Mt. Wiley: Father-Daughter Hike

This past Christmas, I gave my father the gift of going for a hike together. He made it 11 months before he cashed in. His only requests were: 1) a 4,000 footer; 2) a 4,000 footer I had not yet hiked; and 3) to come back in one piece. Just kidding, the third qualification was my own - don't kill your father. 

So, Mt. Willey it was! At 4285 feet, it is the second highest and southernmost mountain of the Willey Range, and is situated on the western side of Crawford Notch. The route using the Ethan Pond trail and the Willey Range trail is not very long, but is notoriously steep for the last mile or so. 

We got a rather mild November day; overcast and temperatures in the high 30s. The ground was free of snow, but as we gained elevation we encountered patches of ice. 

The view from the summit isn't very impressive, but a short spur lead to an outlook with incredible views of the Presidential range to the northeast,