INTRODUCTION:
In early September
2016, I did an 'out and back' hike to Mt. Willey (elevation 4,285 ft) via a
combination of the Kedron Flume Trail; Ethan Pond Trail; Willey Range Trail. The round-trip distance was 5.4 miles, with an elevation gain of 3,338 ft. On the day of my hike, there was dry ground,
and thus good traction which is always an advantage when climbing up/down the
steep slopes of Mt. Willey. Below is a
map which shows my route highlighted in yellow.
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| Map showing my route highlighted in yellow |
Mt. Willey was named
for an early settler named Samuel Willey whose entire family was wiped out
by the notorious Willey landslide of 1826.
This massive mountain forms the western wall of the Crawford Notch. Shown below is a photo of Mt. Willey that was
taken from Mt. Crawford a few years ago.
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| Photo showing Mt. Willey |
PHOTOS TAKEN ON MY HIKE TO MT. WILLEY:
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| Gotta love all the ladders and stairs along the steeper segments of the Willey Range Trail! |
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| I never grow tired of Mt. Willey's breathtaking view looking down the Crawford Notch. |
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| The view of Mt. Carrigain (and neighbors) from Mt. Willey is also nice. |
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| And besides being awed by the terrific views from Mt. Willey, I also enjoyed the Gray Jays who will pose for you, and will gladly accept food as payment for their services. No credit cards, please. :-) |
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| On my way to Mt. Willey, I was "toad" a thing or two by this little fellow. :-) |
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| Kedron Flume was more like "Kedron Trickle" on the day of my hike to Mt. Willey. :-) |
~ THE END ~
4 comments:
Quite an ambitious hike! That's a pretty good elevation gain over the distance. The steps and ladders pictures are great—it's always fun to use those "aids" on a steep trek.
You had some good wildlife encounters on this hike, too.
And, as I've said before, looks like you're having wonderful weather for hiking this summer!
Thanks for your comments Rita!
Regarding our weather this summer, overall it has been pretty good for hiking. Of course, I’m pretty much of a “fair-weather hiker”, and ergo, most of my blog postings show fair weather conditions! :-)
John
Hi John,
WOW, that's a lot of elevation gain in just 2.7 miles! I was actually unaware and had never noticed the Kedron Flume Trail on the map. Looks like a steep ascent up to the Willey Range Trail (which I've heard is also steep)!
Great photos of the ladders. Your shot up makes them look like they go on and on forever! Nice shots of the wildlife too. I always think it's enjoyable to get photos of birds, frogs, toads, snakes and whatever will stick around long enough to pose for my camera!
Karl
Hi Karl,
Many thanks for following my blog and posting your comments.
Approaching Mt. Willey from the south does indeed involve some significant elevation gain. However, at least from my perspective (perhaps somewhat warped) there is ‘fun’ elevation gain, and then ‘not so fun’ elevation gain. For me, the climb to Mt. Willey falls into the category of ‘fun’ elevation gain. Along the route, there are many things to keep you entertained, such as Kedron Flume, the many impressive ladders, challenging scrambles, and beautiful forest from start to finish! :-)
John
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