Tributaries of Lost River, Kinsman Notch – For the last few years, I have been capturing scenes along tributaries of Lost River in Kinsman Notch, New Hampshire. Kinsman Notch is located between Mount Moosilauke and the Kinsman Range along Route 112. Mostly known for the Lost River Reservation, Kinsman Notch, in my opinion, is one the most underused recreation areas in the White Mountains.
The number of brooks that drain into Lost River is amazing! And to make it a little more interesting, most of these brooks are not shown on maps. I decided to focus only on the tributaries south of Route 112 on the hillsides of Mount Jim and Mount Waternomee.
To create these images, I had to visit each brook twice. The first visit was to find interesting cascades along each brook, and the second visit was to capture the scene. The second visit was always on an overcast or rainy day when water levels were higher than normal.
When photographing cascades, overcast days act as a natural diffuser producing even light across the scene. Even though I know many photographers who shoot cascades and waterfalls on sunny days, I find the diffused light on overcast days much more manageable. The draw back is shooting in slippery and wet conditions.
When I started this small project, I was just looking for a different point of view that would represent the White Mountains. But the serenity of these cascades is why I love the White Mountains so much. I realized this after finding the above cascade. It is picture perfect!
Waternomee Brook Cascades (above & below), along Waternomee Brook, looks incredible after heavy rains and is my favorite cascade in Kinsman Notch. There is just enough room at the bottom of the cascade (below) to stand and setup a tripod. A similar scene as this one can be found in my 2015 White Mountains New Hampshire calendar. Take a look here.
April 2015 Update: Since photographing these tributaries, I have questioned how early explorers to Kinsman Notch could have overlooked all these impressive cascades. Well, it turns out the three tributaries I have been shooting are named after all. They are Waternomee Brook, Porcupine Brook, and Clough Mine Brook. I have updated the above captions with the proper name of each brook.
I can’t take any credit for discovering the names of these three tributaries. All credit goes to Steve Smith, owner of the Mountain Wanderer Bookstore. He found a reference to these forgotten tributaries in an old history book.
To license any of the above images for usage in publications, click on the image. And you can view more images of these tributaries here.
Happy image making..
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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.
ScenicNH Photography LLC
Specializing in environmental conservation and historic preservation photography mainly in the White Mountains region of New Hampshire, Erin Paul’s photography and writing focuses on the history of the White Mountains, and telling the story of abandoned places and forgotten historical sites.