Crossing Thoreau Falls

[rickb]

Thoreau falls are are some of the best and are about 100 yards down a blue blaze off the AT --north of Zealand Falls hut but ...

Two questions:

1. Can I count on a easy rock hop across up the river if the jump over where the trail crosses them right at the top proves too intimidating for someone in my group, and/or is it practical to go upstream to the bridge and bushwhacked back?

2. Anyone have experience bush whacking to the bottom of the falls for a full view of them?

[rafe]

Thoreau Falls is a few miles south of Zealand hut, where the blue blaze (Thoreau Falls Trail) breaks off the AT. I was there years ago with my two nephews, both about 15 at the time.

I remember actually being very wary crossing the stream (just above the falls.) If you slipped and fell, you could be in serious trouble. There's a significant current, it's moving fast, and there's not much distance between the crossing and the first big dropoff. We weren't looking for a bushwhack but IIRC, if you just follow Thoreau Falls Trail southward it loses a lot of altitude quickly right after that crossing -- so if you wanted to get to the base of the falls, start bushwhacking from where that short initial descent levels off, heading north again, probably only a few hundred yards back to the falls.

From that stream crossing (above the falls) you just know that the terrain around the falls is gonna be steep as get-out.

[Old Hillwalker]

It's easy, and done often. Just go South on the AT to the foot bridge (2/10 mile), cross the bridge and leave the trail to the right and follow the obvious herd path back along the stream to intersect with the TFT in about 3/10 mile. This is a good bypass when the river is in spate.

Cheers HW