Even with chilly temperatures it felt like spring in the White Mountains! Marcus had a gig in North Conway, NH so I took the opportunity to hitch a ride and go on a sketching and scouting trip.
About 35 miles south of North Conway you get a peek of the Presidentials in their white capped glory.
New Hampshire is a rugged granite hewn state; this old farm on route 16 had that solitary outpost feeling.
Forests cover most of the state. The land starts to rise up in Ossipee.
The winds are steady here all year round. They flow out of the mountains across the lake.
The sun felt warm and the big snow drifts were shrinking...
As we approached North Conway and came round the turn down into the Saco River Valley we could see the gash of Tuckerman's Ravine clearly down the side of Mount Washington.
Up above the village of North Conway the ski trails beckoned....
It was a beautiful day to be on the slopes! Big and very little skiers were trying their best ....
I found a place to set up at the base of the mountain in front of a lodge. A big granite boulder was perfect for my gear and sketchbook...
I was surrounded by skiers arriving from different trails converging on this one spot...
It took a lot of concentration to grab these 2- second poses. These skiers kept whizzing by...I kept sketching them... filing the pages...it's a good exercise!
As the sun went down we headed over to a favorite painting spot of mine in town, the Conway Scenic Railroad Station. The railroad cars are all parked in the rail yard for the winter.
This train travels on tracks through the valley heading north through Crawford's Notch to the top of the ridge. They will start running again in the spring.
The railroad, once a part of the Boston and Maine Railroad & the Maine Central Railroad employed people who lived all over these mountains.
This region has a lot of rich history and was a favorite of the Hudson River painters. This is a gorgeous place at any time of the year.
For more paintings....PAINT EAT SLEEP
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