Shoes to Views
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This was one of the rare days I've hiked without Sharon. Our friends Jay and Wendy wanted to get these mountains for their 48 list, but Sharon couldn't come, so just Otis and I went to accompany them and help with a car spot.
For the second week in a row we drove north from a sunny Kingston through deepening clouds and precipitation. By the time we reached Crawford Notch the road was very wet and Jay even thought he felt some slipping and sliding. While he was concentrating on the road Wendy saw a moose in the boggy area along the Saco River.
We stopped briefly at the Highland Center and dropped a car, then went back to Willey House to start our hike. The plan was to traverse up Kedron Flume Trail to Ethan Pond Trail, then north on the Willey Range Trail to Mount Tom and down the Avalon Trail back to the Highland Center. Thanks to an old thread started by Farmer a few years ago I was confident that Otis would be able to clamber up the ladders on the Willey Range Trail.
Kedron Flume trail was in great shape until the flume crossing, thenthe fun began. It was a blowdown extravaganza almost until the next trail junction. We had to climb over, under and around trees of all sizes on the trail. There were a few that required crawling on hands and knees. Fortunately the trail was pretty dry and snow free at this point.
Ethan Pond trail was in pretty good shape except for some blowdowns at the stream crossing. We were able to navigate around without too much difficulty.
Willey Range trail was pretty dry and snow free until after the ladders. Otis had no trouble scampering up the ladders and would have left us all gasping if not for a peculiar hiking habit of his. More on that later. Above the ladders we started to see patches of monorail growing more and more continuous as we neared the summit. We discussed breaking for lunch on the summit but decided not to because it was pretty blustery and we were all rapidly cooling off as we discussed stopping.
As we moved down the north side of Willey the snow pack was continuous but it was cool enough so it was firm underfoot. For the first time we saw other people, a group of four women heading toward the Willey summit. They warned us that there were a lot of needles and branches on the trail ahead which made the trail a little difficult to follow. As long as we watched for footprints in the snow we were fine.
We found a sheltered, snow free spot in the col between Willey and Field to sit for a while and have lunch. I'd thought about stopping in the clearing at Field, but suspected snow and wind, and as it turned out I was right.
Another hiker passed us, a young man who said he'd just discovered peakbagging, and was apparently going at it with enthusiasm.
The trip down to the Avalon trail was a dream. Smooth, firm snow and a gentle slope made it easy hiking. The four women had met us again at the summit of Field and we followed them down this section. Otis trotted ahead of me and fell behind their lead hiker until they stopped for a gear adjustment. We didn't see them again until the Highland Center when we found they'd skipped Mt Tom.
Just before we reached the Mt Tom spur we met a large group heading the other way. Otis took the opportunity to do a meet and greet, getting pets from everyone he could. One of the women in the group started to lobby her husband to get a lab. Otis was on his best, friendliest behavior to bolster her case. As we departed in opposite directions Otis displayed his hiking quirk once again. He fell in behind their lead hiker and would undoubtedly have followed them all the way home. I had to call him and remind him that the lady wanted a Lab, not necessarily HIM.
At the summit of Mt Tom we met a group of four young people up from Boston. Some of them were having a tough time with the footing. I gently suggested that better footware selections were available. They'd already gotten that message because the answer I got back was that boots would be better than ruining a pair of tennis shoes and breaking an ankle on every hike. Reminded me of a thread I just read where someone commented that all this gear was cheap once you've already bought it. Pretty expensive though if you don't have it and are living on a student budget.
Down the A-Z trail to the Avalon trail was pretty uneventful. As the snow petered out it became soft and showed quite a bit of postholing. Just after the Avalon trail junction I looked for the scratched-up tree where the bear dropped into the trail in front of Sharon. I think I saw the tree, and it brought back interesting memories.
Stopped again for a break at the Highland Center before we headed home. Jay and Wendy were going to stop for Mexican on the way home but we begged off. Otis doesn't do Mexican and we were going to be well past his dinnertime anyway.
For the second week in a row we drove north from a sunny Kingston through deepening clouds and precipitation. By the time we reached Crawford Notch the road was very wet and Jay even thought he felt some slipping and sliding. While he was concentrating on the road Wendy saw a moose in the boggy area along the Saco River.
We stopped briefly at the Highland Center and dropped a car, then went back to Willey House to start our hike. The plan was to traverse up Kedron Flume Trail to Ethan Pond Trail, then north on the Willey Range Trail to Mount Tom and down the Avalon Trail back to the Highland Center. Thanks to an old thread started by Farmer a few years ago I was confident that Otis would be able to clamber up the ladders on the Willey Range Trail.
Kedron Flume trail was in great shape until the flume crossing, thenthe fun began. It was a blowdown extravaganza almost until the next trail junction. We had to climb over, under and around trees of all sizes on the trail. There were a few that required crawling on hands and knees. Fortunately the trail was pretty dry and snow free at this point.
Ethan Pond trail was in pretty good shape except for some blowdowns at the stream crossing. We were able to navigate around without too much difficulty.
Willey Range trail was pretty dry and snow free until after the ladders. Otis had no trouble scampering up the ladders and would have left us all gasping if not for a peculiar hiking habit of his. More on that later. Above the ladders we started to see patches of monorail growing more and more continuous as we neared the summit. We discussed breaking for lunch on the summit but decided not to because it was pretty blustery and we were all rapidly cooling off as we discussed stopping.
As we moved down the north side of Willey the snow pack was continuous but it was cool enough so it was firm underfoot. For the first time we saw other people, a group of four women heading toward the Willey summit. They warned us that there were a lot of needles and branches on the trail ahead which made the trail a little difficult to follow. As long as we watched for footprints in the snow we were fine.
We found a sheltered, snow free spot in the col between Willey and Field to sit for a while and have lunch. I'd thought about stopping in the clearing at Field, but suspected snow and wind, and as it turned out I was right.
Another hiker passed us, a young man who said he'd just discovered peakbagging, and was apparently going at it with enthusiasm.
The trip down to the Avalon trail was a dream. Smooth, firm snow and a gentle slope made it easy hiking. The four women had met us again at the summit of Field and we followed them down this section. Otis trotted ahead of me and fell behind their lead hiker until they stopped for a gear adjustment. We didn't see them again until the Highland Center when we found they'd skipped Mt Tom.
Just before we reached the Mt Tom spur we met a large group heading the other way. Otis took the opportunity to do a meet and greet, getting pets from everyone he could. One of the women in the group started to lobby her husband to get a lab. Otis was on his best, friendliest behavior to bolster her case. As we departed in opposite directions Otis displayed his hiking quirk once again. He fell in behind their lead hiker and would undoubtedly have followed them all the way home. I had to call him and remind him that the lady wanted a Lab, not necessarily HIM.
At the summit of Mt Tom we met a group of four young people up from Boston. Some of them were having a tough time with the footing. I gently suggested that better footware selections were available. They'd already gotten that message because the answer I got back was that boots would be better than ruining a pair of tennis shoes and breaking an ankle on every hike. Reminded me of a thread I just read where someone commented that all this gear was cheap once you've already bought it. Pretty expensive though if you don't have it and are living on a student budget.
Down the A-Z trail to the Avalon trail was pretty uneventful. As the snow petered out it became soft and showed quite a bit of postholing. Just after the Avalon trail junction I looked for the scratched-up tree where the bear dropped into the trail in front of Sharon. I think I saw the tree, and it brought back interesting memories.
Stopped again for a break at the Highland Center before we headed home. Jay and Wendy were going to stop for Mexican on the way home but we begged off. Otis doesn't do Mexican and we were going to be well past his dinnertime anyway.
