Double Bow
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- Apr 29, 2005
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For our first hike together in four weeks, Sadie and I decided to head up Whiteface and Passaconaway. She still needed Whiteface toward her 48 and I hadn't done these peaks in Spring so, off we went!
At the trailhead, a guy came over who turned out to be McRat! He took my picture with the Sherpa Kroto towel and then Sadie and I headed off while he waited for more people. We still hadn't decided our route for sure. On the way up Sadie had said that she read the trail description for Blueberry Ledge trail and found it to be very scary sounding (ledges with big drop-offs make her nervous). I assured her that when I was there in January, it wasn't bad. I told here that there were a few spots where there would be some tricky scrambles, but those don't bother her. A bit more confident (and realizing that it would be 2mi shorter than an "out-and-back" via Dicey's Mill) she declared that we ought to go up Blueberry Ledge.
I had forgotten just how much fun this trail is! In January, I was too focused on the great company and the challenges of the scrambles with ice. On this day, it was utterly fantastic! The scrambles were fun and the views on the ledges as we climbed were amazing. It was so clear, sunny and warm! Before long, we reached the ledge just before Whiteface's summit. We were the only ones there so we dropped our packs and snacked. After eating, we laid down and sunned ourselves for awhile. Nice to get a lil' color in April!
After just layin' there doin' nothin' but talkin' for awhile, we heard voices and a dog. It was McRat & his companions. If I recall the names correctly, there was Mtn Magic (w/Ghostdog), Packnuts, New Hampshire, and Jen. We talked a little and I took a picture of their group for them. Previously, Sadie and I had thought about napping, but we realized that we probably ought to get going. More people had arrived.
We soon passed over the summit of Whiteface and put on STABILicers. This was the only kind of winter gear that was needed. The Rollins trail proved pleasant as always except for one point after we took our STABILicers off and I took a spill. I banged up my hand a little, but my pack broke the fall for the most part. Later, we came across Hikerfast who was heading toward Whiteface to meet up with the group we had seen earlier. We talked for about 15min or so and then headed off again. Once we reached the Dicey's Mill Trail, we decided to stop, have a snack, and wait for the larger group to pass us as we didn't want to be leap-froging with them and would rather just let them go on ahead. We were having such a good time joking around and laughing that we weren't in any hurry to end our hike.
We let them go past and waited a little longer to try to give them some distance but once we started, we soon came upon them breaking at the junction of the Walden trail. We continued on and after finding things getting steeper and icier, we stopped to put our STABILicers back on. During this time, the group caught up to us and went past either bushwhacking past the icy section or skirting the edges. Almost as soon as we got them on, we were at the top. I took a quick pic or two at the ledge. Then the group came back from the summit and we went over there. Sadie took my picture at the sign as I celebrated now having done Passaconaway in all four seasons. We hung out at the summit for a couple minutes and then headed down, passing the group at the ledge, and only stopping for a moment at the Dicey's Mill/Rollins junction to take off our STABILicers.
Dicey's Mill was a fun decent with great views of the Wonalancet Range (still gotta get there) and a great birch forest. I love the open woods and the views that the still leafless trees afford. The rest of the trail was beautiful and sunny with that late afternoon/early evening glow. It was so pleasant a day and we had been having so much fun together that I was sorry to see the hike coming to a close. On the way down, I used my poles to help clear some water bars and thought about how I need to get over to my adopted trail. I hate bein' an absentee trail parent!
Anyway, it was once again a great day with great company. It was nice to put some more names with faces and to just get out and soak in the sun, even if it did leave me a little bit of a redneck. On the drive back, we saw two turkeys and two moose on 113!
Here are my pics!
At the trailhead, a guy came over who turned out to be McRat! He took my picture with the Sherpa Kroto towel and then Sadie and I headed off while he waited for more people. We still hadn't decided our route for sure. On the way up Sadie had said that she read the trail description for Blueberry Ledge trail and found it to be very scary sounding (ledges with big drop-offs make her nervous). I assured her that when I was there in January, it wasn't bad. I told here that there were a few spots where there would be some tricky scrambles, but those don't bother her. A bit more confident (and realizing that it would be 2mi shorter than an "out-and-back" via Dicey's Mill) she declared that we ought to go up Blueberry Ledge.
I had forgotten just how much fun this trail is! In January, I was too focused on the great company and the challenges of the scrambles with ice. On this day, it was utterly fantastic! The scrambles were fun and the views on the ledges as we climbed were amazing. It was so clear, sunny and warm! Before long, we reached the ledge just before Whiteface's summit. We were the only ones there so we dropped our packs and snacked. After eating, we laid down and sunned ourselves for awhile. Nice to get a lil' color in April!
After just layin' there doin' nothin' but talkin' for awhile, we heard voices and a dog. It was McRat & his companions. If I recall the names correctly, there was Mtn Magic (w/Ghostdog), Packnuts, New Hampshire, and Jen. We talked a little and I took a picture of their group for them. Previously, Sadie and I had thought about napping, but we realized that we probably ought to get going. More people had arrived.
We soon passed over the summit of Whiteface and put on STABILicers. This was the only kind of winter gear that was needed. The Rollins trail proved pleasant as always except for one point after we took our STABILicers off and I took a spill. I banged up my hand a little, but my pack broke the fall for the most part. Later, we came across Hikerfast who was heading toward Whiteface to meet up with the group we had seen earlier. We talked for about 15min or so and then headed off again. Once we reached the Dicey's Mill Trail, we decided to stop, have a snack, and wait for the larger group to pass us as we didn't want to be leap-froging with them and would rather just let them go on ahead. We were having such a good time joking around and laughing that we weren't in any hurry to end our hike.
We let them go past and waited a little longer to try to give them some distance but once we started, we soon came upon them breaking at the junction of the Walden trail. We continued on and after finding things getting steeper and icier, we stopped to put our STABILicers back on. During this time, the group caught up to us and went past either bushwhacking past the icy section or skirting the edges. Almost as soon as we got them on, we were at the top. I took a quick pic or two at the ledge. Then the group came back from the summit and we went over there. Sadie took my picture at the sign as I celebrated now having done Passaconaway in all four seasons. We hung out at the summit for a couple minutes and then headed down, passing the group at the ledge, and only stopping for a moment at the Dicey's Mill/Rollins junction to take off our STABILicers.
Dicey's Mill was a fun decent with great views of the Wonalancet Range (still gotta get there) and a great birch forest. I love the open woods and the views that the still leafless trees afford. The rest of the trail was beautiful and sunny with that late afternoon/early evening glow. It was so pleasant a day and we had been having so much fun together that I was sorry to see the hike coming to a close. On the way down, I used my poles to help clear some water bars and thought about how I need to get over to my adopted trail. I hate bein' an absentee trail parent!
Anyway, it was once again a great day with great company. It was nice to put some more names with faces and to just get out and soak in the sun, even if it did leave me a little bit of a redneck.
On the drive back, we saw two turkeys and two moose on 113!Here are my pics!
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