Mts. Tom, Field and Willey

Ah our hike got us feeling Christmassy!  

Mt Tom, Mt Field, Mt Willey, Mt. Avalon; Crawford Notch, NH.

Via Avalon Trail, A-Z Trail, Mt Tom Spur, Willey Range Trail, Approx 10.6 miles.

Temperature: 28 dF +/- at the trailhead, 33 dF at Mt Field summit, with negligible winds.

Sunny Skies. 

Trailhead: 8:45; Mt Tom Summit: 11:10; Mt Field Summit: 12:10; Mt Willey Summit; 1:30; back at car: 4:45. (Approx. 8 hours.)

When you think that New England has an embarrassment of riches in terms of mountains, it’s important to stay focused as you drive past dozens of perfectly good snow covered mountains!

If you’re looking for a trifecta of towering peaks, sure, there are other places to look. But here, you’ve got three peaks that offer a lot of fun, and while you’re very much hiking four-thousand footers, somehow, they don’t feel tough in the sense that some of the others do. Today, we were blessed with 3-6 inches of fresh snow. This was the first snowfall so there’s still no shortage of rocks poking out above the trail, but it didn’t feel overwhelming or endless. This was my sixth time hiking this circuit [could be more] and it’s a classic hike that just keeps getting better!

We got to the trailhead at 8:30AM. At the Highland Center, we gathered our gear and hit the trail.

Most of the opening mile or so on the A-Z trail was fairly pedestrian, a moderate trail through some fairly open forest, with snow covered trees. Fresh snow certainly changed things. We all put on MicroSpikes early into the hike. Winter has arrived in the White Mountains!  

At the clearing on the ridge, we turned right onto the Mt Tom spur and headed up. After a short hike that gradually pitched a bit more upward (but still remained fairly moderate) we arrived at the summit. We all touched summit cairn #1.  There’s not much of a view, but we could identify the Twins, Zealand and Mt. Bond. We were in the prime location to see a lot of the more majestic mountains, and yet, those sights were stymied.

When we turned around, we noted a familiar posse of grey jays hanging around on a tree above us! We also encountered them on the summit of Mt. Field.

Back at the junction of Mt. Tom Spur trail, and then turning the 80 yards to the Willey Range trail, we shuffled along to the other two peaks. We trekked in a gorgeous winter landscape and made good time. On either side of the trail, the snow stuck to tree trunks and branches as we ascended. I’m always impressed of the beauty of snow covered trees. Wow!

We had lunch at Field’s summit, and off one side, could glimpse the summit of Mt. Washington through the trees. We all touched summit cairn #2. None of these three peaks really has the kind of unbridled view that one really would want. I modulated my expectations early, already knowing this truth. We were out on the trail on a bluebird day that felt more like January than November, enjoying the sunlight filtering through the trees, made ever more verdant with all that snow everywhere. Forest bathing at its finest!

And then, it was off to Willey. All told, it’s neither a long nor hard hike across that col — almost a mile and a half. There is some elevation change, but not even near the hard end of the spectrum. Footing remained with rocks poking out of the snow, but it wasn’t a hard way going, by far. On Willey’s summit, there was the familiar walk around the cone to get there, and then, off to one side, the third cairn of the day, and one that was just as small as the others. The cairns are secondary.

We had another fantastic view of Webster Cliffs and the Presidentials. On the way down, we took a quick detour up Mt. Avalon, with the beautiful golden sunset lighting up Mt. Washington with a lenticular cloud above it!  

The mountains, and indeed the hike itself, is the reward. This one is a New England Classic, for sure!

Trip Report: Mike Boisvert
Pictures: Jon Normand

Three 4,000 footers in one hike! Hike the Tom, Field, Willey loop and enjoy the amazing views of early November in Crawford Notch!

We will start from the Highland Center and take the A-Z trail to the junction with the Willey Range Trail. The Mt. Tom spur is a .6 mile out & back from the junction, and then we will continue on the Willey Range trail to Mts. Field and Willey. After Willey we retrace back to Field and take the Avalon trail down to Mt. Avalon. We will also take the short side trip up Mt. Avalon. After Avalon, we follow to A-Z trail back to the Highland Center. For those keeping track, this will give you three 4000 footers plus a “52 With A View!”

Good views from the summit of Mt. Tom. At Mt. Field, there an outlook and a good chance of encountering gray jays here. At Mts. Willey and Avalon, there are excellent views of the Presidentials, Crawford Notch and mountains to the South. 

We will hike 10 miles, with an elevation gain of 3,600 feet and it should take about 7 hours to complete. This hike is rated strenuous, remember that this is relative and time will vary depending on your own abilities.

We may encounter winter like conditions this time of year so be prepared! Please have the appropriate gear/clothing to hike this time of year and the appropriate amount of layers to keep your core body warm. We recommend hiking boots, wool hat, gloves, hand warmers, NO COTTON. Carry at least 2 liters of water, lunch and snacks.

After The Hike: Everyone is welcome to join us back our house for dinner. You may want to bring a change of clothing to be more comfortable and can use our showers. We ask $10 to pay for our food costs and it’s BYOB.

Lodging Option: We have 8 bunks available at our house near Waterville Valley, NH for Friday night at $25 per night and for Saturday night at $35 [includes dinner]. Coffee/bagels each morning and linen/blankets/towels are provided. We have limited space in the fridge to store your beverages/food so it's best to bring a small cooler. Space is limited so email us ASAP to reserve a bunk!