Whiteface and Passaconway Loop?

[MichaelJ]

I did the "traditional" loop in the cold, pouring rain and in fact didn't have any issues at all on the ledges, except being terrified that if I *did* slip I would be in big trouble because I was solo.

There's one spot with a bit of exposure but a trampled path behind some scrub shows that most people take a small detour to avoid it.

After the ledges, it's into the trees for a long way. From the true summit (somewhere near the junction of the Kate Sleeper Trail) you've got a long walk until you hit the Dicey's Mill Trail. Then it's up (and I recall a water source near one of the former shelter sites?) to the top, nothing extraordinary, and a view beautiful viewpoints up there. Then a long, smooth walk all the way down and out.

album

[thetrailboss]

This is the stuff I don't like unless there is a good foothold or handhold....

[MichaelJ]

Hey -that picture looks familiar...
Oh, right. I allow linking to AZ!

It's not as bad as it looks, there are handholds on the left out of the frame, plus grabbing into the holes. You'd never slide more than about 4' on this one before you "landed" back in a standing position.

The bigger problem I had was a spot where I had a vertical face to get over. It had plenty of cracks and steps, but I got stuck at about 6' off the ground where I couldn't make the last step without being overbalanced, and so had to hold on with one hand while I took my pack off with the other, rain pouring over me and down the rock, and slide the pack up. Then it was a simple step and jump and I was easily on top.

[riverc0il]

c'mon TB, grow a pair and just do it! joking aside, as michael J suggests, it is not as bad as that picture looks. MAN THAT PIC DOES LOOK BAD THOUGH! it doesn't even look like a hiking trail in that picture, lol. i have had several "oh crap" moments while slab hiking near cliffy areas, whiteface did not give me any problems, it really isn't that bad unless it is wet.

[MichaelJ]

Yeah, in my defense (or offense) I took that picture from an angle designed to make it look bad.

[thetrailboss]

So I am considering doing both Passaconway and Whiteface....up Dicey Mills to Passaconway, over to Whiteface, and down the Blueberry Ledge Trail. Input???

[Mike P.]

Reverse the loop, I've done it three times, twice in the rain, the clear day had snow above 3,000 feet, (the ledges were clear) over the trail markers in some spots on the Rollins Trail & I would not plan the trip descending the ledges. Some people must descend it, in my three trips (okay so I was the only idiot in the rain) I have not seen anyone on the trail looking to descend them.

FWIW, given a choice of these two perils, descending North Tri Slide or Blueberry Ledges, I'm tempted to choose North Tri. South Tri's slide over the ledges even if that is a winter descent down South Vs. a summer on Whiteface.

[thetrailboss]

I've got reservations about scrambling up these ledges considering that the last trip did not go so well

[riverc0il]

definitely reverse your loop! always better to go up than down anything like that. besides, this way you can not summit passaconaway if you don't feel good half way through the loop. going counter clockwise, you have no bail option. while i know no one ever plans to bail on a hike, having a bail option on a loop is a good thing and reason enough to choose a different direction for the loop. i guess doing passaconaway is a bail option of not going over to rollins but having the bail option after rollins is better. boss, i am not a hard core hiker and didn't think twice about the ledges at passaconaway, they really aren't that bad in dry weather.

[thetrailboss]

I might wait to do this when I am with someone else....