These two peaks are located on the rim of a cirque, a geological formation that resulted from the flow of multiple glaciers which converged in the center and hollowed out the land. This forms a bowl-like area at the base, which can be compared to an amphitheater in shape. In the course of this loop hike, you summit a peak on one side of the cirque, then walk around the rim of the cirque down to a peak on the other side. From the rim are gorgeous, sweeping views of the entire bowl area, and also to the peaks beyond. You are not above treeline while on the rim, but there are spots with nice outlooks along the way. This is a lengthier hike, at nearly 12 miles. Here's a map of the hike we did. I'll be honest and say that hiking out felt really, really long. At one point, we hit a river crossing, and I was pretty sure we were half a mile from the parking area, but it turned out we were more like ONE and a half miles. We did the loop to the "left" (that's how I think about things), starting on Blueberry Ledge Cutoff and summiting Whiteface first. I recommend this, as the summit of Whiteface is more open and offers better views than Passaconaway, which is just a small cairn in the trees. From the summit of Whiteface, there is a 2.3 mile "walk" along the ridge of the bowl without a ton of elevation gain or loss. It's then a 1-mile climb from the end of that stretch to the summit of Passaconaway, then about 4 miles down and back to the parking area. Passaconaway is an optional climb, adding about 2 miles to this hike, but since we are peak bagging, we decided to go for it. Today we got numbers 14 and 15 marked off our 4000 footer list. We took about 7 hours to do the whole loop. It was a very hot, humid day to do this hike, so a swim afterwards was definitely needed. We headed back over to route 16, went through Tamworth, and pulled off at the parking area next to Chocorua Lake where we all jumped in. This was a perfect end to long hike. Chocorua Lake is quiet and pristine. There's no true beach, but plenty of places to get into the water. It's The water here is very clear, there's a nice sandy bottom, and the views of Mt.Chocorua in the distance are fantastic. The temperature on this day was perfect - cool enough to be refreshing, but warm enough to be pleasant. After our swim, we headed to Hobb's Tavern. This restaurant is located on route 16 just south of Tamworth. It's very charming inside, and I would recommend it for a nice night out, but we found it to be a little bit pricey for what we got - a very simple dinner for four came to nearly $70. Everything tasted fine, but not that fine. You'll get charged $2 to add fries to a burger that costs $11, for instance, or $6 to add grilled chicken to a $9 salad. So the food was good, but not impressive for the cost. We don't eat out often and when we do, we like to choose well. This was a disappointment, though they were grubby-hiker-friendly. I think in retrospect we would have just hit the Subway across the road.
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AuthorI'm Emily. I currently work in online education management, but I also have a Masters degree in Nutritional Sciences (my true passion). In addition, I am a mom, cook, avid reader, novice gardener, and enjoy all kinds of outdoor activities. On my blog, you will find articles on food, fitness, weight management, and eating issues. ALL recipes on my blog are gluten-free. Many are low-carbohydrate. Most are grain free. Enjoy! Categories
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