November 22, 2009
All right, time for a new mountain! Obviously, the mountain isn't new, but it is new for me.
Madison and I left Crawford Depot at 2:15 p.m.
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We were on the Avalon Trail for 100 yards before reaching the trail for Willard Mountain
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Part way up I saw a sign for Centennial Pool.
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It was just one flight of stone steps off the trail so I walked down and took a picture of the pool and small waterfall.
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By White Mountains standards, this trail had a very gentle grade. It did however have its' share of rocks.
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I was on the lookout for a side trail to Hitchcock Flume which was on my map. I thought I saw it but then realized it was probably just for water runoff. A moment later I was at the summit. What an awesome peak!!!
Looking over to Mount Webster and Webster Cliffs.
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Looking down into Crawford Notch
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There was a sign on a dead tree that was leaning over.
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However, I wasn't quite satisfied that this was the summit. I followed the ledge for a minute. At the end of the ledge the trail picked up again. I followed this to two more great lookouts.
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Then the trail stopped. Still I wasn't convinced I was at the tallest point. I checked my GPS and headed into the woods a couple hundred feet. I looked around and was reasonably sure I was at the highest point. I then headed back to the ledges where I enjoyed the view for a few minutes.
Madison on Mount Willard
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As I began my descent of the mountain, I kept my eye out for the side trail to Hitchcock Flume. I reached the spot that I thought was a trail earlier. Turns out it was the trail. Although it was on my map and my GPS this trail is clearly no longer maintained so use it at your own risk. It was completely overgrown but as I concentrated down by my feet I could tell it was once a trail. I followed it for probably about a quarter mile before it ended at Hitchock Flume. The flume was dry but kind of cool to look down into the split.
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I headed back up to the main trail and then down the mountain. I still had a little daylight left so I decided on a couple other little trails and features that have escaped me in the area. I walked by Saco Lake and decided to head up to Elephant Head, the rock outcropping in the picture below.
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All the times I've been on this trail, I never made the .2 mile side trip to Elephant Head.
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The trail was short and gentle. I was surprised how much higher this seemed once I was up there.
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I headed back down and decided to take the short trail around Saco Lake.
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It was starting to get dark. I'm sure there is a setting on my camera for this problem, but when it is getting dark, sometimes my pictures come out a little blurry.
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I came to a sign that read Idlewild View. I headed up a set of stone steps . . .
. . . to another view of Saco Lake.
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I headed back down and continued around the rest of the lake getting back to my truck about 4:30 p.m. I had a nice surprise as I finished. I ran into Larisa who had hiked the Hancocks earlier.
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