another trip around Franconia Ridge Loop (6/13/2015)

Dave Rogers from the Thursday Morning Mens Breakfast organized this hike:



This is a great hike! I did it last Sept 2 [My 13th (Mt. Lincoln) and 14th (Mt. Lafayette) 4,000 footers!]

Today's hike (Mount Lincoln and Mount Lafayette) are in the red square:


Using Map My Walk (in Airplane Mode so as not to drain the battery), we went up the Falling Waters Trail (3.7 miles) to Little Haystack Mountain (not "officially" a 4000 footer), north along the Franconia Ridge Trail (1.0 mile) to Mount Lincoln, continue north along the Franconia Ridge Trail (1.1 miles) to Mount Lafayette, then down the Greenleaf Trail (1.2 miles) to the AMC Greenleaf Hut, then down the Old Bridle Trail (2.9 miles) back to the parking area. With "parking lot walking", we covered 10.5 miles (5 hours 45 minutes hiking, plus 45 minutes hanging out on the summits). We covered about 6,900 feet in climbing elevation (3450 up and then back down):


We met in Woburn at 7, and up to the trailhead by 9:30 (the six of us all fit comfortably in Tom's minivan):


Late Spring/Early Summer is a great time to see this trail. Falling Waters Trail is just that - a wonderful trail going up along, and criss-crossing a number of beautiful streams and waterfalls:

(Hi Don and Dave!)





Once you get up to Franconia Ridge Trail, the view back down Franconia Notch is beautiful!


"Beautiful weather" + "a Saturday in June" = kind-of a lot of people

but that's ok - we're all getting happy and healthy, and enjoying God's Creation!

Heading North along the Ridge Trail is pretty cool:


West across the Notch, looking at Cannon Mountain:


and looking east into the Pemigewasset Wilderness, and Owl's Head Mountain, which I'm looking forward to climbing sometime this summer:


and looking back (south) along the Ridge Trail


Halfway down is the Greenleaf Hut, and this is the view from Greenleaf Hut across Eagles Lakes and back up at Mount Lafayette:



Down Old Bridal Path, you get a great view down 93 South fading off into the distance ("the road goes on forever"):


The footing can get tricky


but you eventually get back into the woods/relatively flat trail


and back to Falling Waters!


We had cheesburgers and ice cream in Lincoln, then back to Woburn. Home by 8:30, then a hot bath and bed! Thank you God for a GREAT DAY!

no music today, because we were talking - going up, heading home, and even on the trail (what, "guys talking"?!)