Mount Alander--First Day Hike 2023

 So it's January 1, 2023, and I took a wonderful First Day Hike to the summit of Mount Alander from the Mount Washington State Forest Headquarters in Mount Washington, Massachusetts. Here is a trailmap. I love this very familiar hike! It's 3 miles up so 6 miles round trip and can easily be extended another mile or so on side trails. It's close to my house, it has lovely stream crossings (some with bridges and some without), and most of all, the view at the top is magmificent. To the south you see Mount Brace and the Rte 22 valley with agricultural land; to the west is more valley farm land; and, in the distance, the light blue Catskill Mountains are about 30-40 miles away. You can see parts of the states of Masschusetts, New York and Connecticut. 

Usually I meet a few other hikers and did this day. I met several young couples (one with a dog and another with a baby in a backpack), a man with a few teenagers and 20-something year old hikers, and several solo older hikers like myself. All very friendly including the dog.

The largest stream near the beginning of the trail was rushing
and had some snow and ice, although the trail was mostly clear.

I see this once in a while on dead wood and stumps.
It is Orange Jelly Fungus. It's hard to miss it's so bright!

The sky was cloudy and the views were muted but still awesome.

The summit is mostly open. Here you are looking south.
If you take some side trails to the right a very short distance
through the bushes, you get clear views to the west.

And here is the view to the west.