Mt. Whiteface - blubery ledge trail

[smithtim]

Does anybody know how the conditions are on these trails generally in winter ( or any recent trip reports).... are they well traveled & maintained in winter, or will it be more of a non marked / bushwack trail?

Also is it a challenging trail, or possible gully climbs? in that "Bowl natural area" I see on the map which appears to have pretty close together grid lines

thank you in advacne, Tim

[KD Talbot]

There are a couple of tricky scrambles on the trail, but nothing unusual. There is more ice than snow there right now.

From the 27th, but doesn't include Blueberry:

http://www.newenglandtrailconditions...p?entryid=3222

As I recall the trail is well marked and pretty easy to follow without snow, with deep snow all bets are off. It is well traveled in winter, though. It is steep in spots, but no gully climbs and doesn't really enter The Bowl area. A neat view north with Washington in the saddle between Whiteface and Passaconaway can be seen from the ledges in good weather.

KDT

[krummholz]

The only "questionable" part of the route is up the steep ledges not far below the summit. I have fond memories of a trip up there in mid-winter when we all had our snowshoes on, and Pete, our lead hiker, kept going backwards rather than forwards on those ledges. "Pete! Just think up! Not down, up!" we were shouting at him as he kept slithering down on steep icy granite. I think it might actually be easier this time of year--the snowshoes are nearly worthless in places like that, and you would have crampons or microspikes (just to beat a dead horse that I've already beaten here, sometimes crampons are what's really needed and microspikes are inadequate).

[smithtim]

thanks for the good info... sounds like a good hike I can fit as a day trip & not so far of a drive from Boston

Thanks again, tim

[nailerguy]

Are mountain bikes allowed on this trail?

[mahony]

You don't really get into the Natural Bowl part of the area on the Blueberry Ridge Trail up to the old fire tower location near the old summit of Mt. Whiteface. The trail up to the true summit will get fairly deep snow and is a bit tough to follow late in the snow season (or after lots of snow), but it sounds like you want to hit the former fire tower location and get the views and whatnot. The Rollins Trail runs from Whiteface to Passaconaway (around the bowl) and that gets buried in snow.

In general the ledges up to Whiteface are South facing so they clear off and melt pretty well. They are also pretty well traveled and easy to follow though the sections over the open ledges may be a little harder to see in snow.

[greenwithamy]

This sounds like a good trial for someone who has not done much Hiking? Would you recommend this for my family?

Thanks,
Amy

[mahony]

It is a great trail for new hikers....except for the rock section near the first top. If you are talking wet, snowy or icy then not recommended. On a nice day with people who don't mind a little bit of rock scramble then you are probably good to go.

When I did it with my wife (who likes to hike, but keeps it tame) we went up the scramble, but she preferred to hike the long way around the Bowl and down Dicey's Mill Trail rather than scramble down the rock section again. Dog had no trouble either way.

[lecrawford]

I'm a new hiker for this area and there were some very steep ledges in the upper sections and in one place there was considerable exposure where a slip could easily cost you your life. I have never seen a trail like this in the White Mountains before.