For a few reasons, the Willey Range beckoned on a warm spring day with a high gray cloud deck. With the temperatures rising into the 40s, a well-packed trail would be a good choice, and the trails on this range receive heavy use through the winter. These wooded peaks offer vastly improved views with deep snowpack, of which there has been plenty this early spring. And the Mount Washington Observatory reported 100-mile visibility.
Somewhat surprisingly, there was still a deep solid snow bridge over Crawford Brook near the start of the Avalon Trail.
A few years ago the AMC trail crew fashioned a relocation near the start of the A-Z Trail that eliminated a steep down-and-up crossing of a gully. The trail now wraps around the slope partway up the gully.
The ascent through the upper Crawford Brook valley leads through attractive open forest.
This steep sidehill approaching the crossing of the Crawford Brook headwater was a little sketchy due to a narrow platform of snow.
Looking up the headwater.
On the A-Z Trail, ascending across the headwall of the valley.
There's some snow at 3700 ft.
The Willey Range Trail section that ascends Mount Field from the north is one of my favorite snowshoeing routes, with a mellow gradient and acres of open balsam fir forest.
First peek at the day's stellar views - the Twins from a fir wave along the Willey Range Trail.
Almost buried.
A pair of hikers descending the steep pitch just below the summit of Field.
A four-foot snow platform opens a sweep across the Pemi Wilderness at Field's western viewpoint.
The sprawling Bond-Twin Range, with whitened Lincoln and Lafayette peering over in back.
Massive Mount Bond, with Bondcliff peeking out on the left.
The Twins.
One of the best angles on North Twin and its big east-facing slide.
No climb of Field is complete without a visit from a neighborhood resident.
Looking northwest towards Mount Tom, with peaks in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom on the horizon.
View towards Bretton Woods and many miles beyond from the elevated northeast viewpoint.
The Presys, of course.
About 0.2 mile along the traverse to Mount Willey is what I consider the best view on the range, seen from an open fir wave area along the west edge of the ridge. The vista across the broad spruce-wooded plateau of the eastern Pemi, dotted with snowy wetlands, to the bulging mass of Mount Carrigain and the broad-spreading Hancock massif, rivals the iconic view from Zeacliff. As on the summit of Field, the view is much enhanced by deep snowpack. The high cloud deck was an added benefit, as on a sunny day this view could be shadowy and backlit.
Beyond the Field-Willey col, the trail meanders through two blowdown openings created by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
The second patch was almost an open snowfield.
More nice woods on the Willey Range Trail.
Another angle on the Pemi from the western outlook just before reaching the summit of Mount Willey. Ethan Pond can be seen below.
Mount Carrigain and Carrigain Notch, with the Sandwich Range beyond.
Zoom on the Sandwich Range, with five north-facing slides visible.
Willey's eastern viewpoint provides a fine look at the Presidentials.
Wavy cloud over Washington.
A unique look at the striped, elongated front of the Webster Cliffs.
Peering down into the Saco valley, 3000 feet below. Few White Mountain summits provide such a sense of loftiness.
Was I being followed, or was this the guardian of a different neighborhood? This is the tail end of the nesting season for the hardy Canada Jay, aka Gray Jay, Camp Robber and Whisky Jack.
A nice view back to Mount Field, one of 33 NH 4000-footers that can be spotted around the summit area of Willey.
On the way back to Field, I had to stop for a few minutes to admire this Pemi view again.
Looking back to Willey's summit cone from a spot near the summit of Field.
All day it looked like it was sunny far off to the north.
Last viewpoint on the way back down off Field.
Vermont's Mount Mansfield on the horizon.
Great spring 'shoeing down a nicely packed track.
The entire upper section of the A-Z Trail had been buttslid. Luckily the packed wet snow was very grippy.
I wore snowshoes door to door for stability and traction. Several hikers were able to boot/spike the trails, but they paid the price for any misstep off the packed track.
Farther down the valley the snow on the track was getting a little ugly. Monorail season is coming.
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