[Journal entry for February 29, 2016; West Rattlesnake Mountain, New Hampshire] In the morning, Gigi Estes, Dallas and I climb West Rattlesnake Mountain. We park at the lot off of Holderness Road (Route 113), in Holderness New Hampshire. The sun is shining when we arrived, but the day grows successively greyer as we hike. The old Bridle Path has been rebuilt as a hiking trail, with logs set in the ground to make steps. Runoff has accumulated on the stairs and has frozen, so although woods have only patchy snow, the trail has been turned into continuous icefall. We all wear micro-spikes for traction and carry poles for stability. The trail rises steadily through the woods until it reaches a series of rocky ledges set above a south-facing cliff that commands a great view of Squam Lake. The granite is smooth and, in places, forms rounded knobs, some of which support the occasional Pitch Pine. A large sign identifies the hilltop as the Armstrong Natural Area. We stand at the overlook for a while, taking in the view of the ice-covered lake, with its many islands and peninsulas. We then head back, stopping to examine rivulets carrying snow-melt and a small wetland. Light rain begins to fall as we are finishing up. 1:30.