XC Ski - Connery Pond to Whiteface Leanto - 1/27/13

Today was a cold one, but it's warmer than it was a couple days ago.  I was all set to climb a high peak or two in the Adirondacks, but Leesa wasn't up for a cold start.  Most of the hikes I've got left for my winter 46 are pretty long full day hikes and she just couldn't wrap her head around the idea today.  She told me to go ahead and climb some peaks, but I wanted to spend the day with her, so we decided to go cross country skiing.  

The snow has been pretty good in the woods for most of this winter, and today was no exception.  Since I wasn't doing a long hike today, we slept in a little bit.  The ski trip we chose was Connery Pond in Lake Placid to Whiteface Landing and on to Whiteface Leanto.



The beginning of the trail is on private land with an easement



The route to Whiteface Landing is an old truck road and is an easy ski. It has a relatively flat first 1.25 miles leading to a long gentle incline for a mile, then a slight downhill for a mile to the junction with the Whiteface Brook trail.  There is no place where the incline feels like work, and the gentle incline on the way in gives a nice glide on the way out.



Whiteface Mountain from Connery Pond... on a clear day!



With a nice day like we had today, and with the leaves down, you can get nice views of Whiteface from Connery Pond and from Whiteface Landing (if you can go out on the ice on Lake Placid).





The Connery Pond Truck Road

We could tell the Connery Pond trail gets a lot of use from XC skiers, and with good reason.  It is a trail that all abilities can enjoy.  Advance skiers can ski for speed and training, while beginners and intermediate skiers can enjoy the woods and gentle grade without having to concentrate on difficult terrain.

Junction of the Connery Pond Truck Trail with the Whiteface Brook Trail

We reached Whiteface Landing in about an hour and 15 minutes.  We decided to continue on and ski to Whitface Leanto on the Whiteface Brook trail.  The terrain remains gentle until the leanto with only one creek crossing and one creek embankment that I had to sidestep down.  The creek was frozen over so I was able to cross it on skis.



Whiteface Brook Trail

The leanto sits aways from the brook, but is in a nice clearing.  This was our turn around point.  From the leanto, it is a steep climb of about 2800' in 2.4 miles.  It would be fun to ski to the leanto, then snowshoe to the summit, return to the leanto and ski out.  The total trip in that case would be about 13 miles.  On this day, our 9 mile ski trip would be enough for us.



Whiteface Brook Leanto

It was 12 degrees Fahrenheit when we started out, and it warmed to 20 by the time we got back to the car.  Winds were light and the sky was blue.  I was warm enough with just 2 techwick shirts on my upper body and a pair of ski pants.  I had my coat in case I needed it, but it didn't come out of the pack.





The Whiteface Brook trail was nicely packed from snowshoers

We saw 5 other groups out during the day, but we were the only ones who went past Whiteface Landing to the Whiteface Brook Leanto.

heading towards the leanto

If you are looking for a nice novice level ski trail, this is a good one to consider.  It is perhaps an intermediate level once beyond Whiteface Landing on the trail to the leanto.  I missed not climbing a peak today, but XC skiing in good snow conditions is always a good alternate.



Whiteface Mountain from Whiteface Landing on Lake Placid

A closer look at Whiteface

Lake Placid

Leesa and Rev on Lake Placid

Ski Stats:

Distance:  9.1 miles

Skiing Time:  3-4 hours

Total Vertical Gain:  ~ 800'



Our route shown in blue (click image to enlarge)



A look from Google Earth

and a Topo

Part Two of my Favorite Photos of 2012

Here is Part Two of my favorite photos of 2012.  Again, they are in no particular order, although I think I have more favorites in Part One.  Thanks for looking!

Climbing Mount Defiance in the rain, Snoqualmie National Forest - 10/14 12... almost looks like a Hudson River School artist painting

On the way to Granite Mountain - Snoqualmie National Forest 10/13/12

XC Skiing to Stephens Pond near Lake Durant & Blue Mountain Lake - 12/30/12

Footbridge over Diamond Brook - 11th Mountain to E. Branch Sacandaga River, Siamese Ponds Wilderness - 12/30/12

Wenatchee River, Leavenworth, WA - Icicle Ridge in the background -10/15/12

Puffer Pond (just east of Indian Lake, NY)  - 9/2/12

Camping at our secret wilderness spot! - 8/31/12

Bushwhack hike  - View from a false summit on Wyman Mountain - Dix Wilderness Area - 10/8/12 

Glorious Fall!  - 9/16/12

Have to have an ocean picture ... Biddeford, ME - 9/18/12

Favorite street photo - Leavenworth, WA - 1-/15/12

Dubious foot bridge on Lake Jimmy while on the way to Mount Allen - 6/8/12 (5:16 AM) - I made it safely across! 

Opalescent River near Flowed Lands, while on the way to Cliff Mountain and Mount Redfield - 6/1/12

A trail companion while on the way to Gothics and Armstrong - 3/11/12

A great blue heron in my back yard! - 6/7/12

Little Porter, Keene Valley, NY in the early morning clouds (this photo was actually New Year's Day 1/1/13, but I'll include it here)

Early season rime ice - McKenzie Mountain - 11/10/12

Favorite Photos of 2012

Time to show my favorite photos of 2012.  I tried not to just pick ones with natural beauty, but those that had some intrinsic artistic quality.  I couldn't narrow these down to a manageable number for one post, so watch for Part Two for the remainder.  They are in no particular order.  Let me know your favorites!

[Edit - Sorry to those that left comments on this blog post earlier (Penobscot Paddles, Linda W., Jeff F.), I accidentally deleted the post while creating Part Two, so I had to reproduce it here and I lost your comments... my apologies).

Sunrise as seen from my desk at work!  - 6:07 AM - 3/20/12

Mount Haystack and the Great Range as seen from Schofield Cobbles on Mount Marcy, just after I finished  by ADK High Peaks on Mount Skylight 7/8/12

Looking towards Wright Peak from Algonquin - 6/24/12

Mount Marcy on the left, as seen from Mount Skylight - 7/8/12

Footbridge over the E. Branch Sacandaga River, Botheration Trail - 12/28/12

Dog River Trail, just east of Mount Hood, OR - 10/21/12

Dix Mountain from Nippletop - 2/4/12 (This is perhaps my favorite photo of 2012.  It  was about 10-:30 in the morning on the summit, and I had the mountain to myself on a great day)

Lake Placid from McKenzie Mountain - 11/10/12

West Arlington Covered Bridge and the Battenkill River, W. Arlington, VT -  6/10/12

Schroon River at the mouth of Schroon Lake - 9/21/12 (Me in the background)  Photo courtesy of Bob Van Hise

Lake George from  First Mountain - 11/22/12

Mount Hood from Route 35 - 10/21/12

Lake Vivian - Enchantment Lakes, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA - 10/17/12

Sunrise atSnow Lake - Enchantment Lakes, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA - 10/17/12

Snow Lake - Enchantment Lakes, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA - 10/17/12

Leesa on climbing Mount St. Helens - 10/20/12

Leesa on climbing Mount St. Helens - 10/20/12

Leesa on climbing Mount St. Helens - 10/20/12

Ptarmigan Trail to Mount St. Helens from Climbers Bivouac - 10/20/12

An old shed on the trail from "The Garden" in Keene Valley to Little Porter Mountain -  1/1/13