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Posted 02 Apr 2006 - 10:40 PM
Height: 3569"
Vertical Gain: 3500"
Round Trip 8.8 miles.
Weather: 52 at the base, 25 on the summit. Winds out of NW at 65 mph with gusts close to 90.
Route: Ascent via Baldface Circle Trail ( 3.7 miles to summit). Descent via Baldface Circle 0.5 miles to Shelter, then Eastman Mountain trail 0.7 miles to Slippery Brook Trail for 3.0 miles until it rejoins lower part of Baldface Circle Trail 0.9 miles from trailhead.
Trail Conditions: Little snow until 2 mile mark, above shelter ice and packed snow on ledges. Patchy snow on summit. Slippery Brook has patches of ice most of the way down. Brook crossings are easy, with low water levels.
Time: 2:45 up, 2:10 down.
DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS PEAK IN BAD WEATHER
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The Baldfaces are often overlooked by peakbaggers due to their relatively low elevation, but this set of peaks rises over 3000 feet above their bases, and due to a fire that burned the upper mountain over 100 years ago, the route offers over 4 miles of open ledge walking....making it comparable to doing Lafayette or the lower Presidentials. The peaks are much more remote than the more famous ranges to the west, and should not be hiked alone. In my opinion, only Adams, Huntington on Washington, and Katahdin up in Maine offer a more interesting variety of hiking terrain than a trip to the Baldfaces. This is NOT a hike to attempt in bad weather, and it has an extremely steep 900 foot pitch that ascends in the open over block ledges that can be dangerous in icy weather and unnerving to people afraid of heights. You are fully exposed to the elements above the shelter, and the danger from lightning is extreme due to the openness of the mountain.
Today was a good day to hike, with fine weather, and little snow in the lower reaches. Until the shelter, it was easy going up the moderate but relentless grade, and the winds were only 30 mph or so. The shelter is the point of no return, and above it, the woods abruptly change to evergreen and low scrub, and we encountered packed snow with ice on the ledges. The first few ledges are 30 degree slabs that rise up roughly 100 feet to reach the beginning of the step like block ledges that are this mountain's claim to fame. We had some difficulty getting on to the first slab, since ice has packed down at its base. At the top of the slabs, we began a series of hand on hand climbs over 4-5 foot minuature cliffs. Atop each one, we had to pause to see the least icy route to the next step. There are probably 25-30 of these , which took about 35 minutes. Above these, we negotiated a steeply sloping slab that curved upwards to meet the rocks that lead to the plateau below the summit. This was the most dangerous section, and we used the low scrub to keep handholds. A mistake here would mean a slide that leads over a drop of well over 200 feet.
The trail ascends the left hand side of the open face in this picture. You can see a shelf like section above the cliffs, then another 100 foot rise to the plateau above.
Here are a few of the ledges in snowier times. Each block is about 4-5 feet tall.
The plateau below the summit was totally bare of snow, but the winds had become dangerous, making standing difficult. We packed winter hiking parkas, head protection, and ice climbing gloves, which were removed from the packs and put to use. The summit is a bare dome that rises 500 feet above, and the trail ascends almost straight up. Snow was a nuisance in the scrub patches, and we fell through several times. The climb from the plateau took about 25 minutes, and when we reached the top the full force of the winds was noticeable. It was probably 70-75 sustained. Washington loomed impressively over the Carter Range, and looked very ominous towering above us with a full cover of snow. We had planned to do Washintgon today, but the winds forced us to go lower. By loooking at it, I seriously doubt anyone reached the top of that monster today.
Here is a winter view of the final 500 feet from the plateau.
This is from near the summit, looking back at the plateau and the cliff beyond that drops over the ledges.
Looking west over the Carter Moriah Range, Washington towers above those peaks.
After a few minutes the winds were making it hard to see, so we started down. The descent to the plateau was quick, and to avoid descending the ledges we decided to use the Slippery Brook Trail instead. This bypasses the dangerous ledges above the shelter. Once off the plateau, we quickly reentered the woods, and after one last rise over a lower summit that is slightly above treeline we started losing altitude fast. The snow was packed from previous hikers, and icy which made us slow down on many of the steeper pitches. 30 minutes from the plateau, we took the left hand turn to drop off the ridge on the Slippery Brook Trail.
This is a narrower trail than the Baldface Circle, and snow was still covering the trail in many sections. In the flat stretches, mud was mixed with pools of snowmelt, but not to the point of making it hazardous. 30 minutes below the ridge the snowy patches ended, and we had a fairly flat stretch with a few brook crossings that were simple due to the lack of rain recently. After a final 150 foot downhill, we reached the junction with the Circle Trail and took only 25 minutes or so to cover the past 0.9 miles.
Overall there was much less snow than expecetd, and despite the winds, the lack of snow above treeline made it easier to keep footing while facing the wind.
The Highs: Major open ledge and ridge walking. Outstanding views from the summits with new pespectives on the higher peaks to the West, Challenging mile above the hut will test even the strongest hiker, extensive alpine zone above shelter. Low crowds most of the time. Also the trailhead has toilet facilities.
The Lows: Remoteness makes it dangerous if you need immediate medical attention. Some signs are missing at the Slippery Brook Junction, and the logging roads in the first mile are easy to mistake for a trail, SEVERE frost heaves on 113 as you near the trailhead.
The Verdict: This might be the best climb under 5000 feet in the east.
