August 28, 2022

Start/End: Ferncroft Trailhead

Peaks: Whiteface (4,020')

Elevation Gain: 2,800 ft

RT Mileage: 7.0 mi

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

After returning from Colorado on August 25, I decided to do another NH 4,000er with Mt. Whiteface, with no break from hiking in between. I wanted to do Dicey Mills/Tom Wiggin Trail up, since that's a fun Class 2, but I was quite exhausted after an active week of hiking and travel, so ended up doing the standard Blueberry Ledge Trail instead.

Arriving at the trailhead at 10:30 AM, I began making my way up. This was unfortunately another overcast day, very similar to when I had done Garfield a month earlier. The first mile and a half of the trail is a very gradual incline, allowing for fast progress. The trail steepened at 1,700 ft briefly, and even appeared more alpine with a sudden increase in coniferous vegetation, before flattening back out at 2,000 ft.

The next mile or so after the brief alpine-like region is relatively flat. At 2,900 ft, the trail steepens again and becomes a rock staircase for the next 300 vertical feet or so, before plateauing at the junction with the Tom Wiggin Trail.

The trail is steep and rocky for the last 0.2 miles above 3,700 ft. I rated this trail a Class 1, but I actually did need to use my hands a couple of times on this bit. Additionally, the trail broke into the overcast at 3,800 ft, and the rock was wet and slippery for the last 200 vertical feet.

The summit of Mt. Whiteface is wooded and wouldn't really have a view anyway, but with the clouds, it was very similar to Garfield a month earlier where the only view was a sea of white. I summited at 12:30 PM, but didn't really find it worth it to stay more than a couple of minutes, and promptly began to descend. Since the summit doesn't break treeline, it wasn't very windy up there at all, but the cloud cover alone still made it quite chilly.

On the descent, I did get an opening in the trees just below the overcast where there was sort of a view, but otherwise there wasn't anything to see. After making my way down to the bottom of the "staircase" at 2,900 ft, I was able to descend rather fast for the remaining bit. I had to slow down a little below 2,000 ft on the alpine-like area, but it didn't last long and I was again able to descend fast. And at 3:30 PM, I was back down at the Ferncroft Trailhead.