Mount Randolph run

Peaks: Mount Randolph (3081ft)
Area: White Mountains, New Hampshire
Storms across New Hampshire yesterday, so my planned assault on the northern Whites had to be curtailed at the tree line after I stretched my legs up the famous Air Line trail, which starts from the road near our motel. We did some excellent family walks in between torrential showers: the Lost Pond from Pinkham notch, and two short trails from Crawford Notch. Today, I left the motel at 6am and ran through atmospheric woodland along the trail to Lookout Ledge. This took far longer than I'd expected, but when I arrived the conditions were fabulous. The night's mist and cloud was burning away and the sun lit the granite ledge as I arrived. Thick cloud remained over the northern Presidentials, but huge views over unbroken forested hills to the east - the Carter Range and Mount Moriah - emerged from light mist. Wonderful ambience with the low morning sun lighting the trees. I then switched to the Crescent Ridge trail up to Mount Randolph, named after our 'home' village. This remains wooded, all rather alien to one accustomed to continual mountain views, but very atmospheric and very North American. As I got higher, I re-entered the mist and could see nothing from the wooded summit. The path wasn't particularly clear, especially when compared to the Air Line, although the markings were adequate and it was all very runnable. I rejoined the Lowe trail and thoroughly enjoyed pelting down it to the Durand road, where I extended the run by another three miles (boreal chickadee, american redstart and other interesting birds). Then it was back to check out of the motel, enjoy a stupendous breakfast at the Water Wheel in Jefferson, and drive to Vermont.