| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Whiteface, Mt. Passaconaway, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Blueberry Ledge Trail, Rollins Trail, Dicey's Mill Trail |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, February 11, 2024 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The parking lot was nearly full; lots of cross-country skiers going for the nearby trails. There is no parking allowed along the road, so plan accordingly. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The double-log crossing on Dicey’s Mill was doable in snowshoes |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
|
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Our two dogs did well. They needed a boost up some of the icy ledges, and they were stumbling in the postholes. |
|
 | Bugs: |
Tons of snow fleas |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
|
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
The entire loop was wrecked by post-holers over the warm weekend (I imagine it’s a similar situation throughout the Whites). We wore snowshoes door-to-door in the mashed-potato conditions, which kept us from falling into the 12-inch-deep postholes, but our dogs weren’t so lucky.
We did the loop clockwise, which I would recommend. I think it’s much easier/safer in these conditions to go up the steep, icy Blueberry Ledge trail than to descend. The ice was manageable in aggressive mountaineering snowshoes; we brought crampons just in case, but managed without them. I was on hands and knees at one point on the icy rocks, and did a steep bushwhack around the most sketchy part. Aside from the exposed ledges, parts of the trail were steep and icy from those who previously glissaded down. Again, our aggressive snowshoes with televators came in handy. I would not plan on glissading down in these conditions, with all the postholes and ice and exposed rocks and roots (but in some spots, descending hikers obviously had no choice).
The spur trail to Passaconway was steep and icy from people previously glissading down, though conditions are too treacherous to use that option now, so you want good traction. Descending Dicey’s Mill trail was the way to go; it was chewed up with postholes, but never very steep. There’s the one water crossing where you have to balance on a log, which was tricky but doable in snowshoes.
We did the 12 miles in about 9 hours, moving at a moderate pace with a few snack breaks. No doubt the snow has solidified with the colder temperatures, but I would still recommend aggressive snowshoes to avoid the postholes and have solid traction on the steep parts. |
|
 | Name: |
Liz Medford |
|
 | E-Mail: |
www.instagram.com/_lizexplores |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2024-02-14 |
|
 | Link: |
 https://www.lizexplores.com |
|
|
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. |
|
