We set out for the Willey Range Sunday morning. The forecast was for another cloudy day, and we weren't sure if we would have any views. Of course, we're always hoping to be above the clouds on these types of days. I had hiked this range a couple of times in the past, and didn't remember having much for views. I know that at least one of those hikes was on a rainy day, so maybe it was cloudy on the other day.
The trail was well packed, and we were passed by a couple of trail runners early on. We headed for Mt Tom first, and wanted to put the steep ascent of the A-Z trail out of the way. On the Mt Tom spur, we could see the Presidentials through the trees, but we didn't have unobstructed views. When we got to the summit of Mt Tom, there were a few packed down paths in different directions, so we explored them all looking for views. The last path that we checked was the winner, taking us to a spot with views to the east and south.
Our first view of the Presidentials from Mt Tom
Looking south at Mt Field from Mt Tom
After our picture break, we headed south on the ridge to Mt Field. We passed the two trail runners again, presumably working the opposite way around the loop. As we approached the Mt Field summit, we hit a view spot with great views to the west, north, and east. The famous Gray Jays soon appeared and waited to see if we would feed them.
A Gray Jay on Mt Field with South and North Twin in the background
Looking north at Mt Tom from Mt Field
We continued to Mt Willey, and soon had views to the southwest as we started descending to the col.
On the way to Mt Willey, looking at Mt Carrigain and the Sandwich Range
Despite bearing the name of the range, Mt Willey is the least impressive of the summits. We stopped for a quick snack, and then headed back to Mt Field. There are some views through the trees along the trail, both of the Presidentials and Mt Field, which made the hiking more enjoyable.
Along the trail
After re-climbing Mt Field, we headed toward Mt Avalon. The Avalon spur is short and steep, but offers the most unobstructed view of the Presidentials on this hike. Our timing worked out well for the view across the valley, but after being there for a few minutes, the clouds started to move in covering the big peaks. That was our cue to keep moving and finish the hike.
The view of the Presidentials from Mt Avalon
We ended up being pleasantly surprised with the views that we had throughout this hike. Neither of us expected much based on our previous experiences with the Willey range. Perhaps this will inspire us to revisit again sometime in non-winter.