The day after Thanksgiving is usually a crazy day with lots of commotion going on every were. People shopping and eating out, hunting for great deals… but not in 2020. Not today.
Today I decided to take a ride up to the White Mountains and take a small hike up Mt. Willard. It has been a while since I’ve been up the Whites. I was excited to see what winter was looking like up there. I wasn’t on any time schedule so I started a bit later than usual.
| Date: | 11-27-2020 |
| Location: | Crawford Notch, NH |
| Distance: | 4.1 mi |
| Elevation Gain: | 873′ |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 54 min |
| Parking: | 10+ cars |
| Difficultly Rating: | Easy/Moderate |
The closer I got to the White Mountains, the more it started to rain. It wasn’t really heavy but it is exactly that kind of rain when you get wet you will get cold fast. I had a rain shell so I kept going.
When I arrived at the depot parking lot in Crawford Notch I was again amazed at all the cars parked here. I pulled into the parking lot and saw a small spot in the very back that I could easily fit in.
Fortunately the rain calmed down when I was getting my pack on. I hopped over the train tracks at the Crawford Notch Depot and headed into the woods.
The Mt. Willard trail is about 1.6 miles to the summit and 1.6 back. And it climbs pretty easy with a few light moderate areas. The trail at the bottom was very muddy and a bit soupy too. Boots are a must.
I expected more snow on the ground but as I got to the half way point some ice was starting to form on the trail from running water. At this point I decided I’d throw on my micro spikes. Better safe than sorry.
My micro spikes stayed on from this point to the summit and back down to this point on the way down.
The trail was busy today. Lots of families with children and lots of people in sneakers. Lots of people not prepared for the current trail conditions. I guess people think because it is a short trail they don’t really need to be that prepared.
As I approached the top there was a large section of trail that had some pretty big ice flows and people were walking all around the trail trying to avoid it. I was easily able to walk right up with my spikes and was super happy I had them for the way back down.
When I got to the top I had nothing but a beautiful shade of gray for views. I was complexly socked in. On a clear day this is one the best views in Crawford Notch. Sometimes you get lucky with views sometimes you don’t.
The way back down was much quicker then going up. The spikes came in very handy. People were sliding all over the place.
Mt. Willard is always a fun hike. I especially like to do this one in the winter. This hike is in my own opinion the best views for the least amount of effort. That is if Mother Nature decides too co-operate.
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