We took our time ascending the scenic ridecrest, taking in the views of the distant high peaks, the ski area below, and the distant Green Mountains to the east. A layer of cloud covered the waters of distant Lake Champlain.
We arrived at the summit of Whiteface shortly after 10am. Pretty good, really - less than three hours from start to summit, with plenty of picture stops. It was a perfect time to be up here: mostly clear, no wind, and suprisingly not that cold any longer.
Recent weather had covered everything on the summit in snow. Not your standard-issue fluffy white dry stuff; instead, everything was coated with snow that was kind of like a hard foam or plaster- thick and tough, and it stuck to surfaces of any angle. The walls of the round weather observation tower had a many-inches thick layer of the stuff all over it; the summit sign, boardwalk railings, and observation binoculars had probably hundreds of pounds of it encrusted all over them. Probably tough on the materials, but kind of pretty to look at.
We spent a fair bit of time in the welcoming conditions on the summit, snapping summit sign pictures and taking a short break in general. The first and easiest part of our day's journey was complete.
courtesy JInnes
Rare Adirondack Snow Mushroom
Whiteface Summit Facility
Snow-encrusted summit buildings
