BIGEarl
Well-known member
June 11, 2011: Whiteface & Passaconaway Loop
Trails: Blueberry Ledge Trail, Rollins Trail, Dicey’s Mill Trail
Summits: Whiteface and Passaconaway
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue) and me
Plan A for the day was a traverse of Garfield Ridge including the Twins, Galehead, and Garfield. The weather forecast started to dive on Friday and we decided to save this view hike for better conditions. A quick check of our June list showed Whiteface and Passaconaway as a good Plan B for the day, an ideal hike for less-than-ideal conditions. At the time, the forecast showed descent conditions through mid-afternoon so we planned on an early start hoping to complete the loop before the weather turned.
The usual pre-hike routine was underway. I had my midnight snack, the truck was loaded, and I was waiting for a note from Sue indicating she was on her way. The email came and I made one last weather check of the usual sites to see if there were any changes to consider. When I first checked the weather roughly an hour earlier the predictions were still showing 40% probability of precipitation and a mid-afternoon start of the rain. Now, there were some changes; 100% probability of precipitation and the rain was predicted to start around 10:00am, and there was much more of it. By now, Sue was probably half-way to the Park & Ride lot – we’ll talk about it when we meet. After a brief discussion we decided to go for it and at least drive to the trailhead knowing we may end up just turning around. Worse case, we end up stopping for ice cream for breakfast.
We arrived to the trailhead on Ferncroft Road and things didn’t look good. Cloud cover was low and very dark, and soon there was a light rain. We waited for a while. Eventually, the rain stopped and others started to arrive. First one pair of hikers set off, then another, and then another. Even more pulled in to the lot. Sue looked at me and said “if we’re going to finish the hike we need to get started”. That’s all it took. We grabbed our things and set off for Mount Whiteface.
Before our first step we loaded up with deet; Sue uses a low-concentration product and offered me some. I gave it a try but the mosquitoes were really having a time with me so after a few minutes I pulled out my favorite – Ben’s 100 (really good stuff!). No more insect problem.
Our hike was the usual clockwise loop. First up, we hiked Blueberry Ledge Trail to Whiteface, South Summit. The trail is in pretty good shape with the blowdowns cleared and very little mud. As we approached the lower ledges in the area of Blueberry Ledge – Blueberry Ledge Cutoff, the rain started. This made the lower ledges quite slippery but that was mainly due to the wetness on top of the growth that exists on the ledge. Step carefully and everything was fine. With no views and cool rainy conditions, we generally kept hiking. By the time we reached the Blueberry Ledge - Tom Wiggin trails junction the temperature seemed to have dropped and we picked up a good breeze; it was time for the rain gear to help with the rain, wind, and cool temperature. The pack covers came out and the mosquitoes seemed to vanish (fair weather friends).
While I was preparing to get started my thoughts were focused on climbing the ledges in wet conditions. I don’t recall ever trying that before; some variety - nice. We made our way up through the short climb to the base of the ledges without saying very much at all. Perhaps both of us were processing thoughts about climbing Whiteface Ledges in the rain. I also thought about the slippery conditions on the lower ledges.
We arrived to the start of the ledges and with only a slight hesitation, we started the climb. For me, the first section of ledge is the most difficult. I think this is partially due to the lack of handholds and the ones that exist require using the right arm in a fully extended reach – that’s not good for me and often ends in having to put my shoulder back together. Sue was in front and had little trouble in making her way up the first ledge. I started in and was surprised at the good traction, even in wet conditions. We hit the top of the first section without any real difficulty, I was pleasantly surprised with the initial climb, and we were now focused on reaching Whiteface South summit. The remaining scrambles went well. On the way we met one of the other couples on their descent and another couple of hikers passed headed in the same direction as us. There were a surprising number of hikers out in the bad conditions.
We hit the top of the ledges and made the turn onto Rollins Trail for the final hike to Whiteface Summit and the trip to Dicey’s Mill Trail. On the trip across Rollins Trail we passed a group of three and met a solo hiker. The trail around The Bowl is clear and mud-free. It was a pretty fast trip, but the conditions really kept us moving. We hit the Rollins – Dicey’s Mill junction soaked. I asked Sue if she wanted to just call it a day or continue on to Passaconaway. Sue said “I’m already soaked, and I haven’t melted”. We made the turn and headed for Passaconaway. The trail between the trail junction and the turn to Camp Rich area is fairly wet but there’s no mud. We cleared the final small brook, made the turn, and headed into the final climb. On the way to the summit we met another pair that we had seen at the trailhead, evidently hiking the same route. We slowed to exchange greetings but didn’t stop. I think we were all cold and wet and just wanted to wrap this one up.
We reached the summit area and found no view at all from the viewpoint. We made our way to the highpoint in the trees, got the usual pictures, and decided to take the shortest way out. We started the day planning to exit via Walden Trail, Wonalancet Range Trail, and Old Mast Road over Hibbard, Hedgehog, and Wonalancet. This alternate exit adds about an hour to the day and we weren’t trying to drag this one out. Heading straight down Dicey’s Mill Trail was the fast way out and the route we followed.
Dicey’s Mill Trail was clear sailing with only a couple really big blowdowns. I have a feeling the remaining blowdowns will be there until they rot. Roughly half way down the rain stopped but we still had less-than-ideal conditions. Without saying very much at all and without any stops we went from the summit to the old mill site. There we only stopped long enough for a quick drink and we were back into the exit hike. We crossed the stream without any problem; the water is down and there are plenty of exposed rocks. The trail between the stream crossing and the Tom Wiggin trail junction is usually loaded with mud but it’s pretty solid right now. We passed the bridge across Wonalancet River, hit the field, hit the road, and hit the trailhead.
The conditions we had for the hike were a little good news and bad news. Bad News; wet, uncomfortable, no views. Good news; it was definitely a fast hike – this was the fastest we ever hiked this particular loop (no record but pretty good for us).
The day started with the thought of ice cream running around in my head. The Sandwich Creamery is on the way back out and always a pleasant way to end the day. We were cold and wet and all we wanted was warm and dry. We headed straight to Dunkin’ Donuts in Ashland for a place to change into dry clothes. With that out of the way we were able to have a pleasant drive south with the extra load of crazies on the road thanks to Motorcycle Week at NHMS.
I’ve posted some pictures from the day.
BIGEarl's Pictures
Straight to the slideshow
Trails: Blueberry Ledge Trail, Rollins Trail, Dicey’s Mill Trail
Summits: Whiteface and Passaconaway
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue) and me
Plan A for the day was a traverse of Garfield Ridge including the Twins, Galehead, and Garfield. The weather forecast started to dive on Friday and we decided to save this view hike for better conditions. A quick check of our June list showed Whiteface and Passaconaway as a good Plan B for the day, an ideal hike for less-than-ideal conditions. At the time, the forecast showed descent conditions through mid-afternoon so we planned on an early start hoping to complete the loop before the weather turned.
The usual pre-hike routine was underway. I had my midnight snack, the truck was loaded, and I was waiting for a note from Sue indicating she was on her way. The email came and I made one last weather check of the usual sites to see if there were any changes to consider. When I first checked the weather roughly an hour earlier the predictions were still showing 40% probability of precipitation and a mid-afternoon start of the rain. Now, there were some changes; 100% probability of precipitation and the rain was predicted to start around 10:00am, and there was much more of it. By now, Sue was probably half-way to the Park & Ride lot – we’ll talk about it when we meet. After a brief discussion we decided to go for it and at least drive to the trailhead knowing we may end up just turning around. Worse case, we end up stopping for ice cream for breakfast.
We arrived to the trailhead on Ferncroft Road and things didn’t look good. Cloud cover was low and very dark, and soon there was a light rain. We waited for a while. Eventually, the rain stopped and others started to arrive. First one pair of hikers set off, then another, and then another. Even more pulled in to the lot. Sue looked at me and said “if we’re going to finish the hike we need to get started”. That’s all it took. We grabbed our things and set off for Mount Whiteface.
Before our first step we loaded up with deet; Sue uses a low-concentration product and offered me some. I gave it a try but the mosquitoes were really having a time with me so after a few minutes I pulled out my favorite – Ben’s 100 (really good stuff!). No more insect problem.
Our hike was the usual clockwise loop. First up, we hiked Blueberry Ledge Trail to Whiteface, South Summit. The trail is in pretty good shape with the blowdowns cleared and very little mud. As we approached the lower ledges in the area of Blueberry Ledge – Blueberry Ledge Cutoff, the rain started. This made the lower ledges quite slippery but that was mainly due to the wetness on top of the growth that exists on the ledge. Step carefully and everything was fine. With no views and cool rainy conditions, we generally kept hiking. By the time we reached the Blueberry Ledge - Tom Wiggin trails junction the temperature seemed to have dropped and we picked up a good breeze; it was time for the rain gear to help with the rain, wind, and cool temperature. The pack covers came out and the mosquitoes seemed to vanish (fair weather friends).
While I was preparing to get started my thoughts were focused on climbing the ledges in wet conditions. I don’t recall ever trying that before; some variety - nice. We made our way up through the short climb to the base of the ledges without saying very much at all. Perhaps both of us were processing thoughts about climbing Whiteface Ledges in the rain. I also thought about the slippery conditions on the lower ledges.
We arrived to the start of the ledges and with only a slight hesitation, we started the climb. For me, the first section of ledge is the most difficult. I think this is partially due to the lack of handholds and the ones that exist require using the right arm in a fully extended reach – that’s not good for me and often ends in having to put my shoulder back together. Sue was in front and had little trouble in making her way up the first ledge. I started in and was surprised at the good traction, even in wet conditions. We hit the top of the first section without any real difficulty, I was pleasantly surprised with the initial climb, and we were now focused on reaching Whiteface South summit. The remaining scrambles went well. On the way we met one of the other couples on their descent and another couple of hikers passed headed in the same direction as us. There were a surprising number of hikers out in the bad conditions.
We hit the top of the ledges and made the turn onto Rollins Trail for the final hike to Whiteface Summit and the trip to Dicey’s Mill Trail. On the trip across Rollins Trail we passed a group of three and met a solo hiker. The trail around The Bowl is clear and mud-free. It was a pretty fast trip, but the conditions really kept us moving. We hit the Rollins – Dicey’s Mill junction soaked. I asked Sue if she wanted to just call it a day or continue on to Passaconaway. Sue said “I’m already soaked, and I haven’t melted”. We made the turn and headed for Passaconaway. The trail between the trail junction and the turn to Camp Rich area is fairly wet but there’s no mud. We cleared the final small brook, made the turn, and headed into the final climb. On the way to the summit we met another pair that we had seen at the trailhead, evidently hiking the same route. We slowed to exchange greetings but didn’t stop. I think we were all cold and wet and just wanted to wrap this one up.
We reached the summit area and found no view at all from the viewpoint. We made our way to the highpoint in the trees, got the usual pictures, and decided to take the shortest way out. We started the day planning to exit via Walden Trail, Wonalancet Range Trail, and Old Mast Road over Hibbard, Hedgehog, and Wonalancet. This alternate exit adds about an hour to the day and we weren’t trying to drag this one out. Heading straight down Dicey’s Mill Trail was the fast way out and the route we followed.
Dicey’s Mill Trail was clear sailing with only a couple really big blowdowns. I have a feeling the remaining blowdowns will be there until they rot. Roughly half way down the rain stopped but we still had less-than-ideal conditions. Without saying very much at all and without any stops we went from the summit to the old mill site. There we only stopped long enough for a quick drink and we were back into the exit hike. We crossed the stream without any problem; the water is down and there are plenty of exposed rocks. The trail between the stream crossing and the Tom Wiggin trail junction is usually loaded with mud but it’s pretty solid right now. We passed the bridge across Wonalancet River, hit the field, hit the road, and hit the trailhead.
The conditions we had for the hike were a little good news and bad news. Bad News; wet, uncomfortable, no views. Good news; it was definitely a fast hike – this was the fastest we ever hiked this particular loop (no record but pretty good for us).
The day started with the thought of ice cream running around in my head. The Sandwich Creamery is on the way back out and always a pleasant way to end the day. We were cold and wet and all we wanted was warm and dry. We headed straight to Dunkin’ Donuts in Ashland for a place to change into dry clothes. With that out of the way we were able to have a pleasant drive south with the extra load of crazies on the road thanks to Motorcycle Week at NHMS.
I’ve posted some pictures from the day.
BIGEarl's Pictures
Straight to the slideshow
