HikerAmiga
New member
Peaks: Mtns Field, Willey (Willey Range in Crawford Notch and starting from Crawford Depot)
Weather: Sunny, hot, humid, hazy; upper 80’s
I had hiked this range twice to include summitting Mts Tom and Field twice but for one reason or another, never made it to Willey and as the saying goes, “the 3rd times a charm”, so I was determined to tag Willey on this day. I decided to conserve energy this time, skip Mt. Tom and stick to tagging two peaks only: Mts. Field (4340’) and Willey (4385’).
Trails Ascended: Avalon (1.3miles), A-Z (1.0 miles) : These trails are but a blurr right now as I think I hiked these in deep thought while in great anticipation of getting onto the Willey Range Trail and finally heading towards Willey, the intrepid peak that kept eluding me.
Trail Traversed: Willey Range (2.3 miles to Mt. Willey): I found this familiar trail to be again uneventful until right after I tagged Mt. Field where it trail got very interesting for me especially as it was a section I’d never hiked before and also in that it started to descend rapidly and steeply for a long while before gradually leveling off and starting to ascend slightly again via a few switchbacks until I saw a nice sized cairn and then...an “outlook” from which I took various pictures. No sooner had this trail peaked when it started to quickly descend and quite steeply too. This is where I panicked!! Am I on the correct trail? Why am I descending? Where is the Willey peak?? I didn’t see any ladder(s)?! Don’t you have to ascend a ladder to the Mt. Willey peak? Yikes! With all these uncertainties I reached for my map and discovered I didn’t have the right map with me to check my location and trail. This was my 3rd attempt at tagging Willey and I was determined not to miss this peak but without a map how could I be certain that that higher point I had just descended from was it?!! Next best thing: call a hiker buddy! So I called one person and no answer and then I thought, RLC, yep, Bob is always reachable on his cell and I had to backtrack a bit to find a signal and then I heard Bob’s voice. I tried to calmly explain my plight but somehow he seemed to sense my apprehension. From what I described to him, Bob was pretty certain that I had unknowingly tagged Willey and was simply descending the Willey Range Trail. Apparently, my confusion was due to the especially indescript summit and on the fact that I thought I needed to climb ladder(s) to the peak. While the latter is true if one is ascends via the south side, as I was coming from the opposite direction, no ladders would be found to the peak. So after some discussion and getting reassurance from Bob, I decided that I would not backtrack and would instead continue downward via the supposed south side of Willey.
Trails Descended: Willey Range (1.1 miles from Willey) and Ethan Pond Trail (1.6 miles to Crawford Notch, Rte 302)
This section of the Willey Range Trail descending from the Willey summit is very steep in parts and I finally did reach the infamous ladders. However, I was never so happy to see the darn ladders!!
Yes, as these proved that I had indeed traversed above on the peak and had descended correctly! Woe, that first ladder was interesting as one cannot see beyond it—that’s how steep this section is. I sat facing forward on this one and just inched down. Thereafter, the several sets of ladders (see all the ladders pics) were a breeze. Again, I was very happy to see the ladders!!
Finally the Willey Range trail ends and the Ethan Pond Trail forges ahead. In retrospect, knowing that I’d have a road walk (Rte 302 heading north towards the Crawford Depot) I should have exited via the Kendron Flume Trail (whose sign, by the way, is missing just as Bob had informed me) which would have put me further north at the Willey House site and closer to my final destination. But I volunteered to do a favor for a hiker I had just met in delivering a message to his young nephew who had mistakenly taken the wrong trail (Ethan Pond Trail). Unfortunately, I never caught up to the kid and instead had over a 3 mile road walk to tackle (and by this time), I had run out of liquids!! How does that saying? "No good deed goes unpunished?"
Still, I reveled in the fact that I had gotten my pea! Mtn Willey, I had now gotten under “my belt” though somehow I felt slighted!! Yep, I realize that Willey had once again pulled one over me—tricky Willey that is…will always be a memorable peak for me!
I must openly THANK my best hiker buddy, RLC (Bob) for being there for me in a moment of confusion. I actually was calm but was a bit ticked off considering that I had come such a long way on such a hot day to tag a peak that seemed to be so elusive for me!! Bob, certainly made a difference for me on this day with his calm and collected manner and good sound advice and guidance!!
Thanks Bobster!! We’ll have to go back some time and hike Avalon (a lower peak on this range off the Avalon Trail) like we’ve long planned on.
Picture album to follow shortly…
Weather: Sunny, hot, humid, hazy; upper 80’s
I had hiked this range twice to include summitting Mts Tom and Field twice but for one reason or another, never made it to Willey and as the saying goes, “the 3rd times a charm”, so I was determined to tag Willey on this day. I decided to conserve energy this time, skip Mt. Tom and stick to tagging two peaks only: Mts. Field (4340’) and Willey (4385’).
Trails Ascended: Avalon (1.3miles), A-Z (1.0 miles) : These trails are but a blurr right now as I think I hiked these in deep thought while in great anticipation of getting onto the Willey Range Trail and finally heading towards Willey, the intrepid peak that kept eluding me.
Trail Traversed: Willey Range (2.3 miles to Mt. Willey): I found this familiar trail to be again uneventful until right after I tagged Mt. Field where it trail got very interesting for me especially as it was a section I’d never hiked before and also in that it started to descend rapidly and steeply for a long while before gradually leveling off and starting to ascend slightly again via a few switchbacks until I saw a nice sized cairn and then...an “outlook” from which I took various pictures. No sooner had this trail peaked when it started to quickly descend and quite steeply too. This is where I panicked!! Am I on the correct trail? Why am I descending? Where is the Willey peak?? I didn’t see any ladder(s)?! Don’t you have to ascend a ladder to the Mt. Willey peak? Yikes! With all these uncertainties I reached for my map and discovered I didn’t have the right map with me to check my location and trail. This was my 3rd attempt at tagging Willey and I was determined not to miss this peak but without a map how could I be certain that that higher point I had just descended from was it?!! Next best thing: call a hiker buddy! So I called one person and no answer and then I thought, RLC, yep, Bob is always reachable on his cell and I had to backtrack a bit to find a signal and then I heard Bob’s voice. I tried to calmly explain my plight but somehow he seemed to sense my apprehension. From what I described to him, Bob was pretty certain that I had unknowingly tagged Willey and was simply descending the Willey Range Trail. Apparently, my confusion was due to the especially indescript summit and on the fact that I thought I needed to climb ladder(s) to the peak. While the latter is true if one is ascends via the south side, as I was coming from the opposite direction, no ladders would be found to the peak. So after some discussion and getting reassurance from Bob, I decided that I would not backtrack and would instead continue downward via the supposed south side of Willey.
Trails Descended: Willey Range (1.1 miles from Willey) and Ethan Pond Trail (1.6 miles to Crawford Notch, Rte 302)
This section of the Willey Range Trail descending from the Willey summit is very steep in parts and I finally did reach the infamous ladders. However, I was never so happy to see the darn ladders!!
Yes, as these proved that I had indeed traversed above on the peak and had descended correctly! Woe, that first ladder was interesting as one cannot see beyond it—that’s how steep this section is. I sat facing forward on this one and just inched down. Thereafter, the several sets of ladders (see all the ladders pics) were a breeze. Again, I was very happy to see the ladders!! Finally the Willey Range trail ends and the Ethan Pond Trail forges ahead. In retrospect, knowing that I’d have a road walk (Rte 302 heading north towards the Crawford Depot) I should have exited via the Kendron Flume Trail (whose sign, by the way, is missing just as Bob had informed me) which would have put me further north at the Willey House site and closer to my final destination. But I volunteered to do a favor for a hiker I had just met in delivering a message to his young nephew who had mistakenly taken the wrong trail (Ethan Pond Trail). Unfortunately, I never caught up to the kid and instead had over a 3 mile road walk to tackle (and by this time), I had run out of liquids!! How does that saying? "No good deed goes unpunished?"
Still, I reveled in the fact that I had gotten my pea! Mtn Willey, I had now gotten under “my belt” though somehow I felt slighted!! Yep, I realize that Willey had once again pulled one over me—tricky Willey that is…will always be a memorable peak for me!
I must openly THANK my best hiker buddy, RLC (Bob) for being there for me in a moment of confusion. I actually was calm but was a bit ticked off considering that I had come such a long way on such a hot day to tag a peak that seemed to be so elusive for me!! Bob, certainly made a difference for me on this day with his calm and collected manner and good sound advice and guidance!!
Thanks Bobster!! We’ll have to go back some time and hike Avalon (a lower peak on this range off the Avalon Trail) like we’ve long planned on.
Picture album to follow shortly…
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