Mt. Whiteface and Mt. Passaconaway, September 11, 2004
In addition to this being the first clear Saturday in two weeks, I enjoyed the luxury of being chauffeured by cycling buddy Jon. The usual pre-dawn departure got us walking towards the mountain just after 8:00. Whiteface is a pretty ramble throught the woods with an occasional lookout, and then, right near the top, you go straight up over some interesting ledges, and the views to the south, east, and norteast become outstanding. An easy ridge connects Whiteface with Passaconaway, and except for a little push at the end, Passaconaway is a pushover. The peak has no views, but a ledge just below the peak gives you a glimpse to the east and northeast. A perfect day for hiking, and I think Jon might be infected with a little peak-bagging bug. Stats: 11.9 miles, 3900 feet of vertical, 7 hrs. 15 min.
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Mt. Whiteface, with its south-facing cliffs just visible near the top. |
| A steep part of the trail up Whiteface |  |
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Jon
looking pretty GQ near the top of Mt. Whiteface
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| Happy to be on top (actually, technically, very near the top) |  |
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A glimpse of Mt. Washington to the north |
| Next up: Mt. Passaconaway, about four miles off |  |
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Some
views along the trail: on the left, the bumpy part of the trail on Passaconaway;
on the right, a trillium (Trillium erectum?) fruiting
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