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).

Whiteface Hike

Hike Date: 8-17-2013
Leader: Len Ulbricht

Whiteface is one of the smaller 48 NH 4000 footers, elevation 4020 feet, with 180 degree commanding views to the south. It anchors the west end of the Bowl Natural Research Area in the Sandwich Range Wilderness. Mt. Passaconaway, also a 4000 footer and 23 feet higher, sits at the east end, the two peaks connected by a ridge line above the bowl.

Perfecto weather- sunny, mid-70s, light wind, low humidity - filled the day for nine of us. The planned loop hike took us up the Blueberry Ledge Trail to the Rollins Trail and the summit of Whiteface, the Rollins Trail then continuing along the Bowl ridge line to the Dicey’s Mill Trail at a point about a mile below the Passaconaway summit. We descended from there and had the loop’s only water crossing on Dicey’s Mill. The hiking distance of 9.8 miles with 2800 foot elevation change was completed in 7.5 hours, book time plus one hour for lunch and rest breaks.

The 4 mile Blueberry Ledge Trail has lower and upper ledges, the lower being less difficult and manageable with poles, but put them away for the upper ledges. The uppers are a challenging scramble demanding use of all fours. Reminded me of Baldface. Stone steps have been placed on a steep section between the lower and upper ledges. Outstanding views from the upper ledges encompass Sebago Lake, Lake Winnepesaukee, Chocura, Passaconaway and the Bowl. The Whiteface summit is further along the Rollins Trail and treed, so get your views in at the ledges.

Continuing along the treed ridge line, the Rollins Trails roller coasters up and down for 2.4 miles, gradually descending 700 - 800 feet. Soft tuff makes for pleasant trail footing. There are a few small lookout points out over the bowl along this section. Also noticeable are many blowdowns, all facing north, evidence of a fierce wind driving up the bowl face. Fortunately the trail was cleared of blowdowns.

The 3+ mile descent along Dicey’s Mill Trail was easy, made easier by the stone steps on the steep sections. The one water crossing over a felled tree was aided by a taught rope to steady ones balance.

Many hikers on the ledges took in the view on this glorious weather day, and there were several places to do so. Crowding was not an issue. We only passed one hiker on the ridge line, many apparently descending the shorter Blueberry Ledge route. No parking fee at the trailhead lot.