Mount Whiteface in New Hampshire

At the beginning of November, we went hiking in Mount Whiteface area in White mountains, New Hampshire. 

Whiteface

Whiteface

Now daytime is getting shorter and shorter, so we had to leave Boston around 5 a.m. in the dark to start hiking early. We did a loop including Mount Whiteface, 12 miles with +/-4380 feet. To the top to the Whiteface is only 3 miles from the trailhead with 2800 feet elevation gain via blueberry ridge trail. It was a nice sunny day and blue sky with sun and clouds are beautiful (left pictures). The objects on the sky made an attractive 3D structure. 

Then the trail continues to the next viewpoint. This one doesn't have a mountain name, but there is a view. To the viewpoint is a spur of 0.2 mile. There is 200 feet elevation loss in the 0.2 mile, so it was kind of steep. I was thinking, "Ah I will have to climb up this to go back, I hope it was a good view to worth descending/ascending."

Viewpoint

Well, view was good actually, but it was very windy, so I sat down along the bush and ate some snacks: banana and M&M chocolates. 

On this hike I tried a new pair of shoes. Lonepeak 4 from Altra. I have wide feet, so I had been looking for good shoes for wide feet. When I was at a great outdoor shop in Pindale, Wyoming after finishing backpacking in Wind River range, I found a nice pair of trail running shoes. They looked good for wide feet. I couldn't buy them there since I was on travel, so I took a picture and I bought at REI after I came back home.

I didn't get extremely excited, but I didn't have any problem with the new shoes for 12 miles with +/- 4000 feet. That is a good sign. The good thing about Altra Lone Peak shoes are waterproof. Not many trail running shoes are waterproof. They are more designed to be breathable with mesh. 

Hiking with trail running shoes are new to me. I don't know it is good, but I found that sturdy hiking shoes are too sturdy and heavy for me sometimes, especially for multiple day backpacking. Trail running shoes should be good for being on trail, and they are lighter than hiking shoes. Maybe stability is less good than hiking shoes, but I will see. 

dusk

Due to the very rocky terrain with short day time, the last mile was a little light. It was pretty at dusk in the forest. Nobody was hiking at dusk, so it was very peaceful. 

Moon

As sun set, the moon rose. It was half moon. Moon between trees at dusk was beautiful. 

１１月の初めにニューハンプシャー州ホワイトマウンテンにあるマウントホワイトフェースへハイキングへ出かけた。

今回は１９キロのループで、高低差は１３１０メートル。

１１月ともなると日が短いのでハイキングに行くとなると朝早く出発しなければならない。今回も約５時にはボストンを出発。

トレイルヘッドから約５キロ、ブルーベリーリッジ トレイルを歩くともう頂上に着いた。ここまでは８５０メートルの登り。なかなかの眺めだった。この日はよく晴れた土曜日で青空と雲と太陽が魅惑的な立体感を出していた。

さらに５キロほど歩くと山の名前はないのだがビューポイントがある。そこまで行くのにはスパートレイルで６１メートル降らなければならないので、行く価値があるかどうか迷ったが（行ったらそのぶん登りで元の場所に戻って来ないといけないので）、せっかく来たのでチェックすることにした。眺めはものすごくよかった。ニューハンプシャーの連なる山々を一気に見渡すことができるのだ。しかし風が非常に強くブッシュの脇で風を避けながらチョコレートとバナナを食べた。

今回のハイクでは新しい靴を試してみた。 アルトラのLonepeak 4。トレイルシューズだ。私は足の幅が広く、幅広の靴を探していてこのモデルを見つけた。トレイルシューズはメッシュのものが多くなかなかウォータープルーフのものが見つからないのだがこれはウォータープルーフ。特に１９キロの工程で問題は無かった。後何回か使ってみて判断したいと思う。

日が短くなって最後の２キロは少し薄暗い中を歩いた。その時間の森はとても静かで美しい。 日が沈んでいき、月が昇ってきた。周りには誰一人おらず静かで美しい時間だった。