Franconia Ridge

Distance: 8 miles  Time: 5:50  Elevation Gain: 3800ft
All photos


The Franconia Ridge Trail traverses the ridgeline of three 4000ft peaks, all above the treeline, providing some of the best views in New England. Personally, it is the most spectacular, challenging hike I've done yet.

Franconia Ridge Trail

The classic ridgeline loop hike starts at the Lafayette Campground in the Franconia State Park just North of Lincoln. The Old Bridle Path climbs three miles to the Greenleaf Trail, which takes you to the top of Mt. Lafayette. From there you take the Franconia Ridge Trail over Mt. Lincoln and then to Little Haystack Mountain. You then take the Falling Waters Trail back down to the campground.

Admiring the view from Mt. Lincoln (I think)

At the trail head were two women who were doing the above loop in reverse and suggested I do the same if I wished to avoid the steep rocky descents on the Falling Waters Trail. I was easily convinced, so I followed behind them.

Waterfall along the Falling Waters Trail

The Falling Waters Trail is a maze of broad, steep rocks and stream crossings, following the ascent of a waterfall, shifting one side to the other with the trail designer's whim. The footing is tricky but manageable until I meet a possible spawn of yesterday's barrier rock and must climb or retreat (okay, it was a neonate, but still...). I had dropped the women hikers a while ago and the other groups I had passed were far back enough not to witness my embarrassing attempts over the rock.

Looking down on the evil rock

 To the right of the rock was a dead tree, which when tugged hard, nearly came down, but it was the only source of traction I could find. So I used it to get half way up the rock, hoping it wouldn't give out under my feet, but I was still a few inches from another tree that I would need to grab to get up the rest of the way. I jumped a little to reach it, missed, and slid back down the rock, bloodying my knee and scraping away skin. I tried again and got it, using all the strength in my feeble biceps to pull myself up the rest of the way.

Trail crosses the waterfall

After a couple more stream crossings (one a full-fledged waterfall crossing), the waters fell back and the trail began to climb in earnest. It was still extremely rocky and required using hands some of the time, but my feet were dry. I was having a blast.

I see light! Approaching the end of the Falling Waters Trail

But all good things must come to an end, and sometimes something even better succeeds it. In this case, about 5000 feet better.  I knew I was nearing the end of the Falling Waters Trail and approaching the first summit because I saw light coming from above, but the trail kept climbing and climbing.

Almost to the first summit!

When I was able to finally stick my ahead out of the trees, what I saw and felt was a shock. After hours in the forest with little clue about what existed around me I was presented with the pile of steep rocks that is Little Haystack Mountain, and 25-30 mile per hour sustained winds.

Someone emerging from the Falling Waters Trail

 

From Little Haystack Mountain, 4800 ft.

From there it was just a short climb to the top at 4800ft, but I was so giddy it make the trek difficult. Also the wind gusts required that I stay close to the ground lest I get knocked right off. 

When I finally made it, I found several groups of people nestled in the nooks on the other side trying to escape the wind. I just wanted to stand on top and absorb it. Immediately my hands were freezing. With the wind chill it was about 45 degrees but it felt much colder. Strangely nothing else felt cold, even though I was wearing shorts.

Climbing one of the other peaks

Next was Mt. Lincoln at 5089ft, then Mt. Lafayette at 5259ft. Climbing up and down these peaks along the ridgeline was completely ridiculous. Stunning, amazing, but crazy. The wind gusts had to top 40-50mph, and catching one at the wrong time could send you plunging off into the valley. Holy crap was it great though!

Top of Mt. Lafayette (5259ft)

Climbing down Mt. Lafayette was not as great. It was pretty scary at times near the top where the wind was still gusting heartily and I was trying to not fall down the long cascade of rocks that sweeps you to the bottom.

I could really use a sled here

At the bottom of Mt. Lafayette, before starting the final descent is an AMC hut -- I finally get to see one! This one is immaculate with clean bathrooms, free coffee, a full kitchen and rooms of bunk-cots for overnighters.

AMC Hut

The top stretch of the Old Bridle Trail is just as rocky and difficult as the previous trails and my feet are killing me. It's definitely not an improvement over the Falling Waters Trail as I had been instructed. After about a mile; however, the trail smooths out a bit and by the last mile it's nothing more than a nice stroll through the woods. Thank you Sue.

I was just up there! Looking up at the Franconia Ridge Trail from Old Bridle Path

Welch-Dickey Loop

More photos of Welch-Dickey Loop

It started raining mid-afternoon on Friday, continued through the night, and was forecast to clear up Saturday afternoon. When I woke it was overcast but not raining. Unsure what to expect with the fickle weather here, I decided to take a drive instead of risking a storm on a mountain ledge somewhere.

Scenic overlook on Kancamagus Highway, around 2400 ft.

Conway is a little over an hour Northeast of Campton and is the choice destination for White Mountain tourists. I had originally planned to stay there but couldn't find a campground for under $900 per month -- pretty steep for a patch of grass and 30amps. I'm glad it didn't work out.

It's Laconia Bike Week -- They are everywhere!

Because there's a few mountain ranges between the two towns, the most direct route is the Kancamagus Highway, a 34-mile scenic byway through the White Mountains, not unlike the Blue Ridge Parkway. Shortly after I left the sky cleared and it was a beautiful, sunny drive up through the mountains.

The rocky summit of Welch Mountain

The congestion in Conway immediately aggravated me so I turned around and headed home so I could retrieve my hiking gear and find a trail. Right around the corner from the campground is the Welch-Dickey Loop, a four-mile round trip that cross that crosses two rocky summits.

View from Welch Mountain (2605 ft)

The trail begins in the forest and climbs gently first to the rocky ledge of Welch Mountain, which provides stunning views of Waterville Valley and the surrounding mountains. Here the trail continues up and around the rocky face of the mountain, which was fun to climb, initially. Then I reached a point that climbed very steeply up the rock face, unnavigable to me (and I imagine a few others).

Much scarier going back down!

At the base of the rock was a trail marker so I knew I was at the right place, but did they really expect people to scale this rock? Yes, the trail did in fact ascend the crag and continue down the other side, but instead I returned to the trail head the way I came, defeated by yet another personal impasse.

The crag that bagged me

 More photos of Welch-Dickey Loop

Lonesome Lake

More photos of Lonesome Lake

It's only Wednesday but after a two weekend hiatus from hiking I was experiencing serious withdrawal. A weekend of driving followed by one of rain in a new town with new mountains to climb creates anxiety that can only be alleviated on the trail.

Franconia Mountains, as seen from the highway while waiting for traffic -- Not a bad view!

Actually, today is not my first hike here. Friday I hiked a few miles through some woods close by but it was flat and there were no views unless you like trees. Trees can be nice, but the hike did not satiate me in the least. So when I woke up to pouring rain on Saturday, and then again on Sunday, and then again on Monday, and then again on Tuesday ... well you can see why I needed an afternoon outdoors playing hooky.

From the Lafayette Campground

Lonesome Lake is in the Franconia range near Lincoln, NH, about 20 miles North of Campton. This is where the mountains really start on the Western side of the Whites. It's a short, steady climb (950 ft and about 3 miles round trip), a nice trail for mid-afternoon. The trail starts at Lafayette Campground in Franconia Notch State Park, and is part of the Appalachian Trail.

Lonesome Lake, at the end of the trail

One of the things that has fascinated me about the AT is the trail support and maintenance provided by volunteer AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) members. AMC huts are scattered along the entire 2000 miles of trail from Maine to Georgia for thru hikers or section hikers to sleep in or seek shelter. One of these huts is located at the end of the Lonesome Lake trail, but I wasn't able to see it.

From the other side of the lake, on Around-the-Lake Trail

They say weather can change in an instant in the mountains but today was the first time I experienced it. The sky was blue with big, puffy clouds from sunrise, and driving up through the mountains this did not change. My view of the sky was sheltered on the trail so I was surprised to hear thunder when I reached the lake. Then I heard a light sprinkling of rain, though I couldn't feel it through the trees.

Around-the-Lake Trail, all planks built up over the swamp

At the lake the trail ends, but others begin, and another trail rounds the lake to the AMC shelter, which I was interested to see. Despite the gloom and doom threatening above, I started the Around-the-Lake-Trail (as the sign indicated) in route to the hut, but thought better of it after the trees cleared and I felt the rain and heard more thunder.

From the swamp, facing the other direction (away from the lake)

On all the hikes I did in North Carolina, only one or twice did I see a women hiking alone. I was warned by many about the dangers of this, not because of wildlife which is what I feared, but other humans. On my first two hikes here, I've already seen several, one a backpacker in her early twenties. Now she is brave; I would not sleep alone in the woods. 

I missed these

Campton, New Hampshire

More photos of Campton and Campground

The thing about New England is every town looks like a postcard and every road is a scenic byway. Even a one-gas station town off a highway exit looks like a beautiful place to stay. It's hard to describe why they're so different from Southern towns of the same sort, where you don't want to linger too long. Exiting a highway in the middle of Florida or Georgia or even North Carolina can be an ugly and sometimes scary experience.

When I arrived in North Carolina I couldn't imagine a better place to be on the East coast. The number of distinct mountain ranges within a 1-2 hour drive could keep you hiking for years without repetition. Yet I think I'm more in love with the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Perhaps it's the beauty that surrounds the mountains, since I haven't really dug into the trails yet, but I will need to stay here awhile.

Campton Pond

Campton is a tiny town in the foothills of the White Mountains. The White Mountain National Forest is on the Eastern edge, and the campground in which I'm staying is located there. There are several smaller mountains and trails right in Campton, and the surrounding peaks are not more than 1-1.5 hours away.

Dam adjoining Campton Pond