Hiking in the White Mountains: Mount Willard

Date of Hikes: 2/22 & 2/23

Baldface Circle Trail: 3.2 miles / Baldface Knob Trail: 0.9 miles / Slippery Brook Trail: 2.6 miles / Baldface Circle Trail: 0.9 miles : 7.6 miles (3,000 feet elevation gained)

Webster-Jackson Trail: 5.2 miles (2,600 feet elevation gained)
Mount Willard Trail: 3.0 miles (900 feet elevation gain)

Trip Report:
- On Saturday, I joined Kara and Sasha for a hike up to the Baldfaces via the Baldface Loop Trail. I have hiked the Baldfaces once before when I was a little kid and all I remembered was my dad carrying our Golden Retriever, Scarlet, over some of the steep ledges. I had been wanting to get back to them for a number of years since the views are some of the best the Whites have to offer.
- First thing about the hike was getting there, Route 113 to the trailhead was a mix of frost heaves, pot holes, standing water (it was warm out leading to snow melt), and the road was filled with PUDs.
- Second, we got a very late start for a winter hike. We didn't start until 1 pm, a week after our road trip we were still trying to catch up on sleep so we slept in.
- The trails were broken out until the cabin, then it was all on us to break trail up the steep snow covered ledges. One thing I noticed about the hike was it was extremely boring visually until the cabin, then it becomes a lot of fun. It becomes steep and the views are phenomenal.
- I lead the way over to the Baldface Knob Trail junction. We made a group decision to head down from here via the Baldface Knob and Slippery Brook Trails back to the car. It was getting a little later in the day and we'd be breaking trail over South and North Baldface as it got dark and then have to find the trails down into the woods from the ridge. I wasn't comfortable on the unfamiliar trails, especially when it gets dark so I was happy we were heading back.
- However, the next 3.3 miles were all unbroken snow. Luckily, we only got off the trail a little bit heading to Baldface Knob. We wandered around a little bit and found a small cairn, and Kara pointed out a big one up above us on the knob so we just headed in the general vicinity and found some more cairns. From the top of the knob I was able to locate the trail off of it and within a hundred feet we were back in the woods and the trail corridor was very distinguishable again.
- From here it was descending through and unbroken trail of fluffy snow covered by a layer of crusty snow so it was pretty tiring at times to keep punching through and not being able to butt slide or run. Even with the breaking trail we had a lot of fun and were able to get back to the car without using the headlamps.
- At the trailhead we changed into dry clothes and headed to North Conway for a well deserved yummy dinner and cold beer at the Muddy Moose. I had never been there before but really liked the food and the atmosphere. It's school vacation week so it was jammed with vacationers. Sasha and Kara were able to score three spots at the bar so it worked out perfectly!
- After dinner I drove back south for a couple of hours of sleep before heading back up in the morning, this time to Crawford Notch and up to Mount Jackson.
- The trails were a sidewalk and microspikes were all that were needed for the Jackson hike. The views from the top were top notch, the windy was whipping so I didn't stay long. I thought about heading over to Mount Webster but it was unbroken and after yesterday I really didn't feel like breaking trail so I zoomed down the mountain and headed across the street for a quick walk up Mount Willard, where I lucked out and had the summit ledge to myself.
- A great way to end two days of hiking!

Baldface Trail Junction

Approaching the ledges on Baldface

Kara and Sasha heading up the ledges

Approaching the sub summit of South Baldface

Mount Jackson Summit

Mount Washington and the Presidential Range

Southern Presidential Range

Washington's Summit Cone

Mount Willey

Slides of Willey

Date of Hike 10/11/13

Cannon-Mittersill Trail: 5.0 miles
Mount Willard Trail: 3.2 miles
Total Miles: 8.2 (3,400 feet elevation gained)

Trip Report
- After reading three different trip reports (Steve Smith's / John Compton's / Summerset Bank's) with beautiful pictures about the new Mittersill - Cannon Trail I was really itching to finally hike it.
- The trail starts off in lot #1 at the Mittersill Ski area, when you pull into the Mittersill Ski Area take an immediate right and lot #1 will be down the road on your left. At the end of lot #1 where the chair lift is there is a trail sign about twenty yards up on the ski slope.
- Ski trails offer a different kind of hiking experience for me. First, I find them to be calve-burners! I am so used to rock, root, and boulder hiking that it actually burns me out heading up hill! Second, I prefer hiking through the woods and up above treeline but the ski slope hiking offers a welcome different change of pace.
- The Mittersill-Cannon Trail travels up the ski slopes / access roads offering fine views over to Sugar Hill. The trail is easy to follow with yellow blazes on metal posts, trees, and rocks. The trail is in decent shape for most of its length but does have a few loose rock and eroded footing sections including one soggy earth section which is slowly falling from the slab underneath it.
- Views from Mittersill Peak are well worth the hike up. Terrific close up view of Cannon Mountain, the slopes, the tram building with Franconia Ridge looming across the notch. There is also the best view one can get of Coppermine Col and the Cannon Balls. Past the Cannon Balls are a nice view of the Kinsmans, too.
- From Mittersill Peak it's a short descent, followed by a left turn and then a quick right turn back up hill where you make your way up to the Cannon Tram building and hike the last few hundred feet on the gravel path with the tourists who tend to stay away from you because you smell like dirt!
- I saw a few dozen of the people who trammed it up around the summit, the weather was beautiful to be up there and everyone seemed to be enjoying the views.
- On the hike out I ran into a couple heading up, it was their first time on the trail as well, they were doing a loop, down Kinsman Ridge. It was nice to see other hikers out there enjoying the new Cannon-Mittersill Trail. If you get a chance check it out, it may be my new favorite way up Cannon.

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- As usual when hiking alone I go at a quick pace so during the afternoon I headed to Crawford Notch for a quick hike up Mount Willard. I had never been up but knew that there were tremendous views to be had from the ledges. It is a quick and easy hike, a perfect introduction to new hikers.
- The views are pretty sweet, you're standing high above Crawford Notch with the Willey Range above you on your right, the notch with Route 302 and the railroad below you, and the scarred walls of Webster Cliff above and to the left.
- I'll definitely head back here in the winter after a big snowfall hoping to break the trail out and catch some winter wonderland views!