Roxi
Active member
Whiteface 8/8/2006
I was having another one of those days when I was trying to get a lot of things done and still fit in a hike. A week and a half ago I managed to fit in a hike up Passaconaway before spending the next day house hunting north of the Notch. I managed to find a place, and today I had to be up there again for the home inspection, complete paperwork at my new job, and drop off a couple of chairs to a friend. After that I wanted to get in a hike, and decided to head for Whiteface on the way home. I was looking forward to going up and down the Blueberry Ledge Trail and along Rollins to tag the peak and knock another one off my list. I was thinking that that’s all it would be - fitting in a hike around the rest of my day and getting in a good workout. Boy, was I surprised!
Surprise #1 - Wonalancet is not “on the way” to anywhere. It’s in the middle of nowhere and an hour and a half from Whitefield. I arrived at the trailhead at 3 pm, a half hour later than I thought I’d be there.
Surprise #2 - I wasn’t the only one on the trail at that hour on a Tuesday afternoon. I met 7 other hikers and one handsome black lab who was a little anxious about coming down the trail where the ledges were tall and steep.
Surprise #3 - I really liked this trail! It’s beautiful and the views were amazing! The weather was gorgeous and a little on the cool side, which was great! The trail was dry, and not too rocky, or even too steep, except for the upper ledges. I realize it’s described as dangerous in wet weather, and I can see why, but when dry, it was really fun pulling myself up over the enormous boulders/ledges. I was also really glad I went both up and down this trail. The views I missed on the way up, I caught on the way down, albeit while butt-sliding.
Surprise #4 - I’m usually off the trail by 3, so beginning a hike at that hour was a different experience for me. The light as the sun was descending was really peaceful and serene, the lengthening shadows calming. Instead of getting hotter as I hiked, the air grew cooler. It was really nice experiencing the mountain as the afternoon transitioned into evening. I came off the mountain at 6:45.
Whiteface gave me a surprisingly wonderful hike for which I am very grateful and will add to my list of trails to return to. #38 was an unexpected treat!
I was having another one of those days when I was trying to get a lot of things done and still fit in a hike. A week and a half ago I managed to fit in a hike up Passaconaway before spending the next day house hunting north of the Notch. I managed to find a place, and today I had to be up there again for the home inspection, complete paperwork at my new job, and drop off a couple of chairs to a friend. After that I wanted to get in a hike, and decided to head for Whiteface on the way home. I was looking forward to going up and down the Blueberry Ledge Trail and along Rollins to tag the peak and knock another one off my list. I was thinking that that’s all it would be - fitting in a hike around the rest of my day and getting in a good workout. Boy, was I surprised!
Surprise #1 - Wonalancet is not “on the way” to anywhere. It’s in the middle of nowhere and an hour and a half from Whitefield. I arrived at the trailhead at 3 pm, a half hour later than I thought I’d be there.
Surprise #2 - I wasn’t the only one on the trail at that hour on a Tuesday afternoon. I met 7 other hikers and one handsome black lab who was a little anxious about coming down the trail where the ledges were tall and steep.
Surprise #3 - I really liked this trail! It’s beautiful and the views were amazing! The weather was gorgeous and a little on the cool side, which was great! The trail was dry, and not too rocky, or even too steep, except for the upper ledges. I realize it’s described as dangerous in wet weather, and I can see why, but when dry, it was really fun pulling myself up over the enormous boulders/ledges. I was also really glad I went both up and down this trail. The views I missed on the way up, I caught on the way down, albeit while butt-sliding.
Surprise #4 - I’m usually off the trail by 3, so beginning a hike at that hour was a different experience for me. The light as the sun was descending was really peaceful and serene, the lengthening shadows calming. Instead of getting hotter as I hiked, the air grew cooler. It was really nice experiencing the mountain as the afternoon transitioned into evening. I came off the mountain at 6:45.
Whiteface gave me a surprisingly wonderful hike for which I am very grateful and will add to my list of trails to return to. #38 was an unexpected treat!
