Flatland
01-17-2012, 12:06 PM
Considering we haven't had a single flake of winter precipitation down here in Rhode Island this year, I decided it was time to get back up to Whites stat. Having the day off in honor of the eminent civil rights leader and prolific plagiarist Martin Luther King, we figured there was no better way to honor his legacy than a winter ascent of a couple 4k's! My buddies Brendan, Sal, and I decided on Whiteface and Passaconaway. We were on the road by 5:45 and at the Ferncroft lot by 9:30. We geared up and were on trail by quarter to 10. On the way out we met a couple of guys who were just coming in from their hike, which they’d begun at 3 am. They informed us the snowshoes were unnecessary, so we left them in the truck.
http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af221/bkeefe1/Whiteface4.jpg
Sal is a trail running buddy of mine, but it turned out he’d actually never hiked before (!), so I knew we were in for an interesting experience. The trail was in terrific shape. It had been broken out by ample traffic so we were able to achieve a decent cruising pace, even as the climb stiffened. It seemed surreal to be in a place that felt like…well, winter, after weeks of balmy temps in the forties and even fifties back in Li’l Rhody. Just a few days earlier I’d still been carp fishing in open water for Pete’s sake! Brendan’s Achilles began acting up about two thirds of the way up the Blueberry Ledges Trail so we slowed down a bit but were still making good time. Once we got to the ledges, the views really opened up and we got a good look at the surrounding mountains. Washington looked impressive with all the snow on it and the crystal blue sky as a backdrop. There was good snow cover so scrambling up was not a problem, and we were rewarded with another decent view from the top.
http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af221/bkeefe1/Whiteface3.jpg
The trip over to Passaconaway was uneventful. We met one other hiker going in the opposite direction solo. The boring summit was the typical anticlimax. We could have taken a picture at Tabletop, Owl’s Head, Zealand, etc. and just told people it was Passaconaway. It would have saved us a trip. We started getting cold after stopping to check out the Bonds, Tripyramids et al from the lookout on the way down, so we shuffled the descent. We were back to the cars a little before three. All in all it was the perfect way to spend a day off. NH #’s 35 and 36 for me.
http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af221/bkeefe1/Whiteface2.jpg
http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af221/bkeefe1/Whiteface4.jpg
Sal is a trail running buddy of mine, but it turned out he’d actually never hiked before (!), so I knew we were in for an interesting experience. The trail was in terrific shape. It had been broken out by ample traffic so we were able to achieve a decent cruising pace, even as the climb stiffened. It seemed surreal to be in a place that felt like…well, winter, after weeks of balmy temps in the forties and even fifties back in Li’l Rhody. Just a few days earlier I’d still been carp fishing in open water for Pete’s sake! Brendan’s Achilles began acting up about two thirds of the way up the Blueberry Ledges Trail so we slowed down a bit but were still making good time. Once we got to the ledges, the views really opened up and we got a good look at the surrounding mountains. Washington looked impressive with all the snow on it and the crystal blue sky as a backdrop. There was good snow cover so scrambling up was not a problem, and we were rewarded with another decent view from the top.
http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af221/bkeefe1/Whiteface3.jpg
The trip over to Passaconaway was uneventful. We met one other hiker going in the opposite direction solo. The boring summit was the typical anticlimax. We could have taken a picture at Tabletop, Owl’s Head, Zealand, etc. and just told people it was Passaconaway. It would have saved us a trip. We started getting cold after stopping to check out the Bonds, Tripyramids et al from the lookout on the way down, so we shuffled the descent. We were back to the cars a little before three. All in all it was the perfect way to spend a day off. NH #’s 35 and 36 for me.
http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af221/bkeefe1/Whiteface2.jpg