The Welch-Dickey loop is one of the most popular hikes in the White Mountains. You can reach a fantastic view of Waterville Valley with very little effort. We followed the trail counter clockwise by going up Mt. Welch first. This is also the preferred route since you will be ascending the ledges on the mountains. For the first mile we had a nice walk in the woods and passed some mossy rocks and lady slippers.  Soon, we reached the first of the ledges which had many areas circled by stones to prevent people from stepping on the vegetation. Nearby was a great view of Waterville Valley. We could see Sandwich Dome and Jennings Peak across the valley and the hills to the south. There were also some puddles in spots from all the recent rains.

After taking a few pictures we were on our way again. The trail began to climb more steeply over the ledges, around boulders and through fissures in the rock. At one point we came across a hole in the ledge left behind by the melting glaciers. Soon, we reached the summit of Mt. Welch and had some fantastic views all around. From here we made the steep, but short descent to the col between the two peeks. We found some mountain azalea and entered a stand of jack pines before we began to climb up Mt. Dickey. Nearing the summit we had a great view looking back towards Mt. Welch. 

Overall, this loop offered many challenges and surprises. We had great weather and arrived early enough to beat the crowds to the summits.