I don’t know when I’ve had a more fun year of hiking. I might say that every year, but I really mean it.

Last weekend, I headed with a friend to the loop trail over Welch and Dickey mountains (elev. 2605 and 2734), a short distance from Waterville Valley. This is a well-traveled trail, mentioned in guidebooks as being great for families. I tried to imagine how crowded the parking lot must be on summer weekends. This is fall, though; the leaves are past peak and the morning temps are in the thirties or lower.  There were only three other cars in the lot Saturday morning, assuring us a crowd-free day.

Despite umpteen operations on her knees, my companion’s indefatigable, and a great deal  more fit than I am. She refused to be discouraged by my slow pace and overall wimpiness on hills. We had a great time. It took us about four hours to complete the hike, on a day with a trace of flurries in the air on the summit ledges.

I leave a detailed trail description to the guidebooks that are out there. My friend had an AMC book with a description of Welch-Dickey, while I had Daniel Doan’s Fifty Hikes in the White Mountains. The trailhead is in White Mountain National Forest, and there’s an iron ranger in the parking lot to receive the modest day-pass fee. There’s a very clean pit toilet there, too, which is always a plus.