Vista, indeed!

Hiking = productivity…

Fluffy moss & abundant blueberries!

Hawk and I were supposed to be in VT this weekend for our anniversary. Instead, he got sick (again). It’s been a rough year! 🙁 But since I was stuck at home (which, honestly, I don't mind), I worked on being productive. I launched my Alton Trail Chaser patch, did a bunch of job hunting/applying, updated my portfolio, and accomplished some other random tasks. Of course, I also took advantage of the (finally!) good weather and went hiking with Hummingbird. So it certainly wasn’t a total loss! 

On Sunday, we decided to hike out to the South Piper/Swett ledges on the Vista Trail, something we hadn’t done since redlining the Belknap Range. With Carriage Road back open, the hike over from the white trail was very manageable compared to hiking from the base. (Not that either route is super hard. Though I was surprised to "feel" this hike slightly more than I should have.) We were also grateful to avoid the worst of Piper's slippery-when-wet slabs. Of course, Piper is mostly rock, so there was still some of that. 

Overall it was a nice, enjoyable hike and definitely a beautiful view at the end. When you tend to habitually hike the same few trails, getting different sights is a welcome change. 

Photo dump from the Vista Trail:

Weird, small markings in rock slab. Looks like footprints! (I'm sure it's a weird geologic phenomenon.)

Another "throne" along the Vista Trail.

Peakfinder pics at the ledges, from right to left view:

 Indeed, Vista Trail is aptly named.