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Franconia, NH, Lincoln, NH
Trailheads, measurements, times, distances, and maps are all approximate and relative to the hike(s) as shown below.
Looking up the Old Bridle Path
Though I had hiked the main peaks of the Franconia Ridge many times before, I had never done a sizable traverse of the ridge. After spotting a car at the Basin, we pulled into a windy and cloudy Lafayette Place - not exactly welcoming for a long hike! Nonetheless, we geared up and were off.
As we climbed the hard packed Old Bridle Path, we could see the clouds overhead starting to move out. While the winds were howling, the forecast showed them diminishing as the day continued - no need to rush to the summit! Arriving at the hut, Mt. Lafayette was just starting to come into the clear. Since it was cold and the winds were whipping, we took our time gearing up for bitter winter conditions.
Clearing treeline, we were hit by somewhat strong winds - fairly cold, however not powerful enough to knock one over. As we neared the summit, the wind speeds became more tolerable. The views from the top were tremendous - the Presidentials were in the clear, the sky was blue, and the Green Mountains and their ski areas were visible to the naked eye to the west.
Our next stop was Mt. Truman. Perhaps the strongest winds of the day were felt as we neared the peak - it was certainly a balancing act! While we were wearing snowshoes, crampons probably would have been a better option for the combination of ice and rocks we were often dealing with.
After passing over a particularly icy little scramble, we were soon on Mt. Lincoln. Unlike the previous two peaks, the winds on the top weren't too bad. With lunch on the mind, we continued south, stopping behind a nice rock formation for food.
After lunch, we reached Little Haystack and were soon on the next leg of the hike - the below treeline stretch of the Franconia Ridge Trail. While the trail was broken out, dealing with spruce branches in the face grew a bit old after awhile. Nonetheless, we continued on and were eventually at the Liberty Spring junction.
After passing the junction, we soon emerged from the trees on Mt. Liberty - due to the change in wind speeds and the lower elevation, it was a rather pleasant place to be. The views were excellent as well - the Vermont peaks were still easily seen, while the Pemi peaks were starting to cast late afternoon shadows.
Our second to last peak of the day was Mt. Flume. The ascent from the col was certainly a bit of a workout at the end of the day, but the views were once again worth it. Since we were racing against time, we didn't loiter for long.
Our final peak of the day was a repeat of Mt. Liberty. After the taxing slog out of the col back to Liberty, we summitted just in time to see some beautiful sunset colors along the western horizon. Particularly interesting was an optical illusion of sorts - one of the peaks in Vermont looked like it had a large, flat object floating on it - likely a function of pressure, moisture, and some other meteorological stuff I know nothing about.
The descent went smoothly - though the moon was very much crescent, it provided enough light for us to reach the Flume Slide junction without using headlamps.
Reaching the sharp turn below the Flume Slide Trail junction, we bushwhacked down to the bike path, thus saving some time and distance. As we neared the Basin parking lot, we saw flashing lights approaching - apparently it was snowmobile trail grooming time! Rather than jump off the path into the deep snow, we raced ahead, reaching the parking lot just before the snowcat caught up.
A long but very rewarding day!
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The Old Bridle Path trailhead at Lafayette Place
Looking at the Presidentials from the Mt. Lafayette summit
Looking down the Franconia Ridge Trail on the way to Mt. Truman
Looking at the Kinsman Ridge from the Mt. Truman summit
Looking up the Franconia Ridge Trail on the way to Mt. Lincoln
Looking at the Presidentials, Bonds, and Owl's Head from Mt. Lincoln
The Franconia Ridge Trail between Mt. Lincoln and Little Haystack
Looking at Mt. Lincoln from near the summit of Little Haystack Mountain
Looking down the Franconia Ridge Trail on the way to Mt. Liberty
Looking at the Franconia Ridge, Mt. Garfield, and the Twins from Mt. Liberty
The Franconia Ridge Trail between Mt. Liberty and Mt. Flume
Looking at Mt. Carrigain from Mt. Flume
Sunset colors as seen from Mt. Liberty
Back to Mt. Lafayette Profile
Back to Mt. Truman Profile
Back to Mt. Lincoln Profile
Back to Little Haystack Mountain Profile
Back to Mt. Liberty Profile
Back to Mt. Flume Profile
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