BIGEarl
Well-known member
December 11, 2010: Whiteface & Passaconaway
Trails: Blueberry Ledge Trail, Rollins Trail, Dicey’s Mill Trail
Summits: Whiteface, Passaconaway
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue), Happyhiker (Karen), and me
I think everybody has watched a women’s gymnastics competition at some point. Ever notice at the end of the routine how they place their heels together, arch their back, and wave their arms in the air? I find that entertaining – why not simply bow? But, I digress….
The day started out with only a couple sets of tracks on the trail ahead of us. Two guys that pulled in about the same time hit the trail ahead of us and evidently set off on the same route. We had cloudy conditions but the forecast predicted mostly sunny by midday. There was no wind. The temperature was in the low 20’s and expected to stay there all day. We started out bare booting the hike. The trail surface was covered in a fresh layer of powder, which did a great job of hiding the patches of ice.
The early part of the hike went well. The trail had very little ice and we were generally able to avoid the few ice patches that we encountered along the way. At the Blueberry Ledge – Blueberry Ledge Cutoff lower junction we simply went straight and stayed with Blueberry Ledge Trail. As we gained elevation we also gained ice, and the ice was generally hard ice. A short distance below the exposed slabs on Blueberry Ledge Trail Karen pulled out her MicroSpikes. Immediately, she was no longer challenged by the ice. It took a little longer to sink in with Sue and me but before we reached the Blueberry Ledge – Blueberry Ledge Cutoff upper junction we were all on MicroSpikes. At the junction we had no views but straight up we could tell the clouds were thin in places and to the northwest we had lots of clear sky. We were hoping the forecast would come through for us.
As we climbed toward the ledges on Whiteface South Summit there are multiple viewpoints along the way. At the top viewpoint the conditions cleared a little and we could see back to the field next to where the trailhead lot is located, but there were no real distance views. We kept climbing. Eventually, we passed the Tom Wiggin Trail junction and knew the real fun was about to start.
After the trail junction it’s only a short walk to the start of the ledge section of the climb. We had lots of ice at this point and just enough powder on it to make things pretty difficult. We made our way to the start of the ledges and the first icy climb was probably beyond the intended capabilities of MicroSpikes. Karen decided not to fool around and pulled out her crampons. Sue and I were slow to pull out our MicroSpikes and we’ll be slow to make another change – we stayed with the MicroSpikes but I think we both expected to change at some point.
We all moved past this first test just to find another immediately in front of us. This next ledge section was a little more difficult. It was covered with powder and extremely slick. The available handholds were well beyond the reach of all of us. In the end, the only choice was to charge into the ledge and go for the handhold before footing was lost. Again, we all made it through this test. The upper part of this ledge section was difficult but not as difficult as the lower part. We cleared this section of ledge and slowly worked our way up through the remaining several sections with no real problems along the way, Karen did have one interesting slip. After reaching the top of the ledges it seemed clear to me our decision to hike the loop clockwise was the right one. Once a good snow base is established I’m sure either direction will work just fine.
At the various viewpoints through the ledges there was only gray. The Bowl Wilderness Area was clouded and no views to the valley below were available. The scenery along the trail was outstanding. The trees were loaded with rime and/or snow and in some places it looked like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man exploded. I know this is only a small introduction to the conditions we’ll enjoy over the next few months.
We made a quick visit to the open ledges at the south summit and were soon on our way to the main summit of Whiteface. With the major climb behind us the hike was much easier but still not easy due to the great amount of ice that was hidden below the fresh powder.
At the summit of Whiteface we stopped to take care of a couple important details. First, we needed the usual summit pictures. Second, Sue decided it was time for a snowman. The snowman was created, photographed, and the pictures sent to various targets around the country. Karen made the change from crampons back to MicroSpikes. Soon, we were again hiking around The Bowl on Rollins Trail headed for Dicey’s Mill Trail and Passaconaway. At one of the viewpoints along the way we enjoyed some limited views back to the summit area of Whiteface.
We encountered quite a large amount of ice on the hike of Rollins Trail. This slowed us down but we were still well within the overall plan for the day. We reached the Rollins – Dicey’s Mill trails junction and Karen decided to call it a hike. Karen knew our exit route was Dicey’s Mill Trail and decided to set off for the trailhead while Sue and I hit the summit of Passaconaway. We said goodbye and set off for our targets. A short distance above the trails junction we came into a huge amount of ice. The ice extended almost all of the way to the Dicey’s Mill – East Loop trail junction. The good news is the ice was soft and MicroSpikes did the job.
We reached the junction, which is also one that Sue often misses, and Sue kept walking straight ahead. She was trying to see if I was paying attention. She kept walking and I simply made the turn. I kinda thought Sue was up to something and didn’t take the bait. She smiled and we were on the final climb to Passaconaway. I remember the first time I climbed Dicey’s Mill Trail to the summit of Passaconaway. My impression of the trail was it never ended; endless switchbacks, endless steep pitches, it was an awful slap in the face at the end of the climb. Now, I still need to make a couple stops along the way but the climb is quick and enjoyable.
We made our way all of the way to the open ledge near the summit still on MicroSpikes even though there was plenty of evidence of crampon traffic through the day. At the viewpoint we could see Carrigain, Tripyramids, Tecumseh, Hancocks, and the Sleepers. From moment to moment conditions changed and the available views changed with it.
We wandered to the summit, got the usual pictures, had quick refreshment, prepared for the exit hike, and made the u-turn. We were now chasing Karen. We didn’t push too hard because of the ice but we were focused on the trailhead.
The exit hike was fairly quick. Very soon we were passing the area of Camp Rich, then all of the ice above Rollins Trail junction, and then the long ramp to the site of Dicey’s Mill. A little over half way down we retired the MicroSpikes and were bare booting the remainder of the hike. At the stream crossing we found a situation where some added traction would help. Logs and rocks were ice covered but we were able to locate a stable, ice-free set of high spots for a rock-hop crossing. We both made the far side with dry feet. Now, we’re on the final cruise out. The mud pits that are prominent on this section of trail in summer are all generally frozen. We were making great time on this final walk to the trailhead.
A short distance after the Dicey’s Mill – Tom Wiggin (lower end) trail junction, it happened. Sue hit some hidden ice, her feet flew out from underneath her, and she went down. It seemed that faster than she went down she was back up, like a gymnast at the end of her routine, with her heels together, her back arched, and her arms waving in the air. All Sue said was “maybe we should have kept the MicroSpikes on a little longer”. I was more concerned with Sue at that point and focused on making sure she was not hurt in the fall. She assured me everything was fine. Okay – that’s a 10.0 for her score. (I can almost hear the applause) We pulled the MicroSpikes back out and finished our walk to the trailhead.
The short section between the end of the trail and the parking lot was where we found Karen waiting. She was ahead by enough to change into some dry clothes and relax with a beer. It was nice to know we were all safely out.
Thanks to Sue and Karen for a fun day in the mountains. Some sunshine and views would have been nice but I’ll take a day like this one anytime.
Pictures will follow.
Trails: Blueberry Ledge Trail, Rollins Trail, Dicey’s Mill Trail
Summits: Whiteface, Passaconaway
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue), Happyhiker (Karen), and me
I think everybody has watched a women’s gymnastics competition at some point. Ever notice at the end of the routine how they place their heels together, arch their back, and wave their arms in the air? I find that entertaining – why not simply bow? But, I digress….
The day started out with only a couple sets of tracks on the trail ahead of us. Two guys that pulled in about the same time hit the trail ahead of us and evidently set off on the same route. We had cloudy conditions but the forecast predicted mostly sunny by midday. There was no wind. The temperature was in the low 20’s and expected to stay there all day. We started out bare booting the hike. The trail surface was covered in a fresh layer of powder, which did a great job of hiding the patches of ice.
The early part of the hike went well. The trail had very little ice and we were generally able to avoid the few ice patches that we encountered along the way. At the Blueberry Ledge – Blueberry Ledge Cutoff lower junction we simply went straight and stayed with Blueberry Ledge Trail. As we gained elevation we also gained ice, and the ice was generally hard ice. A short distance below the exposed slabs on Blueberry Ledge Trail Karen pulled out her MicroSpikes. Immediately, she was no longer challenged by the ice. It took a little longer to sink in with Sue and me but before we reached the Blueberry Ledge – Blueberry Ledge Cutoff upper junction we were all on MicroSpikes. At the junction we had no views but straight up we could tell the clouds were thin in places and to the northwest we had lots of clear sky. We were hoping the forecast would come through for us.
As we climbed toward the ledges on Whiteface South Summit there are multiple viewpoints along the way. At the top viewpoint the conditions cleared a little and we could see back to the field next to where the trailhead lot is located, but there were no real distance views. We kept climbing. Eventually, we passed the Tom Wiggin Trail junction and knew the real fun was about to start.
After the trail junction it’s only a short walk to the start of the ledge section of the climb. We had lots of ice at this point and just enough powder on it to make things pretty difficult. We made our way to the start of the ledges and the first icy climb was probably beyond the intended capabilities of MicroSpikes. Karen decided not to fool around and pulled out her crampons. Sue and I were slow to pull out our MicroSpikes and we’ll be slow to make another change – we stayed with the MicroSpikes but I think we both expected to change at some point.
We all moved past this first test just to find another immediately in front of us. This next ledge section was a little more difficult. It was covered with powder and extremely slick. The available handholds were well beyond the reach of all of us. In the end, the only choice was to charge into the ledge and go for the handhold before footing was lost. Again, we all made it through this test. The upper part of this ledge section was difficult but not as difficult as the lower part. We cleared this section of ledge and slowly worked our way up through the remaining several sections with no real problems along the way, Karen did have one interesting slip. After reaching the top of the ledges it seemed clear to me our decision to hike the loop clockwise was the right one. Once a good snow base is established I’m sure either direction will work just fine.
At the various viewpoints through the ledges there was only gray. The Bowl Wilderness Area was clouded and no views to the valley below were available. The scenery along the trail was outstanding. The trees were loaded with rime and/or snow and in some places it looked like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man exploded. I know this is only a small introduction to the conditions we’ll enjoy over the next few months.
We made a quick visit to the open ledges at the south summit and were soon on our way to the main summit of Whiteface. With the major climb behind us the hike was much easier but still not easy due to the great amount of ice that was hidden below the fresh powder.
At the summit of Whiteface we stopped to take care of a couple important details. First, we needed the usual summit pictures. Second, Sue decided it was time for a snowman. The snowman was created, photographed, and the pictures sent to various targets around the country. Karen made the change from crampons back to MicroSpikes. Soon, we were again hiking around The Bowl on Rollins Trail headed for Dicey’s Mill Trail and Passaconaway. At one of the viewpoints along the way we enjoyed some limited views back to the summit area of Whiteface.
We encountered quite a large amount of ice on the hike of Rollins Trail. This slowed us down but we were still well within the overall plan for the day. We reached the Rollins – Dicey’s Mill trails junction and Karen decided to call it a hike. Karen knew our exit route was Dicey’s Mill Trail and decided to set off for the trailhead while Sue and I hit the summit of Passaconaway. We said goodbye and set off for our targets. A short distance above the trails junction we came into a huge amount of ice. The ice extended almost all of the way to the Dicey’s Mill – East Loop trail junction. The good news is the ice was soft and MicroSpikes did the job.
We reached the junction, which is also one that Sue often misses, and Sue kept walking straight ahead. She was trying to see if I was paying attention. She kept walking and I simply made the turn. I kinda thought Sue was up to something and didn’t take the bait. She smiled and we were on the final climb to Passaconaway. I remember the first time I climbed Dicey’s Mill Trail to the summit of Passaconaway. My impression of the trail was it never ended; endless switchbacks, endless steep pitches, it was an awful slap in the face at the end of the climb. Now, I still need to make a couple stops along the way but the climb is quick and enjoyable.
We made our way all of the way to the open ledge near the summit still on MicroSpikes even though there was plenty of evidence of crampon traffic through the day. At the viewpoint we could see Carrigain, Tripyramids, Tecumseh, Hancocks, and the Sleepers. From moment to moment conditions changed and the available views changed with it.
We wandered to the summit, got the usual pictures, had quick refreshment, prepared for the exit hike, and made the u-turn. We were now chasing Karen. We didn’t push too hard because of the ice but we were focused on the trailhead.
The exit hike was fairly quick. Very soon we were passing the area of Camp Rich, then all of the ice above Rollins Trail junction, and then the long ramp to the site of Dicey’s Mill. A little over half way down we retired the MicroSpikes and were bare booting the remainder of the hike. At the stream crossing we found a situation where some added traction would help. Logs and rocks were ice covered but we were able to locate a stable, ice-free set of high spots for a rock-hop crossing. We both made the far side with dry feet. Now, we’re on the final cruise out. The mud pits that are prominent on this section of trail in summer are all generally frozen. We were making great time on this final walk to the trailhead.
A short distance after the Dicey’s Mill – Tom Wiggin (lower end) trail junction, it happened. Sue hit some hidden ice, her feet flew out from underneath her, and she went down. It seemed that faster than she went down she was back up, like a gymnast at the end of her routine, with her heels together, her back arched, and her arms waving in the air. All Sue said was “maybe we should have kept the MicroSpikes on a little longer”. I was more concerned with Sue at that point and focused on making sure she was not hurt in the fall. She assured me everything was fine. Okay – that’s a 10.0 for her score. (I can almost hear the applause) We pulled the MicroSpikes back out and finished our walk to the trailhead.
The short section between the end of the trail and the parking lot was where we found Karen waiting. She was ahead by enough to change into some dry clothes and relax with a beer. It was nice to know we were all safely out.
Thanks to Sue and Karen for a fun day in the mountains. Some sunshine and views would have been nice but I’ll take a day like this one anytime.
Pictures will follow.
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