One meaning of the word view, as a noun, is to say it is a sight or prospect, typically of attractive natural scenery, that can be taken in by the eye from a particular place. For example: “The view from that mountain’s summit was sublime.” Inasmuch, one would immediately think this statement refers to seeing something awesome in the distance, far-reaching. But that’s far from correct. Views come in all sizes, from the far-reaching to the very close. And guess what? They are all sublime if one can see them that way. Far-reaching views are replaced by one’s imagination when standing in a cloud and that can be sublime — beyond the edge of sight the abyss begins. Take for instance Mt Willard of 52WAV fame. On a clear day one can peer, positioned 100s of feet in the air, well into Crawford Notch and beyond, and it is sublime, to be sure. Drop a cloud onto the scene, though, and that distant magnificence is swallowed by the mist. Even sounds are dampened. But it’s still a view! All one has to do is to see it. With that said, the stage for this trip’s summary, written by Redline Guide Eric Hansen, has been set.
We enjoyed a nice hike up to Mt Willard summit through snowy paths and pretty brookside scenery. From the road you could see the summit was in the clouds, so we weren’t sure what kind of views we’d get. But either way we would be hiking up into the clouds. The trail was fully snow covered from the trailhead and we were able to barefoot our way to the summit, then put on our microspikes for added traction on the descent. Once we were within a quarter mile from the summit we started entering the cloud vapor. The summit itself, well… you could see your feet! It was a unique and new experience for our guests to be standing in the middle of a cloud, looking down from the summit ledge to clouds below. With low wind and a comfortable temperature, we enjoyed the summit, took some pictures and had a snack, then descended at a leisurely pace with good conversation. A fun time out on a peaceful early spring day! —Eric
