster Cliff Trail on Saturday and water was flowing down the trail from some of the higher streams. The Mad River in Thornton was raging on Sunday morning and they had to close part of Route 49 East heading to Waterville Valley. I have never seen it this high before.

Just a public note of appreciation for the work you and others do on the trails. I have seen the hard work you people do. Sorry mother nature doesn't cooperate sometimes.

Keith

I heard the Gale River was extremely high. I plan on hiking with a group to Galehead on May 14 --if anyone is hiking Gale River in the next two weeks, please post conditions!
Thanks,
-Liza

Some of you may recall my Wild River story of a few years ago, seeing the river go overnight from 50 to 5000cfs.

I see on the gages online that the Wild hit 10,000 cubic feet per second the other day. I would have paid money to see that. I think that the places where I said I was concerned they might have been under water would have been deathtraps with that much torrent. The water depth, 4' higher, must have been very close to the bottom of Spider Bridge. Wow.

Should have attached this picture before. Had to reduce file in size. I have some others including some short AVI's but I can't attach them. The other photos I would need to reduce also.

RBandSaco was taken on 4/24 looking south down Rocky Branch towards it junction with the Saco from route 302. There are normally lots of uncovered rocks with the actual river only covering a very small section of the river bed.

Ellis1 was a picture of looking south from 302 on Ellis river.

Ellis2 is showing the water of the Ellis river running under the bridge on rt 302.

Keith

Wow! (Looks worse than my basement, through which a river has been running for the last several weeks.)

Wow, not the time to be on those risky crossings.

Just looking at those pictures makes me have to, uh, go...