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| Mt. Field, View from Mt. Tom Summit |
With temperatures warming and a forecast of near 90 degrees, I was determined to get out early and pocket the "big three" due west of Highland Center in Crawford Notch. An early start would allow me to get back and enjoy a full afternoon cooling off with K in the East Branch of the Saco River. Many people like to do a loop hike over Mt. Tom and Mt. Field. I decided to add Mt. Willey as well, making the hike into a combination of a loop and an out-and-back for a total of 10 miles.
The Willey Range is not so much noted for its views or its terrain, but for its history. In 1826, a rainstorm following a hot, dry summer caused a massive slide on Mt. Willey which came down on top of an entire family of New Hampshire settlers -- the Willey family. Nine people perished in an event that captured the public attention of its day and is still recalled more than a hundred years later.
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| Self-portrait with summit cairn |
I started out on the trail at 7:05 AM, a good hour later than usual, and passed by a few hikers setting up their gear and having breakfast at the rail station/gift shop in front of the trail head. I made quick time going up the Avalon Trail to the A-Z Trail, and then an up and back to the summit of Mt. Tom, which has some partial views. I didn't see anyone until returning back down and starting out on the Willey Range trail. I wasn't in the mood for conversation - my mind was already set on an afternoon in the river - so I pressed up and over the biggest of the three, Mt. Field, and then on to Willey. Although neither have remarkable summits, the ridge-line hike is quite enjoyable.
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| Large Blowdown Patch on Willey Range Trail |
On the return, I branched off the Willey Range trail at the summit of Field and took the Avalon Trail down. It meanders into the valley, steeply at some points, and passes by the lower summit of Mt. Avalon. As I approached the turn off for the short trail to Mt. Avalon, I could hear the sounds of a huge youth group on its summit. Needless to say, I decided to skip the party up there and kept going.
Made it back to the car at 12:50... 5 hours and 45 minutes on the trail...
Time to hit the river.
Peaks: Mt. Tom, Mt. Field, Mt. Willey
Elevations: 4,051, 4,340, 4,285 feet (Gain: 3,550 feet)
Distance: 10 miles round trip
Route: Loop, via Avalon Trail to A-Z Trail to Willey Range Trail to Avalon Trail
Conditions: Sunny, 85 degrees F
