At the beginning of the summer my friend and I decided to drive about three hours north of Boston to make a day out of hiking Mount Willard. It had been a few months since we had seen each other and hiking is such a great way to catch up with friends while doing something different and exciting. The drive was smooth and easy, but when we got to the mountain we had the hardest time finding the trail head. We drove up and down the main road inspecting every little pathway that led into the woods. We even followed a pair of hikers who were walking along the road just in case they were headed to the trail. Apparently they weren’t so we just looked like stalkers tailing them. At least we weren’t in a big white van. Finally my friend spotted a small sign right past an old railroad station that marked the beginning of our ascent. That sign was the definition of a needle in a haystack so if you choose to hike this trail remember that it begins behind the train station off of Rt 302 in the Crawford Notch National Park. That way you can save yourself the embarrassment of looking like an ill-equipped villain from Austin Powers. Continue reading “Hiking Mt. Willard”