Willey, Field & Tom 12/16 for the Audubon CBC (and peaks and beer)

[Chip]

I like any excuse to get up there and the Audubon's Christmas Bird Count (organized by our very own Puck) was as good as any and better than most. Me and the family headed up Friday afternoon and were checked in at The Lodge at Bretton Woods (which has a great view across the street) and eating at Fabyans by 6:30pm.

At 7am Saturday I was at the Highland Center getting breakfast, meeting Audubon folks and getting a crash course in Birding from Puck. I would count and identify (to the best of my limited abilities) bird species on the hike. Other birders would do the same on various trails and peaks in the area. A friend and co-worker, Joe, joined me. We were dropped off at Willey House for the Kedron Flume Trail and were hiking by 9.

Kedron Flume is a nice flow easily negotiated and the steep hike goes quickly to below Willey were you reach the series of "ladders" , which have been rebuilt recently and are really nice, steep steps , well made and much appreciated !
The day never cleared, there was a light drizzle down low which became a light snow higher for most of the morning. There was 6 to 10 inches of snow in the woods which packed on the trails nicely. Sadly there were very few birds to be counted (we got a total of 13, 3 species) and no Views From The Tops. There'd be great views northeast and west during this hike in better weather, but I really enjoyed it and these peaks regardless. The temp and snow pack conditions were perfect for a quick hike. I was actually feeling quilty being in the snow, thinking my 2 boys were in rain and mud down at Bretton Woods wanting to ski and snowboard, but it turns out there were a few trails open there and they slid for free all day ! Joe and I were back at The Highland Center, drinking beer and helping (unofficially) judge the Ginger Bread House Competition by 2.

My crew all went back to Bretton Woods Sunday morning, skiing and boarding for free on the Learning Center Quad trails for a couple hours. We even got our Christmas Card shot out of the deal !

 

[Jazzbo]

Weather conditions vary greatly don't they?

Interesting .... I can see northern summits were socked in where you were on Saturday. NHMTNHIKER's views were slightly better. Where we were in south, we made out pretty good for views. We never saw the summit of Carrigain at all although by end of the day I think is saw Vose Spur peaking out from under the cloud ceiling. The pictures of the stairs are pretty neat. I've never taken that route and have wondered what those stairs were like.

 

[Tom Rankin]

My crew all went back to Bretton Woods Sunday morning, skiing and boarding for free on the Learning Center Quad trails for a couple hours. We even got our Christmas Card shot out of the deal !

Be careful with that thing on your chest, it looks radioactive!

Merry Christmas to you and the Chipsters! And a snow filled new year!

 

[Puck]

We saw your tracks for the 0.3 miles you were on the Ethan Pond trail.
The pond was iced over...not that I would trust it for a pickup game.

We were also in snow at the lower elevation..not a frozen ground. My wife got a soaker with a mistep on a bog bridge. We had some rain then sleet then snow and back to sleet through out the day.

Chip what amazes me about your family is that you have a snowboarder and a skiier in the same house.

 

[Puck]

Here is a report of the event on the NH rare bird alert. There is a discussion of trail conditions and weather.

"The 2nd annual Crawford Notch Christmas Bird Count was held on Saturday 16
December with a count circle center at the AMC Highland Center in Crawford
Notch. This count is primarily a trail hiking survey with trips over the
Willey Range, Mount Pierce and in the Zealand Valley. The count circle
extends from the Twin Mountain Post Office to the Nancy Pond Trailhead.
Twelve participants were involved in this years count. The weather was
unusually warm with temperatures around freezing. We had several varieties
of precipitation falling at various times of the day. The snow cover ranged
from bare ground at 2,000 feet in elevation to 12 inches of snow at 3,800
feet in elevation at Mizpah Hut. The visibility was often 300 feet or less
while we hiked up the mountains in the clouds and this was a major
limitation on birds activity.



"We recorded 21 species and 343 total birds which is respectable for a count
in the heart of the White Mountains on a day when the weather could have
been better. The highlight was a Northern Shrike observed by Deb Eddison
that caught a vole and ate it near Saco Lake. Other bird highlights included
a family unit of 3 Gray Jays on the Mizpah Cut-off Trail, 2 Gray Jays on the
Willey Range, 26 Boreal Chickadees, 49 American Robins feeding on Mountain
Ash berries along several trails, 9 Cedar Waxwings, and only 1 Evening
Grosbeak and 3 White-winged Crossbills. The limited visibility and
precipitation kept the numbers of birds seen or heard lower than expected. I
relied on my hearing and never even took my binoculars out of my backpack
due to the weather. We tracked a grouse in fresh snow at 3,700 feet
elevation in a black spruce stand looking for a prized spruce grouse but
ended up with a pair of wing impressions in the snow where it took off.



"A compilation dinner was held at the AMC Highland Center where everyone
compared notes on the birds, trail conditions and weather. We plan to make
this an annual event and look forward to recruiting more mountain hiking
birders to our group in the future.



David Govatski

Jefferson, NH"

 

[Chip]

It's a great event, it really adds 3rd and 4th dimensions to a hike, listening and looking for birds. Thanks for organizing, sign me up for next year !

 

[cbcbd]

Cool ladders.
How was the skiing on Bretton, any good snow?

 

[Chip]

Cool ladders.

Yeah, and after seeing the Home Depot ladders on Everest, I didn't even feel quilty about having these steps available !

How was the skiing on Bretton, any good snow?

Really surprisingly good considering. Very limited, but what was open was well covered. The boys are both beginners so they skied the Learning Center Quad trails (which are as big as some entire ski areas around here) both days for free. Can you say "Happy Dad !" ?