Day 5 - Whiteface

We actually set an alarm this morning because we wanted to get into Lake Placid at a reasonable time and after yesterday's rough climbing and descending, we knew it was going to be a slow day. Heading out at the break of dawn we started the first part of a 3000 foot climb by following and old abandoned rocky ski lift up Marble Mountain. It was cloudy at the top as the sun started to peak through when we then continued climbing up the ridge around Esther Mountain. 

Around 2500' elevation is when patches of snow and ice started to appear on trail slowing us down for short bursts. The climbing got steeper and the trail grew wet, rocky, and muddy with more frequent ice and snow nestled between and over every rock. Large sections of trail were flooded with icy snowmelt water up to your calves.

Since we hit the trail early both of us only portholes every so often but usually up to the knee. When we got closer to the wall of the Whiteface Highway, the snow was at least three or four feet deep at a sharp angle but holding the stone wall as we hiked our way up along side of it made it easy. Popping out at the highway there is a big rock scramble you have to climb to back onto the trail and we immediately hit steep snow. Trees came in handy big time to keep leverage as we went towards the top. When the trees cleared so did the snow and we got a quick relief from the snow and shot of the top of Whiteface and hiked up to the summit.

the summit was hazy and cloudy and it began to drizzle as we were up there. Very sketchy clouds were headed this way and we didn't waste time heading down. The first part of the decent was rock scramble as the rain got harder but let up after a short time. When we got into the woods the trail was REALLY steep with lots of wet/icy exposed rock and snow and all the nice things you want to take it extra carefully on. The first good bit of going down was fun and exciting but after having to focus so hard on not falling and really hurting yourself for hours, it got old fast. Grabbing trees and limbs and trusting them to keep you from falling strait down on very slippery ice was only enjoyable the first few times before it got frustrating but a bit of dehydration and hunger will do that to you. When the trail finally evened out it was a easy hike out along a old truck path which lead to Rt. 86. A local drove by us and came back to give us a ride into town. He drove us to the grocery store first so we didn't have to run errands once we hit the hotel, he understood us at a level we greatly appreciated. Stocked up on ice cream and crappy microwaved food we were ready to binge watch crappy tevelvison for the night and will hit the trail tomorrow. My phone died this morning so I have no pictures for the day but Spins does over on Spins Blog.