Lookout Ledge Traverse

On a cold but spectacularly sunny day I enjoyed an afternoon snowshoe traverse of Lookout Ledge, one of the great lower elevation viewing perches in the Whites. Located on a shoulder of Mt. Randolph in the less-travelled Crescent Range, it offers an unparalleled view across the Moose River valley to Mts. Adams and Madison, with an especially fine look into the maw of King Ravine.

 

After checking out the winter parking situation at several trailheads in Randolph, I parked in a small plowed area off Durand Road by the old Ravine House site and headed up the Ledge Trail, a moderate to steep approach to the outlook. 

 

There was a softly packed snowshoe track through a foot of powder above the trailhead...

... quickly increasing to 16 to 24 inches as I ascended.

 

There's a wonderful network of Randolph Mountain Club trails on the Crescent Range.

Most of the ascent was through open hardwoods, with the sun pouring in from the south - a welcome change after a month of generally cloudy days.

 

Junction with Pasture Path, which provides a route to Lookout Ledge from the Randolph Hill area.

The last short section of Ledge Trail climbs steeply through spruce forest, with several recent blowdowns.

View of Adams and King Ravine from a small outlook called the Eyrie.

The Ledge Trail meets the Crescent Ridge Trail just above the ledge.

 

Arriving at Lookout Ledge. This perch is on private land, so hikers should be respectful. No camping or fires allowed.

 

The classic Lookout Ledge view.

In addition to the close-up view of the Northern Presidentials, Lookout Ledge opens a vista eastward along the valley to north end of the Carter Range, the Moriahs, Pine Mountain and the southern part of the Mahoosuc Range. 

Shelburne Moriah, Middle Moriah and Mt. Moriah, with Pine Mountain in front.

Mt. Madison.

Mt. Adams and King Ravine, front and center.

Mt. Jefferson and the Castellated Ridge.

While I was enjoying the sun and the views, a local couple dropped onto the ledge, having ascended from the SW via the Vyron D. Lowe Trail. After leaving the ledge, I followed their tracks along a level section of the Crescent Ridge Trail.

In 0.1 mile I turned right onto the unbroken section of Crescent Ridge Trail, hoping to ascend 0.4 mile to the Four Soldiers Path and visit a small outlook up there. 

The breaking was deep, but the cold has kept the snow light and powdery.

I continued partway across a beautiful plateau, but I could hear that the snowmobile trail crossing up ahead was very busy (it being a Saturday), so I turned back.

Because I really enjoyed the mellow grades and open woods of Vyron D. Lowe Trail on a hike last summer, and since I had a broken track to follow, I decided to descend via that route and walk Durand Road back to my car. Partway down, the trail wound through a little set of snow-capped boulders.

There's a fairly long section on this trail that passes through wonderfully open hardwoods.

 

Looking back.

 

The trailhead on Durand Road, by the Randolph Spring. There's plowed space for a couple of cars to park.

The 1.8 mile walk along Durand Road was mostly level and had a few nice views, including this look at the ledgy ridge followed by the Inlook Trail, which I had recently traversed.

The snowy crest of Adams.

Fading sun on Durand Road. During my forty-minute walk only four cars passed by.

A last look at Adams and King Ravine.

 

Deep Powder on Dickey Mountain

For my first trek after the big snowstorm, I made an afternoon snowshoe climb of ledgy Dickey Mountain, following a softly packed track halfway up and then a single set of snowshoe tracks the rest of the way. It was a good workout in a setting of supreme wintry beauty.

 

The first mile or so of the trail up through the woods had been partly broken by a couple of backcountry skiers, either that morning or the day before. The snow from this storm was dry and powdery and was not packing well. It was slippery on steeper inclines.

In some places the skiers had taken alternate routes on the way down.

Sun in the hardwoods. Near the top of the climb through the hardwoods I chatted with a solo snowshoer who had broken trail up over both Welch and Dickey Mountains and was on her way down. That was a solid effort, having taken her 4 1/2 hours to reach this point.  Thank you! She was the only hiker I encountered.

 

Into the conifers. The skiers' tracks soon ended, and from here on its was just the single set of snowshoe tracks.

 

Ice flows along the approach to the first ledges.

To get onto the first big slab, I made a short bushwhack detour to bypass two steep ledge steps that I figured would be difficult with the powdery snow.

Some deep drifts guarded the final approach to the ledge.

Maybe not the best route.

Rejoining the snowshoe tracks, with Sandwich Dome and the two Black Mountains seen across the Mad River valley.

Heading up along the massive granite slab on the south shoulder of Dickey. The summits of Dickey and Welch are seen ahead.

A closer look at Welch.

 

Looking back, with a long view to the south. Though the temperature was cold, there was little wind on the open ledges.

The Campton Range.

A conifer corridor leading up to the next set of ledges.

Though the ledges can be icy and quite sketchy in times of snow drought, when there is good snow cover Dickey is a wonderful snowshoe excursion.

An open expanse at 2400 ft.

The ledges keep coming. 

This is a very entertaining trail as it ducks in and out of the spruces.

The tracks angle up and across perhaps the widest expanse of ledge on the mountain.

Looking back.

Vast southern horizon.

Approaching the summit.

 

Slow going through some serious drifts. Thanks to the snowshoer who made first tracks through here. Even with that, it was slow going - three hours to climb two miles.

 

 

Heavily laden summit spruces.

More drifts on the final approach to the summit view ledges.

Wide view of Tecumseh's wild southern spur ridges.

 

The West Peak of Tecumseh. For some reason this often seems to be snow-caked more than the main summit.

 

 

 

The sprawling mass of Sandwich Dome.

Adding Welch's bulbous peak to the view.

Sun on the snowy Sandwich Range: Scaur Peak, Tripyramid, the Sleepers and Whiteface.

Tripyramid front and center.

 

Ghosts of the Franconia Range.

Down through the drifts. Easier with two sets of tracks and going downhill.

 

Winter at its best. 

The light and sky became interesting as I headed down over the ledges late in the afternoon.

 

Homeward bound, down through the woods.