3-28 Welcome Back on Welch and Dickey

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grouseking

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Lebanon, NH Avatar: Philosopher?
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I finally got out for a hike! Score one for me! A friend of mine who wants to get into hiking the 4,000 footers has been looking for places to go, so I suggested the Welch and Dickey loop. It really is a splendid hike with some pretty exposed areas. It also marked my first hike back in the whites since last July.

We started the trek around 10:50am and were rolling right up to the first ledges, going counterclockwise. I was kind of surprised how quickly we were going...I haven't hiked in a long time. But the grade is pretty mellow up to the first ledge, and it warms you up to the steep ledges that follow.

Photos were very difficult to take on this day...this time of year really is tough

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At this hour, clouds were hanging tough covering Sandwich Dome and the Tripyramids

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trying to give a sense of the steepness
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This one is funny, it gives the sense of the steepness, and as you can see, that girl is trying to RUN up!

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Soon enough, we were at the top, right around noonish. There was some ice to negotiate, but nothing that was out of the ordinary. The real ice came later. I had to take some medicine for epilepsy, that tends to make me very dizzy, so I took at it this time while I was on the top. I also ate some food to try to combat the dizzy feeling. I was doing well for awhile, so I took some more pics.

Blue sky!
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A look ahead
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I love shots like this...just looking into the forests

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At this point we were off to Dickey Mtn....I was sure I'd get dizzy soon, so I attempted to beat the dizziness to the summit.

Cont in a min
 
Continued

I was feeling good heading up to Dickey Mtn. This is where the ice began in earnest, in the col and up to the summit. Thankfully we planned ahead and brought some microspikes. They came in very handy for the next couple miles. I couldn't believe some people were not using them, or some form of traction. Brazen, I tell ya. Anyways, near the summit, we got a nice view back to Welch mtn. I've always liked this view

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Up top, looking at Tecumseh
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As soon as I summited Dickey mtn, I felt the dizziness coming on that I was worried about, so I hunkered down in the trees and let it pass. It really is unfortunate that this happens daily. Time to call the neurologist I guess. Its also not the safest thing to go hiking while its happening...I know that. But at this point I know exactly when its going to happen, down to the exact time, so I was plenty prepared for it to happen. While at the summit, the wind picked up and was whipping thru the trees. At first I was a bit chilly, but I was able to keep myself warm overall, despite a little shivering at first. After about 40 min, the dizziness went away, like it always does every day, and then I was ready to go again...so off we went.

The next mile+ of the trail was extremely icy and occasionally snowy, so microspikes really were a must. It enabled us to cruise down the trail, SAFELY. More pics

very difficult to get a good shot of Franconia Ridge
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typical trail on the backside of Dickey Mtn
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In no time (thanks to the microspikes) we got down to the final ledges, which were thankfully free of ice. The winds were really picking up here. I measured a 30 mph gust with the kestrel, but it was mainly about 25 mph sustained.

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A look back up

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Back into the woods, there was some nice leftover ice, and a lot of evidence of wind damage from our storm last February. I know that there are always blowdowns in the woods, but this seemed a little different. Plus, the trees were making some LOUD noises with every gust, so you could tell the root system has definitely been weakened.

Blowdowns
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Ice
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The trip down from here always seems a little long, and this was the case once again today. But not overly so, and we took advantage of the nice log bench towards the bottom. With the pounding our feet take heading down several miles of rocks, it felt good to give them a rest for 5 minutes.

In no time, we were at the bottom, and ready to head home..well that is after I took a few more pictures.

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Definitely some foreboding clouds beginning to move in!
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It was a good day to be out, despite the ailments I have to deal with these days. It was a nice way to welcome me back to the mtns!

grouseking
 
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I'm 2.2 miles from the trailhead and do this hike at least 10 times a year. I never get tired of hiking these two peaks.
 
Very fine photo journal; many thanks for posting and welcome back. Like Mad River, Welch and Dickey are in my backyard, but I do not spend nearly enough time on this loop.
 
Way to go Phil!! I can relate to your joy at being back hiking in the Whites. It's definitely difficult to be away from them. At the moment, I'm in PA on my way to NC to visit family for a week. I'm missing the Whites already. I've only been gone for less than 24 hours, which is NOTHING compared to what you've experienced!

Welcome back, Phil! Very nice report, and thanks for posting!
 
A great choice for a return to hiking. Welcome back.

I'm 2.2 miles from the trailhead and do this hike at least 10 times a year. I never get tired of hiking these two peaks.

Nice!! :D

Welcome back!!

Thanks everyone! It was definitely great to be back. And I wasn't that winded, so it gives me confidence for tougher hikes. I guess those 4-5 mile walks thru town are really helping! Now all I need to do is fix my foot.
 
Very fine photo journal; many thanks for posting and welcome back. Like Mad River, Welch and Dickey are in my backyard, but I do not spend nearly enough time on this loop.

Thanks very much! I wish I had a mountain in my backyard. If it was feasible to move north, I would in a heartbeat!

Glad you're back...we did the same hike about 9 days ago. There was more snow on the Dickey side then and I too was happy that those final ledges were clear. Leo likes to explore cliff edges.

Ooh...well I can understand why Leo wants to explore those cliffs, but it must have been a little heart stopping from time to time. Some of the cliffs still had some ice on them , but it must have been much less than say, 9 days ago. The reason we chose this loop was because it loses snow first, and I was hoping there would be little ice. If it had stayed warm, I would have got my wish. Oh well.

Way to go Phil!! I can relate to your joy at being back hiking in the Whites. It's definitely difficult to be away from them. At the moment, I'm in PA on my way to NC to visit family for a week. I'm missing the Whites already. I've only been gone for less than 24 hours, which is NOTHING compared to what you've experienced!

Welcome back, Phil! Very nice report, and thanks for posting!

Thanks very much! Try not to go through withdrawal too much. If you are in western NC, take a hike down there! Oh, and try to dodge all those tornadoes they have been getting lately! Good lord. :eek:

grouseking
 
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