I went skiing up at Bretton Woods last month, and drove up through Conway and North Conway. There is a stretch on 16, when you go over a hill, a beautiful lake (Chocorua Lake) stretches out in front of you, with Mount Chocorua dominating straight ahead of you:
At 3475 feet, Chocorua wasn't on either my "4000 footers" list or my "100 Highest" list - SO I HAVE NOT CLIMBED IT (yet)!
I did my reading, and the trails look easy/great:
Up 16 to Conway, west on the Kancamagus Highway to the trailhead/parking. Then up the "Champney Falls Trail" (with the side-trip to see Pitcher Falls and Champney Falls), loop around on "West Side Trail", up to Mt Chocorua, then over-and-across to bag the "Three Sisters" (Middle Sister is also on the "52 With A View" list). Then back down the little Cut-Off Trail, and back to the parking lot. 8/8.5 miles on a beautiful sunny day - sounds GREAT!!
What could happen?
Well, although it is early-spring (flowers coming up!) in Massachusetts, up on the Kancamagus Highway it is definitely "late winter" - the Swift River is ROARING, and there is snow EVERYWHERE:
Snow at the Trailhead:
I started a little after noon, and it was BEAUTIFUL going up the trail:
The side-trail to Pitcher Falls and Champney Falls goes left, alongside Champney Brook:
Pitcher Falls and Champney Falls are kind-of right next to each other. I look forward to exploring above them when Wendy and I come back here (2 mile hike from parking area) in "the spring". For now Pitcher Falls is a flume-like waterfall on the left, and Champney Falls is on the right:
It looks like there are some great cascades up to the right [UNDER THE SNOW!]:
You then go up some tricky steps, and get back to the main trail:
I was sweating by now, so took off both my fleece (soaked) and my winter hat. I was plenty warm with just my t-shirt and windbreaker, and had rainpants on outside regular pants. I maybe should have packed my sun-hat, but I think it will be ok.
Up, up, and up, until I finally got to the VIEW at 2:15
I believe the last one is "Middle Sister". This is where I discovered that COLD WEATHER REALLY SCREWS UP YOUR ELECTRONICS!! My iPhone battery had gotten really drained, and it had even drained my extra-battery-pack (but not totally). That is why there is this straight section on my MapMyWalk:
Which lets the cat out of the bag - I didn't make the summit of Mount Chocorua:
It was icy up there, and even with my micro-spikes it was too dangerous:
And it was REALLY WINDY - 79 mph over at Mount Washington at that time of the day:
I got some super views - back to the north (Mount Washington in the distance):
Northeast at "Middle Sister":
East to the eastern White Mountains:
Southeast to the Lake District (?and the Atlantic Ocean?):
Fun picture on the way back down:
I certainly look forward to coming back up when there is a little less white stuff on the ground:
I finished hiking 6.91 miles in 3:24:
WOW - Thank you God for this Great 52-With-A-View Day!
For today's music I am staying in one of my mp3 cds that I burned back in November 2000:
Sir Charles Hubert H Parry - Symphony No.3/Symphony No.4, 1992
Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy, 1973
The Who - Quadrophenia, 1973 double album
Traffic - Traffic, 1968 second album
It was so good that I wanted to listen to it again, but then suddenly came on the first song of:
U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind, 2000
which starts off with "Beautiful Day" (which sounds GREAT driving down the highway!!!)
At the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2001, "Beautiful Day" won Song of the Year, Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and Record of the Year. In the 44th Annual Grammy Awards in 2002, "Walk On" won Record of the Year, "Elevation" won Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" won Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The album also won Best Rock Album that year. All That You Can't Leave Behind is the only album ever to have two singles win Record of the Year in two consecutive years.
Van Morrison - Veedon Fleece, 1974
Wings - Wings Over America, 1976 live triple album
Shameless Plug: if you enjoy this blog, you may like my other one about visiting Art Museums and National Parks (and hiking in the Rockies)
hyperlink: dixonheadingwest
http://dixonheadingwest.blogspot.com/
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