Welch-Dickey Hike

 We set out to do a traditional Spring warm-up hike on the always popular Welch-Dickey Trail only to be greeted with Summer like conditions.  Eight GO members quickly discarded the cold weather gear, and set off in bright blue skies, with temperatures in the high 70's.  In other words, weather more typical for July or August.  Even the water in the stream was down to levels usually seen in Summer.  We all thought that if these conditions persist, we are in for quite a drought this Summer.  In any event, we did not complain at the current conditions, and enjoyed the opportunity to linger at some of the scenic ledges on this trail.  As always, this was a great group of guys, and the conversation ranged from the sublime (the architectural wonders of Gaudí's Sagrada Familia) to the....well, you know, it is a gay group.

After the hike some of us went over to the Sunset Grill, and hung-out at the outdoor back porch.  It was indeed a great Summer day outing.

 On the southern edge of NH's White Mountains, the Welch-Dickey trail is among the first to be clear of snow in the spring.  It is also among the most popular trail in the Whites due to its relatively short length of 5 miles, and the spectacular views of the open ledges along most of the trail.  Though technically below tree line (Mt. Dickey, the highest point is only 2,700 ft. high), it gets its Alpine ecology from the fact that the early English settlers used to burn the slopes in order to create pasture land for sheep.  Given the unusually warm winter and spring we have been having here in New England, it is hard to predict the weather on this particular day, so bring warm layers to put on and take off as needed.  If it is a nice warm day, we may linger at the "gay" lunch spot off the main trail, so bring a good lunch and snacks to share.

Inclement weather will cancel this event.