Return trip to Mount Willard 2800' 5/25/02

3.2 miles 900' Elevation gain

Kevin, Judy and Emma

Willard is a favorite because it is another of those “Day off from hiking” climbs I can talk Jude into when we are camping. Although this mountain is in Crawford Notch we made the trip up there from Hancock Campground near Lincoln Woods along the Kancamagus Highway. Hancock is one of our favorite campgrounds, although we like to go to Dry River Campground in Crawford Notch, too, which would be a better choice to stay at when climbing this mountain as it is only a few miles distance from Mount Willard to Dry River Campground. We stayed down at Hancock Campground to climb the Hancock Mountains the day before, so this was our “Day off Hike’. Crawford Notch was crowded and there were quite a few people along the trail, but it didn’t prepare me for the crowd on the summit. That is the drawback to easy climbs, you have to share the trail and summit with all sorts of people from all walks of life. Some may enjoy this, but I go for the quiet and solitude. But I put up with the crowd because it was a beautiful day and the views were awesome. I highly recommend this mountain for beginners as it is another of those “Great views for little effort” climbs. There is also a very nice little waterfall about half way up, adding to the enjoyment of the climb.