Whiteface and Passaconaway Loop

TRIP DATE: Saturday August 2, 2014

TRIP LOCATION: Whiteface and Passaconaway Loop

MEETING TIME: 8:45am trailhead sign-in, 9:00 am departure

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS (INCLUDING LEADERS): Seven

TOTAL HIKING TIME (IN HOURS): 9 hours 10 minutes (book time 8 hours)

LENGTH IN MILES: 11.7 miles

TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN (IN FEET): 3,553 feet

DIFFICULTY: A (A=very strenuous; B=strenuous; C=average; D=easy)

LEADER NAME(S): Len Ulbricht

CO-LEADER NAME(S): Walt Granda

TRAILHEAD PARKING LOCATION & DESCRIPTION: Designated parking to right off Ferncroft Road. Can overflow onto Ferncroft. One Johnny can. No parking fee. Good cell phone reception.

CAR SPOTTING REQUIRED?: No            

WAS TRIP WITHIN WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST? Yes

BRIEFLY DESCRIBE SPECIFIC TRAILS HIKED AND TRAIL CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED: Blueberry Ledge trail to Whiteface summit, then Rollins trail along bowl ridge line to Dicey’s Mill trail. Then up Dicey’s Mill to clockwise west-east loop around Passaconaway (took short spur to summit) and back to Dicey’s Mill for long but easy 3.8 mile descent to cars. Trails generally blue blazed and easy to follow.

WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR HIKE: Overcast in AM, sun breaking through by noon, sunshine all afternoon. Humid, in high 70s, no wind.

OTHER COMMENTS (problems, views, terrain, etc.) A challenging scramble up the ledges just below Whiteface summit. Put your poles away. You’ll need both hands to grab at crevices and tree limbs. Could be dangerous when wet or snow/ice covered. There is no bypass around the ledges. Long legs help. There are several tiers of lookouts from the ledges. Keep climbing to best unobstructed viewing ledge, just below McCrillis trail junction, for 180 degree views to south. Great lunch spot.

Rollins trail descends gradually to Dicey’s Mill with several ups and downs. Many blowdowns with two or three lookouts over bowl.

Loop around Passaconaway has lookouts to west (view Tripyramid, and Franconia Ridge in far distance) and east (Chocura stands out).