| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Whiteface, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Bushwhack, Rollins Trail, Dicey's Mill Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, January 1, 2021 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
3-4 cars in the expanded Ferncroft lot when I arrived at sunrise; same number when I returned. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow - Drifts, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
This was my third attempt at a winter bushwhack of Whiteface from the eastern (Bowl) side; during my previous visits I had been turned back by water holes and undermined snow in one of the slide paths.
I entered the woods directly from the Ferncroft parking lot and bushwhacked in a NW direction, staying on USFS land and steering clear of the adjacent private property. Once I reached the Wonalancet River, I followed it most of the way into The Bowl. This trailless approach had a lot of variation, but in the end, I regretted having taken it due to the hobblebush stands and tedious sidehilling along the steep banks of the river.
From the upper river I ascended to the base of an old slide that is known for its steep headwall (sizable ice cliff in winter); after a few photos, I took to the woods and navigated around some cliff bands to try and get a better view of the slide conditions further up. After seeing the sheer ice, I decided against ascending the slide; the entire thing was a no-fall zone, and my ice axe wouldn’t have been any good for self-arrest in these conditions. So this would be entirely a spruce whack, ascending 1,390ft in 0.5 miles.
I continued up a knife-edge ridge that dead-ended at a large grove of spruce saplings. I pushed through the snow-covered spruce only to find more and more thick conifer stands. This entire area must be covered in hundreds of spruce traps when there’s higher snow levels. Today, there were only 6-8 inches of snow on the ground, and my microspikes were getting pretty good purchase.
At a point where the vegetation was so thick that I couldn’t see my lower legs, I decided to head over to the slide path to see if the going was easier there. The path was choked with blowdowns and had many water holes, so this was out of the picture, but at least there was a water source. Returning to my original route, I eventually reached more open woods at 3,500 ft.
From here to the summit it was a mix of unconsolidated snow drifts (15-20 inches) and open woods, save for the fir scrub at the top. I stumbled upon an interesting view ledge overlooking the Bowl, easily the highlight of the day.
I found no other people at the summit when I arrived, and I saw only one other person the entire day. For the descent, Rollins Trail had mostly packed powder with a few tricky ice sections (spikes worked fine), while Dicey's was a breeze.
Total bushwhacking time (car to summit) was six hours; a tiring but rewarding adventure on Whiteface. |
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 | Name: |
timbercamp |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-01-01 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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