Becca M
Active member
Feb 4, 2012-- needed another short hike and some decent vertical to fill up the rest of the day so I set out for the Welch/Dickey Loop. Last time there several years ago I was still in (hip) injury-mending mode. THAT was a VERY painful hike with all the big steps onto the larger rocks-- it was GREAT to replace THAT memory with the experience of this AWESOME day!!! After a quick lunch in the car on the way to the trailhead, I was pretty happy to find the parking lot well-plowed and a space open.
Last time I was there I also met up with a snowboarder who JUST ended his run from the top directly into the parking lot on a board he had just designed and fabricated out of SOME type of plywood. I remember thinking he was kind of crazy-- now I realize he was just REALLY talented!!! I was trying to imagine the run he had-- he was SO happy in the powder. What powder was that? It's a dim memory!!! Not much snow in the woods but a crusty topping this day.
This time I was also scoping for some glades... hoping for a snow dump sometime soon!!! But, today was just for hiking!!! I didn't see TOO many people but I did pass several small but VERY happy groups on this bluebird day. When I got down, the lot was almost empty... as usual!
Looking back, this loop reminds me so much of the Baldfaces - you get GREAT views forward and backwards of where you're going and where you've been. The scale is MUCH smaller, but, the loop is so much more accessible. Such a pretty place!!!
Cool - the trail goes thru this crack. How often do the trails go thru rocks? Maybe Goodrich Rock Trail and a couple others - so cool, too!!!
On the summit of Welch - a few scattered rocks:
Along the ridge - attack of the 50' woman's shadow:
Looking back at Welch from the ledges to Dickey:
On the descent from Dickey - looked like a snow car:
And stonehenge? HAH!
Ideally these ledges would be skiable snowfields... not this year!!!
And the final ledges back down from Dickey:
I hope you enjoy! ~Becca
Last time I was there I also met up with a snowboarder who JUST ended his run from the top directly into the parking lot on a board he had just designed and fabricated out of SOME type of plywood. I remember thinking he was kind of crazy-- now I realize he was just REALLY talented!!! I was trying to imagine the run he had-- he was SO happy in the powder. What powder was that? It's a dim memory!!! Not much snow in the woods but a crusty topping this day.
This time I was also scoping for some glades... hoping for a snow dump sometime soon!!! But, today was just for hiking!!! I didn't see TOO many people but I did pass several small but VERY happy groups on this bluebird day. When I got down, the lot was almost empty... as usual!
Looking back, this loop reminds me so much of the Baldfaces - you get GREAT views forward and backwards of where you're going and where you've been. The scale is MUCH smaller, but, the loop is so much more accessible. Such a pretty place!!!
Cool - the trail goes thru this crack. How often do the trails go thru rocks? Maybe Goodrich Rock Trail and a couple others - so cool, too!!!
On the summit of Welch - a few scattered rocks:
Along the ridge - attack of the 50' woman's shadow:
Looking back at Welch from the ledges to Dickey:
On the descent from Dickey - looked like a snow car:
And stonehenge? HAH!
Ideally these ledges would be skiable snowfields... not this year!!!
And the final ledges back down from Dickey:
I hope you enjoy! ~Becca
