52 With A View: Mount Willard

Thursday, October 9, 2024 - This is a zoomed-in map of the New Hampshire "52 With A View" - only 15 left (yellow). I'm going to hike Mount Willard today:

With other stops this morning, I reached Franconia Notch at 1:30

The Mount Washington Hotel looks great today - but WHAT IS THAT WHITE STUFF???

Starting at 2 PM, I parked just south of the AMC Highland Center, across from Saco Lake, and walked up the railroad tracks a little bit, then cut left onto The Trail. You quickly take a left onto Mt. Willard Trail:

Over the next 40 minutes, it is a lovely hike up The Mountain:

When you get up to "the light at the end of The Tunnel", you get a GREAT VIEW:

A lot of people hanging out on Mount Willard on a beautiful sunny afternoon:

I stopped by Centennial Pool on my way down - maybe it gets deeper in the spring and summer:

Nice walking back to my car:

I guess it is an "ACTIVE RAILROAD"

Crossing the tracks, and finishing The Hike - 3.21 miles in 1 hour 33 minutes:

I think this Trail/this Hike is maybe the easiest I have ever done - a lot of people should be able to do this. Thank You God for this Wonderful "52 With A View" day!

Very nice view of Hampton Falls River on my way home, on 95 South right before the Massachusetts State Line:

For my listening pleasure today - cds burned or owned::

Augustines - Augustines, 2014 2nd album, last heard (in a blog) never - good "American Roots" music:

Peter Allen - It's Time For ..., 1977 live double-album, last heard (in a blog) never - WONDERFUL album, really captures Peter:

Van Morrison - It's Too Late To Stop Now (2 cds), 1974 live double-album, last heard (in a blog) 7/29/2020 - another WONDERFUL double-live album

J. Geils Band - The J. Geils Band, 1970 debut album, last heard (in a blog) 7/07/2024 - very good Rythum & Blues. It sounds much better now than it did 55 years ago:

Steve Forbert - Jackrabbit Slim, 1979 2nd album, last heard (in a blog) 4/25/2022 - good album, continuing the vibe from his 1st album:

James Taylor - James Taylor (1st album), 1968 debut album (on Apple Records), last heard (in a blog) 8/21/2019 - sounds WONDERFUL :

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/

52 With A View: Mount Avalon

Thursday, October 2, 2024 - This is a zoomed-in map of the New Hampshire "52 With A View" - only 16 left (yellow). I'm going to hike Mount Avalon today:

Going up through Franconia Notch at 11:30

The Mount Washington Hotel looks great today:

I parked just south of the AMC Highland Center, across from Saco Lake, and walked up the railroad tracks a little bit, then cut left onto The Trail:

It's going to be a lovely day - 3.6 miles round-trip to Mt. Avalon:

This is MY FIRST HIKE since I sprained my ankle in May. Everything seems to be going well (ankle bandage, relatively-slow-pace, CAREFUL foot placement) - Careful crossing brooks, Jessie Bear!!:

Beautiful Day in the woods:

In a little less than an hour, Avalon Trail turns uphill - it gets difficult:

My thinking is that "If stairs are offered, use them."

I kind-of think it is "bad form" to tell me "only 100 yards to go":

On The Summit, with The View:

Heading back down:

Crossing the tracks, and finishing The Hike - 3.64 miles in 2 hours 47 minutes:

So - what made today different from last October 17? I am able to map both tracks in Google Maps - today in red, last October in yellow. Last October, when snow covered The Trail, I started bushwacking, and when I started heading left (east), I just didn't go far enough to "hit The Trail". So I wandered, in a big loop:

Thank You God for this Wonderful "52 With A View" day!

For my listening pleasure today - cds burned or owned::

Crosby, Stills & Nash - CSN (4-cds 1991), 1991 box set, last heard (in a blog) never - very good collection of their work together, in pairs, and individually:

Brandi Carlile - Live from Neumo's, 2006 live EP, last heard (in a blog) never - ok, but I don't need to keep it:

Peter Gabriel - Secret World Live (2 cds), 1994 live double-album, last heard (in a blog) 8/13/2021 - some Excellent Stuff!

Counting Crows - Echoes of The Outlaw Roadshow (2013), 2013 live album, last heard (in a blog) - 15 songs, some excellent stuff, some not so much:

Hothouse Flowers - People, 1988 debut album, last heard (in a blog) 5/23/2019 - I have "Home" and "Songs from the Rain", which are much better albums, so delete:

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/