Summer arrived.
The three of us headed off last Sunday to FINALLY conquer Willey after being thwarted by snow, and trail conditions several weeks ago.
It was a toasty day, well into the upper 70's and just as sunny as you could ask for. RARE.
We left the Willey House (a fascinating historical landmark) exactly at 12:00 and headed up the Kedron Flume trail.
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| Warm day, no snow |
We have discovered that Ellie has developed a real obsession with running water, and she happily played in the flume, much to our amusement.
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| Vizsla Butt |
(it's about a .80 mile hike to the flume- great for kids or people who love a pretty falls.)
The day was beautiful, and the views were good right from the get go.
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| Always nice to see a view! |
After the falls, the trail (Ethan Pond to Willey Range Trail) was in super condition. No snow, very little mud, easy stream crossings. The trail might have been low on blazes in a couple places, but it was extremely obvious that you were on the trail.
It is only 2.5-ish miles to the top of Willey, so you gain some serious elevation. Lots of it is pretty low key and non technical, but definitely UP.
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| Like up the helpful stairs |
The steep sections were broken up by some easy places, which made the hike very manageable. I would say that this should not be someones first 4k footer, but it's a good one (and a pretty short one) to work towards.
We had heard/read a lot about the ladder/stair section and had some concerns that Ellie would have issues. It was a little intense, but dry so we all managed well. If you had a timid dog, they could certainly be an issue.
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| The first of about 8 or so stair/ladders |
After the ladders, there was more UP, and some rocky stretches.
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| Nothing major, but definitely not a dirt trail |
Right at mile 2.5 we summited. The actual summit was ANOTHER low fanfare cairn, but there were a number of scenic vistas that were very impressive. Definitely a good reward for the elevation gain!
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| Really lovely |
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| A perfect day |
We spent a moment in contemplation at the summit. Retrace our steps, or continue to Field, finish at Crawford Depot, and try to find a ride back to Willey House.
The good weather, and the first good trail conditions of the year pushed us towards Field. Knowing we were only adding a mile or so to our plan, we headed off.
And quickly found snow (which was totally minor, but funny to see!)
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| Evan would have postholed!! |
Clearly, the trail between Willey and Field has dried up, and been cleaned up considerably since our last attempt. Lots of evidence of recent blowdowns being cleared, which left the trail in great shape.
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| I'm such a super fan of beautiful trails like this |
We came across a spot where it appears some awful weather happened at some point in the past. It's not easy being trees in the Whites.
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| Sorry trees |
It really was a great walk between the two mountains, and one that we enjoyed all the more without the snow! Before long we were on Mt Field, and appreciated how pleasant it was without 4 feet of snow upon it!
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| About 40 degrees warmer than last time |
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| Very Pretty |
The hike down Avalon was uneventful an quiet. We saw a grand total of maybe 3 people. We agreed, that in conditions as good as we found on this day the trifecta of Tom, Field, and Willey would be completely manageable. My suggestion, if you plan to traverse and not do an out and back, start at the Willey side. (I'm a fan of taking the hard path up and easy path down- and between the ladders and the steep rocks, Willey is the harder ascent in my belief.)
Anywhoo. We made it down!!! YAY!! Ellie enjoyed playing in all the streams on Avalon, and was basically a big goofball every time she heard water.
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| Why the long face, Elle? |
We got super lucky and immediately scored a ride back to the Willey House with a super nice woman from Mass, who was enjoying a camping weekend. Really good timing, and much appreciated on our part!! It was a big enough/fast enough/hot enough hike to have all 3 of us feeling a little tired, so we were glad not to have to walk 2.5 miles on 302 back to the car.
We got back and had a parking lot party. Basically everyone driving past us gave us a honk, because we are awesome.
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| Or because we have a very cute pupkins |
So final thoughts. Willey is another 4k footer off "the list" for us, and it was vigorous but manageable. Short and steep. Great views, fun water crossings, a few unique challenges like the ladders. It was another 99.9% below treeline hike, but that makes it a decent choice for a foggy day when you don't want to die on Mt. Madison.
Strava data: (we take this with a grain of salt)
-elevation climbed: 3,494
-miles covered: 6.5
-elapsed time: 4:20- plenty of water play time for the kid.
Difficulty: Moderate due to steep sections, ladders, some rocks. Safe because below treeline and not too terribly long.
Views: Quite good, several chances to enjoy the scenery.
Bugs: Black flies were out, but we mostly avoided them
Dog friendly trail? Yes, but you do have several stream crossings, a few steep and rocky stretches and the series of stair/ladders. While Ellie had no issue, there is NO way that out Lab could have managed this trail. So proceed with caution.
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