Whiteface visited by antiquities, February 7, 2011

[BlackSpruce]

Gary on a pair of lime green tracks bushwhackers skis he bought 25 years ago was traveling in style, from a rear point of view his Berwin binding could have easily been mistaken for a fruit basket in which one had substituted the peaches for a winter boot! My own equipment is recent but my cherished bamboo poles are of an even older vintage. Once again we hoped that our 10Am start would guaranty a tracked road and we were not disappointed at first as a threesome was slightly ahead. Sure enough they gave up after the first bend in the road due to a lunch appointment… At this point we could still follow a faint ski track but a mile later it was plain trail breaking. Then as we were wondering at our lightning speed which day of the week we would reach the summit we heard the cavalry. About 10 Rangers were snowmobiling to the slide halfway up the road (3900’) for avalanche rescue training, giving us a mile of easy going. We were delighted. That must be what is called in business circle “just-in-time delivery”. Upon reaching the slide we tried to get rescued up to the Castle but to no avail, so we moved on. There again the going was fairly easy, the snow is deep but well packed. After the Wilmington Turn, the little we could see told us that the previous day storm had built a mock Great Range the last .4-mile to the castle. The stairs were for the most part free of snow and made for a quick bare booted round trip to the summit.
PS: Driving back I stopped at the very new “THE ADK CAFÉ” which is open every day from 6AM to 9PM and serves delicious breakfasts, lunches and dinners where used to be the Cedar Run Bakery which has moved across the bridge and will re-open sometimes in March.