Rarely a day goes by that the 4.4 mile Welch/Dickey loop in Waterville Valley isn't hiked. Its low twin summits of granite offer fun scrambling and fantastic views.
Writing about this traverse of the low Mount Welch (2,605 feet) and Mount Dickey (2,734 feet) has allowed me the unique opportunity to write about both the mountain and human experience in general. It's as if the mountain rises up above the world enough for a fresh perspective, but is low enough to remain part of it.
kAmu@C 6I2>A=6[ 2 76H 52JD 27E6C E96 h^`` E6CC@C:DE 2EE24<D[ x 9:<65 E96 =@@A 2?5 :?E6CG:6H65 2== E96 9:<6CD x >6E 23@FE E96:C E2<6 2?5 6IA6C:6?46 @7 E96 6G6?E] %96 G2C:6EJ H2D DEC:<:?8] xE C2?865 7C@> 2 q@DE@? 7:C6>2? H9@ <?6H H6== D@>6 @7 9:D }6H *@C< 4@H@C<6CD H9@ 5:5?VE >2<6 :E[ E@ 2 D@4:@=@8J AC@76DD@C H9@ 3=2>65 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D[ E@ 2 qC:E:D9 E@FC:DE H9@ H2D :? 2 DE2E6 @7 >:=5 D9@4< 23@FE 9@H 9:D EC:A 925 F?7@=565 :? F?6IA64E65 H2JD[ E@ 2 8C@FA @7 4@==686 DEF56?ED H9@ 925 EJA:42= F?72K65 @AE:>:D>]k^Am
kAmu@C E96 A2DE 4@FA=6 @7 J62CD[ xVG6 4=:>365 (6=49^s:4<6J 62C=J @? 2 DAC:?8 >@C?:?8 2?5 E96? 8@?6 5:C64E=J E@ E96 2??F2= ?6H 6I9:3:E 2E E96 |FD6F> @7 E96 (9:E6 |@F?E2:?D :? !=J>@FE9] x? HC:E:?8 23@FE E9:D 5F6= 6IA6C:6?46[ xVG6 9@A65 E@ 8:G6 @E96CD :?DA:C2E:@? E@ 8@ E@ E96 ?6H 6I9:3:E 2?5 4@>3:?6 :E H:E9 2 9:<6[ 6DA64:2==J :7 E96J =:G6 2 5:DE2?46 2H2J] p7E6C 2==[ E96 >FD6F> 6I9:3:ED 2C6 23@FE E96 >@F?E2:?D[ 2?5 >62?E E@ DFAA=6>6?E @?6VD @H? 6IA6C:6?46 :? E96>]k^Am
kAmxVG6 D66? D@>6 :?E6C6DE:?8 9F>2? 24E:G:EJ @? E96 (6=49^s:4<6J =@@A] p 76H H:?E6CD 28@[ @? >J H2J 5@H? s:4<6J |@F?E2:?[ x A2DD65 2 $:6CC2 r=F3 >@F?E2:?66C:?8 4=2DD @? E96:C H2J FA[ :?4=F5:?8 A6@A=6 7C@> 2== @G6C E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D] %96J 925 7F== 42>A:?8 862C[ :46 2I6D 2?5 4C2>A@?D[ 2?5 H6C6 8@:?8 E@ 42>A @? E@A @7 s:4<6J 2?5 AC24E:46 H:?E6C D<:==D] s6DA:E6 E96 =@H 96:89E @7 E96 A62<[ E96J H@F=5 36 6?E6C:?8 2 H:?E6C 2=A:?6 6?G:C@?>6?E E96C6] p7E6C E96:C DE2J E96J H6C6 962565 ?@CE9 E@ 9:896C A62<D]k^Am
kAm k^Am
kAm{2DE H66<[ x 925 >J =2E6DE F?:BF6 6IA6C:6?46 @? (6=49^s:4<6J] u@FC @7 FD[ q@3 v@C5@? 2?5 $9:C=6J {2?5CJ 7C@> r@?H2J[ qF4< w@82? 7C@> (@@5DE@4<[ 2?5 >JD6=7[ 962565 E96C6 E@ 9:<6 E96 =@@A] (6 H6C6 ;@:?65 3J v@C5@?VD %:36E2? E6CC:6C ?2>65 r92>A?6J[ H9@ :D H6== <?@H? :? r@?H2J 2?5 6=D6H96C6 7@C 9:D 9:<:?8 25G6?EFC6D 2?5 >:D25G6?EFC6D :? E96 >@F?E2:?D E9C@F89 E9:D 9:<:?8 4@=F>?]k^Am
kAm$9:C=6J {2?5CJ H2D 9:<:?8 E96 =@@A 32C67@@E] p? 2G:5 9:<6C[ D96 92D 366? 9:<:?8 32C67@@E :? E96 H2C>6C >@?E9D 7@C 7@FC J62CD] %9:D H@F=5 36 >J 7:CDE E:>6 D66:?8 96C 9:<6 32C67@@E] pD J@F 92G6 =:<6=J 82E96C65 D@ 72C[ (6=49^s:4<6J H2D E96 A6C764E A=246 E@ D66 D@>6E9:?8 ?6H]k^Am
kAmpD H6 DE2CE65 FA E96 EC2:= E@ (6=49 |@F?E2:?[ x ?@E:465 E92E D96 H2=<65 H:E9 3@E9 2H2C6?6DD 2?5 C6=2I2E:@?] %9:D DF886DE65 6IA6C:6?46]k^Am
kAmp7E6C 2=>@DE 2 >:=6[ E96 EC2:= EC2?D:E:@?65 7C@> C@@ED[ 5:CE[ 2?5 C@4<D E@ 2 ?2CC@H 4@CC:5@C @7 D>@@E9 =6586 36EH66? >@DD] $@@? H6 C624965 E96 7:CDE 8C62E =@@<@FE =6586]k^Am
kAm%96 EC2:= 7C@> E96C6 E@ E96 E@A @7 |@F?E (6=49 925 2 =@E @7 DE66A =6586[ D@>6 H:E9 H6E DEC:AD 7C@> C646?E C2:?] %96 E9C66 @7 FD H:E9 3@@ED E@@< 8C62E 42C6 E@ 5:DE:?8F:D9 5CJ C@4< 7C@> D=:AA6CJ H6E C@4<] u@C {2?5CJ[ E96 DE66A =6586 H2D 72:C=J 62DJ[ 2?5 D96 4@F=5 766= E96 H6E?6DD @? E96 C@4< 2D H6== 2D D66 :E]k^Am
kAm~? E@A @7 (6=49[ H6 D2E 2?5 =@@<65 23@FE] x E@@< 2 A9@E@ @7 {2?5CJ[ 32C67@@E 2?5 C6=2I65]k^Am
kAm{2E6C 27E6C E96 9:<6[ x 2D<65 7@C 96C E9@F89ED @? 9:<:?8 32C67@@E[ 2?5 H9J D96 5:5 :E]k^Am
kAmQxEVD 7F?[ 2?5 255D 2 H9@=6 ?6H 5:>6?D:@? E@ 9:<:?8[Q D96 D2:5] QxE 255D E6IEFC6 E@ E96 9:<6]Qk^Am
kAm$96 D2:5 E92E E96C6 42? 36 2 DA:C:EF2= 2DA64E E@ :E]k^Am
kAmQ*@F 766= >@C6 4@??64E65 E@ E96 62CE9] xE >2<6D >6 92AAJ[ 2?5 :D 2=>@DE 49:=5\=:<6]Qk^Am
kAm{2?5CJ 8C6H FA 32C67@@E @? 2 72C> :? x?5:2?2]k^Am
kAmu@C E96 A2DE `b J62CD[ D96 92D E2F89E J@82 EH@ E:>6D 2 H66< 2E rC2?>@C6 u:E?6DD r6?E6C] $96 :D 2H2C6 @7 E96 :>A@CE2?46 2?5 4@>A=6I:EJ @7 766E]k^Am
kAmQ~?6 BF2CE6C @7 J@FC 3@5JVD D6A2C2E6 >FD4=6D[ E6?5C:=D 2?5 ;@:?ED 2C6 :? J@FC 766E]Qk^Am
kAm$96 G6?EFC65 :?E@ 32C67@@E 9:<:?8 8C25F2==J] u:CDE D96 5:5 2 9:<6 5@H? E96 D@FE96C? !C6D:56?E:2=D H:E9 Qu:G6 u:?86C65 $9@6D[Q @7E6? FD65 7@C J@82] $96 6?;@J65 E92E] %96 EC2?D:E:@? E@ 32C67@@E 9:<:?8 H2D 8C25F2= 27E6C E92E]k^Am
kAmQ*@F 42?VE ;FDE DE2CE 9:<:?8 32C67@@E[Q D96 D2:5] Q$9@6D 2C6 =:<6 42DED[ E92E AC@E64E 2?5 C6DEC:4E >@G6>6?E] ~?46 C6>@G65[ :E E2<6D H@C< E@ C682:? DEC6?8E9] xE E@@< >6 EH@ J62CD E@ 86E FD65 E@ 9:<:?8 2== EJA6D @7 E6CC2:?]Qk^Am
kAm$96 D2:5 E92E E96 !C6D:56?E:2=D[ H96C6 E96C6 2C6 2 =@E @7 7=2E DE@?6 DE6AD[ 2C6 ?@E E92E 92C5[ H96C62D E96 EC2:= FA $@FE9 |@2E :D 492==6?8:?8 3642FD6 @7 2 AC@7FD:@? @7 D92CA D92=6\=:<6 C@4<]k^Am
kAmx 2D<65 96C E96 @3G:@FD BF6DE:@?i 5@ J@F 6G6C DEF3 J@FC E@6nk^Am
kAmQ}6G6C @? 2 9:<6[Q D96 D2:5] Q%92E H@F=5 92AA6? E@ >6 H@C<:?8 :? E96 J2C5]Qk^Am
kAm{2?5CJ H62CD 3@@ED 9:<:?8 :? E96 H:?E6C] x? E96 DAC:?8[ D96 92D ?@ EC@F3=6 EC2?D:E:@?:?8 E@ 32C67@@E] %96C6 :D ?@ EC2?D:E:@? C62==J[ ;FDE 2 492?86 @7 Q7@@EH62C]Q pD 72C 2D E@=6C2E:?8 E96 4@=5[ 6IA6C:6?46 92D D9@H? E92E c_ 568C66D u29C6?96:E :D 96C 3@EE@> 4@>7@CE =:>:E] $96 92D 4C@DD65 D?@H A2E496D 32C67@@E H:E9@FE 2 AC@3=6>]k^Am
kAmuC@> E96 DF>>:E @7 (6=49 |@F?E2:?[ H6 56D46?565 :?E@ E96 D255=6 2?5 4=:>365 FA E@ E96 DF>>:E @7 s:4<6J |@F?E2:?[ H96C6 H6 A2FD65 7@C =F?49] %96 ECF6 DF>>:E =6586 H2D G:D:3=6 2 4@FA=6 9F?5C65 766E 2H2J 24C@DD DEF?E65 EC66D] x <?6H E92E 2 52?46 8C@FA 7C@> uC2?4@?:2 @442D:@?2==J 5@6D 4:C4=6 52?46D E96C6[ 2?5 x H@?56C65 23@FE E96:C 7@@EH62C H9:=6 52?4:?8] $@>6 AC@323=J H6?E 32C67@@E]k^Am
kAm%96 =@?8 H2=< 5@H? s:4<6J |@F?E2:? @G6C D>@@E9 =6586 2?5 E9C@F89 E96 H@@5D H2D 3@E9 2 A9JD:42= 2?5 >6E2A9@C:42= 56D46?E 324< E@ 4:G:=:K2E:@?] %96 >@F?E2:? 925 C6G62=65 2?@E96C ECFE9 23@FE A6@A=6]k^Am
kAm(6 C624965 E96 42C] {2?5CJ D9@H65 >6 96C 766E] }@ D4C2E496D[ ?@ 42==FD6D[ ?@ E9:4< 4C24<65 D@=6D[ =:<6 E96 A@CE6CD @7 E96 w:>2=2J2]k^Am
kAm(6 D=:AA65 :? E96 42C 2?5 H6C6 8@?6]k^Am
kAm k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.