Introducing someone to backpacking is always a little
risky. You never know if they’ll like huffing and puffing over mountains with a
heavy pack, sleeping in a tent away from the noises of everyday life on a thin
mattress pad, and waking up at the crack of dawn to drink less than stellar
coffee. Not to even mention the weather…
The Welch-Dickey loop is typically done as a day hike
since it’s only 4.5 miles total, but after doing some research on backcountry
camping in the Whites, I realized it could make for a great overnight.
We didn’t start on the trail until 5:30 in the evening,
which meant we had about 2.5 hours to reach the campsite and set up camp before
the sunset. Scrambling up the rocky ledges proved to be quite exhausting with a
heavy pack, but the views made it worth it. We didn’t see a single soul on the
trail the entire time we were out, which was impressive considering the
popularity of the hike due to its length and accessibility.
We found an ideal spot for a campsite, dropped our packs,
and went to watch the sun set behind Mt. Moosilauke. Mother Nature put on a
splendid show! After the dramatic sunset, we cooked dinner and crawled into the
tent.
The next morning, we were up at first light, which is to
say we were up very early. We made coffee & cocoa and ate our bagels while
watching the sun rise from behind the Tripyramids. I was quite windy, and we
were bundled up and tucked in behind a cairn trying to soak up the few rays of
sun.
After packing up camp, we descended the 2 miles or so
back to the trailhead. The ledges of Dickey were impressive as always and we
had the entire trail to ourselves as we made our way back to civilization.
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