As indicated in my previous Blog report about a
"Mini-Pemi Adventure" (click HERE to read that report), I've fallen far
behind in filing reports about my recent hikes.
In an attempt to catch up, I'm trying to be selective and only post
hikes which I think might be of interest.
Perhaps a few readers will find something of value in the following
narrative and photos about a traverse of Whitewall Mountain.
Many times over the years I've visited the massive ledge
complex at the south end of Whitewall Mountain.
However, since I'm indifferent about peak-bagging, none of my visits
have included a trek to the actual summit of Whitewall Mountain! Furthermore, I've never approached the ledges
from the north. Instead, I've come in
from the south and then climbed the east side of the mountain to reach the
ledges. And on one occasion, I accessed
these ledges via a steep and slippery approach by going up a slide on the west
side of the mountain.
So, in my quest to try doing something new and different
on each of my hikes, I opted to use a north to south approach route, which
would be new for me. In addition, I also
decided to incorporate a visit to the actual summit of Whitewall; yet another
first for me!
On the map that is shown below, my route is highlighted
in pink. I roughly guesstimate that the
entire trek was about 9.6 miles round-trip.
Map showing my round-trip route
The bushwhack up the north face of the mountain was
okay. It was never overly steep. The only annoyance was the occasional patch of
thick hobble bush. However, this minor
irritation was lessened by a beautiful white birch forest surrounding me in all
directions.
(Please note that you can get an enhanced view of any photo in this report by clicking on it.)
Hobble bush and birch forest
As an antidote to the hobble bush component (on both the
trek up the mountain, as well as the descent) there were huge patches of forest
which consisted of a delightful combination of fern and white birch. For me, it is pure glee to bushwhack in this
type of woods.
Fern and birch forest
Moose also take delight in a forest consisting of birch,
hobble bush and fern. At many points
along my route, I came across depressions in the ground-cover, such as shown in
the next photo. My assumption is that
these were spots where moose bedded down for the night.
Possible bedding spot for moose
At one point, I actually spotted a moose off in the
distance who appeared to be warily watching me.
Very quietly and slowly, I pulled out my camera and was able to get one
zoomed snapshot. But literally in the
blink of an eye, the moose disappeared into the forest. I'm always amazed at how something the size of a
horse, can simply vanish, and usually without making a sound!
Moose watching me from afar
Upon arrival at the true summit of Whitewall, I signed
the log book and then headed for a nearby ledge where I was pleasantly
surprised to find such nice views. This
little ledge provided some vistas which I think are superior to those from the
massive ledges at the south end of Whitewall.
Specifically, I'm talking about views of the Willey Range, as well as
views of Stairs Mountain, and peaks in the Montalban Range (Stairs, Resolution,
Crawford).
View of Willey Range from ledge near summit of Whitewall
Mountain
View of Stairs, Resolution, Crawford from ledge near
summit of Whitewall Mountain
There was also a nice preview of the Carrigain Notch
vista from this little ledge. However, I
knew that a more expansive view of this feature awaited me at the ledges
on the south end of the mountain.
Carrigain Notch from ledge near summit of Whitewall
Mountain
After soaking in the views from the little ledge near
Whitewall's summit, it was time to move on to the star attraction, i.e. the
massive ledge complex at the south end.
It is always such a thrill for me to pop out onto these open
shelves of rock. The next photo shows
the view that greeted me upon arrival.
Carrigain Notch area, as viewed from ledges on south end
of Whitewall Mountain
By moving to another spot on this massive ledge complex,
I was treated to a vista which included Shoal Pond, as well as the Carrigain Notch.
Shoal Pond plus Carrigain Notch, as viewed from ledges on
south end of Whitewall Mountain
Another view that I particularly enjoy from the Whitewall
ledges is the vista looking westward, which is shown in the next photo. It begins with Mt. Guyot on the far left, and
ends with Zeacliff on the right side of the picture. Unfortunately, dark clouds overhead cast a
shadow on this view.
Mt. Guyot (left) to Zeacliff (right), as seen from ledges
on south end of Whitewall Mountain
The massive Whitewall ledges also include eastward views,
such as peaks in the Willey Range and Montalban Range. However, I've already
presented photos of these mountain ranges, as viewed from the tiny ledge near
Whitewall's summit.
Eventually, the time came when I needed to descend
Whitewall and head for home. Rather than descend the precipitous ledges on the south end of the mountain, I
backtracked northward for about a tenth of a mile in order to
reach a spot where I knew it would be easy to get down off the mountain. After descending the steeper parts of Whitewall's east
face, I basically headed due south to intersect the Ethan Pond Trail at a point
just slightly west of the Thoreau Falls Trail. Then, once I was on the Ethan Pond Trail, it was straight shot back to the
trailhead where I had begun!
On the return leg of my journey, I took a
snapshot looking up at the massive cliff on the west side of Whitewall
Mountain.
Massive cliff on the west side of Whitewall Mountain
And, I also stopped to take a snapshot of the picturesque
wooden bridge at the north end of the beaver ponds on the Zealand Trail. Once I'm at this point along the trail, I
know it will only be about 30 minutes before I'll be sitting in my car and
headed for home!
Wooden bridge at north end of the beaver ponds on the
Zealand Trail
To sum it up,
gheez what a trip! I visited the actual
summit of Whitewall Mountain for the very first time, and I used an approach
route that was different from my previous treks to the ledges on the south end
of the mountain. Oh! And I had the rare
privilege of seeing a moose in the wild, even though it was only for a brief
moment! And last, but not least, it was
a true pleasure to bushwhack through such lovely birch glades.
6 comments:
Fantastic report, John - what a great traverse! Those birch glades are marvelous, and thye Pemi views can't be beat. Wow!
Steve
Thanks Steve for such generous and kind remarks! I thought about you while trekking through the glades of fern and birch, knowing that you and I share the feeling that this is bushwhacking nirvana! :-)
John
Very cool that you got see a moose! Very interesting trip, too, since I've seen Whitewall from various vantage points, and knew that it would have to be a bushwhack to get up there. Maybe someday! The pictures are great, as always.
Hi Summerset,
It is indeed a “hiking-treat” when you spot large wildlife, such as moose, bears, etc. What’s even more special to me are those rare occasions when I’m able to get a snapshot. More often than not, the animal is gone before I can get my camera turned on!
Everyone is different, but it wouldn’t surprise me if you eventually incorporate bushwhacking into your hiking repertoire. You’re adventuresome and you’re a strong hiker, which are good qualities to have for off-trail adventures.
John
The fern and birch forest is stunning! Seeing a moose in the wild is a special treat too.
On your hikes you always manage to find something interesting and unique to report on and this post is no exception. I love the view from the ledges, and that wooden bridge across the beaver ponds...your photo makes me want to walk right into that scene!
Rita
Hi Rita,
As always, your comments are greatly appreciated!
I'm especially delighted to read that you apparently are as attracted to that wooden bridge as I am! It has a certain “je ne sais quoi” quality about it which I find very appealing.
John
Post a Comment