Jim, Rick, Mark and myself met at the Flume Visitors Center in Franconia Notch on February 4 for a nice laid-back hike to Indian Head (also known as Mt. Pemigewasset). From the road down below, it does indeed look like an Indian chief, complete with the trees resembling a headdress. It was sunny and cold at 20 degrees.

But I, for one, didn't mind. It was bearable and I was actually getting out into the woods. Nothing to complain about in my book!

We started up the Mt. Pemigewasset Trail at a nice leisurely pace, stopping on occasion to gab.

We made our way to the summit (2,557 feet) in an hour, under book time, and were treated to some nice views into the valley: stands of birch trees that you could spy if you were brave enough to inch close to the edge of a broad ledge and didn't get vertigo as you gazed down below; the mountains off in the distance; the buildings that dot Route 3 that cuts through the notch; the mountains off in the distance.

It was windy by the ledges so we headed to the back side of the summit. We took a lunch break and gazed at the incredible panorama of the Franconia Range from this vantage point.

It's a great summit to linger on --- broad, with little nooks and crannies.

It was getting chilly up top, so eventually, we decided to head back down taking the same trail.

Back at the parking lot we took a quick jaunt to the Flume Gorge where we watched ice climbers carefully maneuver themselves up the frozen waterfalls.