Trip Report: Mt. Field and Willey, NH (solo 6-9-97)

This is one of many many day hikes possible in Crawford Notch, NH, a particularly scenic and majestic notch separating the Presidentials to the NE from the Pemigewasset Wilderness on the SW.
As is my habit, I got a late start from the Crawford Depot parking area (right next to the Crawford Hostel and Saco Lake at the north end of the notch. The first 1.3 miles or so along the Avalon Trail were easy and very pleasent passing several swift-running cascades probably inhabitted by water-nymphs and dryads in happier times. Though I dallied for quite a while, no sprites were forthcoming so I continued on.
After the junction with the A-Z Trail at 1.3 miles, the trail begins to ascend steeply through coniferous forest until the Mt. Avalon Spur is reached. Reached off a 0.1 mile spur trail, the summit of Mt. Avalon, though a minor mountain at 3500' and overshadowed by the mighty Presidentials, has possibly the best view per hike of any mountain I've yet discovered. A full 360 degree panorama is visible from its rocky pinacle with Mt. Washington, the southern Presidentials and the dramatic Webster Cliffs at eye-level to the North and East and the wooded slopes of Mts. Field and Tom to the West. From this vantage point, the glacial origins of the local geography are very apparent.
Once again, snow was encountered at about 3500' and the post-holing began in earnest. From the summit of Mt. Field, a similar, though somewhat more limited view than from Avalon is available to the east and the mighty peaks of the Pemigewasset are visible through the trees to the west.
The ridgeline trail between Field and Willey along the Willey Range Trail was lovely and quite easy, despite fairly constant snow cover. In a quiet glade along the trail, I was investigated by a very inquisitive and completely fearless pair of Canada Jays. They sat on branches not more than five feet away whirping and chirring until finally I lost interest. Before long I achieved the bug-infested peak of Mt. Willey. A spectacular rocky perch with views into the notch was discovered only after conducting my second lunch on the cramped, enclosed summit.
The southern slope of Mt. Willey can best be described as precipitous as the trail descended in a no-nonsense fashion to meet up with the Ethan Pond Trail (part of the AT) about a mile later. Once again, my treking poles proved their worth in preventing falls and generally easing the load on my knees. Finally, more gradually, I descended the rest of the way to the bottom of the notch arriving about three or four miles from my car. After some unsuccessful hitchhiking attempts, I was finally picked up by a gentleman on a motorcycle who whisked me quickly (and terrifyingly) back to my car.

Vistas: Here is a vista I constructed from seven pictures taken on Mt. Avalon. On the extreme right is Crawford Notch. Moving left (west) we encounter Mts. Willey, Field and Tom. The Mt. Washington Hotel can be glimpsed to the north in the valley with some of the far away northern peaks. Then come the Presidentials with Mt. Jefferson barely visible in the distance, Mt. Washington and the entire southern Presidentials. Mizpah hut could be seen but is below the resolution of this image. Finally, we come back to the Webster Cliffs and Crawford Notch on the extreme left. (352KB JPG file, assembled using Photoshop).

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