As mountain streams go, the Waterville Valley's Smarts Brook would have no trouble fitting in among its spectacular peers in North America. It is a varied landscape, a truly beautiful spot for a ramble up a mountain stream. It lacks nothing in dramatic appeal, from the clear water rushing downstream from the mountains above, splashing and roaring over the boulder-strewn raceway, to the red-and-black-striped granite outcroppings and the granite wall opposite the trail.

There are two entrances, since the trail forms a loop; entry to the left-hand side brings one directly to a gradual ascent alongside the stream. The right-hand entry represents an initially steeper ascent away from the stream and eventually to a wide bridle path that begins to move closer to the stream.

Of the two, the left-hand side wins the vote for beauty. It leads directly to a trail called the "Pine Flats", and it's just that, a logged-out, but returning flat portion of the trail full of pines, hemlocks, maples and dogwood. By then you're far from the stream, and headed down eventually into a continuation of the trail into the inner forest, that will eventually loop back around to the stream, and bring you over a bridge onto the bridle path.

The thunder of the stream where it pounds over drops in the stream bed represents a real roar of aqua-power; below those drops there are placidly lovely pools inviting a cool dip on a hot summer day. And it was hot when we were there, this year, over a month later than we usually make the trip.

And, as a result, we missed seeing the usual fabulous spring-time display of wildflowers, chief among them the glowing, perfect Ladies Slipper orchids that abound there.