Whiteface & Esther
Distance: 10 mi.
Elevation Gain: 3517'
Total Time: 7h 34 min
Whiteface: 4,865' #6
Esther: 4,239' #5
Avg Elev Gain/mi: 351.7'
Max Elev Gain/mi: 1,000' +-
TH Elevation: 1925'
Trails: Wilmington Trail, Trail from the ASRC, Unmarked trail to Esther
Moderate hike. Never overly steep in any one section But the descent from the junction of the Wilmington and ASRC trail was horrible. Loose rock the whole way down :( Knees were in pain. Beautiful forest scenery. Pretty views from Marble. The trail up Esther might as well be marked. Very well established, easy to follow. Easy ascent up Esther although the mud was horrendous. Shin deep in spots. Views from Esther were obscured by clouds but we still got a few peeks from time to time of Whiteface. The last mile up Whiteface was superb! Gorgeous scenery, views of the slides, Saranac Lake, Esther, and the High peaks in all their glory. The arete is spectacular! It's a circus on the summit though. Breaks your heart :( Mind boggling views in every direction. The best all around views of any high peak thus far. Water available in the brook down near the beginning of the ascent up Marble and up near lookout. Delicious, moss filtered springs in that area! I'd say this hike was easier than the rest excluding Cascade, but had the hardest descent. Could have been due to overall fatigue. It's a long hike. Weather was overcast too partly sunny at times. Summit of Whiteface was buffeted by 20-30 mph gusts. Temperatures were in the mid to low 40s on the summit including the wind chill. No precipitation. Mid 60s down below.
Saw a beautiful Coyote cross the orange ski trail down by the trailhead!