Scenes of May, White Mountains – The snow is gone here in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and I have finally stored my snowshoes and traction devices for the season. If you look hard enough though you still can find small pockets of snow in the forest, and of course Tuckerman Ravine still has patches of snow..

May in the White Mountains has been awesome! The spring snow melt combined with heavy rains has made for great waterscape imagery. As the month comes to an end water levels are getting back to normal.

On one of the many overcast days this month I photographed Sparkling Cascade, which is along a tributary of Avalanche Brook, above Ripley Falls, in Harts Location. For some reason this cascade is considered to be a forgotten waterfall, and I am not sure why. The cascade is not that far off the beaten path, and when the brook is running high it is breathtaking! Above is the lower section of Sparkling Cascade.

I spent a few days shooting in the Kinsman Notch area this month. After reviewing my image archive over the winter I realized I needed more coverage of Kinsman Notch. I photographed Balance Rock & Bell's Cascade, Jackman Falls, and the Stark Falls Brook drainage. All are great locations, and for the first time Jackman Falls was roaring! Most times I visit Jackman Falls they are nothing more than a trickle.

I also hiked Mt Tecumseh in Waterville Valley this month. In 2011, the above birch tree along the Mt Tecumseh Trail had a freshly painted yellow trail blaze on it. It was then removed from the tree sometime in early 2012. The blaze looks to have been removed by cutting and / or peeling the bark away. I have been photographing the birch tree regularly in order to create a visual journal that shows the impact blaze removal has on trees. It saddens me to see senseless destruction of the environment.

I also stumbled upon the above abandoned Chevrolet this month. For me, one of the greatest enjoyments of living in the White Mountains is being able to photograph all aspects of the White Mountains environment. This includes documenting the abandoned sites that are often overlooked. At some point the abandoned sites within the White Mountains will only exist through photographs. See the new images gallery for more May scenes.

Happy image making..

Every month I do a blog post showcasing five images I created during the month. They are intended to help you understand my lifestyle as a photographer.

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Erin Paul Donovan

Owner of ScenicNH Photography LLC

Erin Paul is a professional photographer, writer, and author who specializes in environmental conservation and historic preservation photography mainly in the New Hampshire White Mountains. His work is published worldwide, and publication credits include: Appalachian Mountain Club, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Backpacker Magazine, and The Wilderness Society.