Franconia Ridge day hike

This day hike involved going up the Old Bridle Path to Mount Lafayette, taking the Franconia Ridge Trail across to Mount Lincoln and then to Little Haystack Mountain and finally descending via the Falling Waters Trail.

Parking area - 1,770' Greenleaf Hut - 2.9 miles - 4,245' Mount Layfayette - 4.0 miles - 5,260' Mount Lincoln - 4.9 miles - 5,089' Little Haystack Mountain - 5.6 miles - 4,800' Parking area - 8.8 miles - 1,770' Total distance round-trip - 8.8 miles Total elevation change - 3,490' Trail map - 700 x 597 - 344K Trail map - 1100 x 938 - 867K

The starting point for this hike was the parking lot on the east side (northbound lane) of I-93 (Franconia Notch Parkway) just across the road from the Lafayette Campground.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 Old Bridle Path/Falling Waters trailhead 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Old Bridle Path/Falling Waters trailhead 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Steep granite climb 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Granite 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Bog Laurel 400 x 600   683 x 1024 View back down the trail 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Ridge line leading to Mount Lafayette 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Granite 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Ridge line leading to Mount Lafayette 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Granite 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Other ridges 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Steep granite climb 600 x 400   1024 x 683 View back down the ridge

I did stop for photos at some of the nicer overlook ledges along the ridge on the way up to the Greenleaf Hut.

I made great time going up to the Greenleaf Hut and arrived there around 9:15am. I went inside to refill the water bottle that I had been drinking from and noticed some pumpkin bars for sale on one of the tables in the dining room, They had chocolate chips in them and looked too wonderful to resist so bought one and sat down to eat it and enjoy the view of Mount Lafayette out the window. I took some photos around the hut both inside and out and finally hit the trail again a little after 9:30.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 Greenleaf AMC Hut, Mount Lafayette 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Trail signage 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Greenleaf AMC Hut 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Greenleaf AMC Hut 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Eagle Lake & Mount Lafayette 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Eagle Lake 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Flower & bee 600 x 400   1024 x 683 View of Mount Layafette from Greenleaf AMC Hut 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Pumpkin bars for sale at Greenleaf AMC Hut 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Interior of Greenleaf AMC Hut 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Interior of Greenleaf AMC Hut 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Interior of Greenleaf AMC Hut

The views from above the tree line during the final climb to the top of Mount Layfayette were magnificent. I could see the Greenleaf Hut getting smaller and smaller the higher I climbed and then had some really nice views of it with Cannon Mountain directly behind.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 Greenleaf AMC Hut from Eagle Lake 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Eagle Lake 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Huge cairn, Greenleaf AMC Hut 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Franconia Notch 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Trail ascending Mount Lafayette 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Mount Lafayette 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Echo Lake & Eagle Cliff 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Canon Mountain, Greenleaf AMC Hut 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Canon Mountain, Greenleaf AMC Hut 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Lonesome Lake 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Franconia Ridge, Mount Lincoln 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Canon Mountain, Greenleaf AMC Hut 600 x 400   1024 x 683 North and South Kinsman peaks, Lonesome Lake 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Granite blocks near the top of Mount Lafayette 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Granite block on the edge 600 x 400   1024 x 683 People going down the trail 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Mountain Sandwort

I arrived on top of Mount Layfayette just a little after 10:30 and did not stay there too long. There were perhaps ten or twelve people up there who had most likely come up from the hut earlier in the morning. I also met a few people coming down while I was going up. I was on top for maybe ten minutes taking photos before I started down the other side and along the ridge to Mount Lincoln.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 Trail singage on top of Mount Layfayette 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Mount Garfield 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Mount Washington in the distance 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Remains of summit lodge on Mount Lafayette 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Owl's Head 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Bob at the Mount Lafayette summit 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Mighty Moose at the Mount Lafayette summit 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Other people on the Mount Lafayette summit 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Franconia Ridge, Mount Lincoln 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Franconia Ridge, Mount Lincoln 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Mount Lincoln 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Mount Lafayette summit cairn

It was very chilly up on the ridge and I was glad to have my sweatshirt with me. I did not even bother bringing rain gear on this hike as rain seemed very unlikely.

I slowed down considerably going along the ridge. The weather was gorgeous and I stopped a lot for photos and to just sit and look and enjoy the day and the scenery. It's so rare to end up with such a perfect day like that in the mountains. It was very clear when I started but clouds started to build by late morning.

I arrived at the Lincoln Summit just a little before noon and there was perhaps an equal number of people up there. It was VERY windy on top of both Lafayette and Lincoln, especially on the west sides. I found a nice spot on the east side of the Lincoln summit overlooking the Pemigewasset Wilderness and Owl's Head where the wind was not very bad and stopped there to have my lunch.

I had a very nice view of a glider being brought up by a tow plane and then being released just a little north of Mount Lafayette. It was fun watching it ride the thermals and soar back and forth along the ridge while I was eating my lunch.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 Looking back on Mount Lafayette 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Looking back on Mount Lafayette 600 x 400   1024 x 683 High point and cliffs between Mounts Lafayette and Lincoln 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Approaching Mount Lincoln 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Looking back on Mount Lafayette 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Franconia Ridge, Little Haystack Mountain 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Mount Lincoln summit cairn 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Mount Lincoln summit cairn, Mighty Moose 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Mount Lincoln summit cairn, Bob 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Glider over Mount Lincoln 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Glider over Mount Lincoln 600 x 400   1024 x 683 South end of Owl's Head 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Owl's Head slide

I left the Lincoln summit around 12:20pm and started down along the ridge towards Little Haystack Mountain. I had some really nice views along that section of the ridge and it was nice to get some nice views of Owl's Head and the area around it since I would be attempting the hike/climb sometime in the fall. I also got some nice views of the Lincoln Slide and as soon as I saw it and the area below it I immediately gave up on the idea of going to Owl's Head that way. It could not possibly be any easier than the long hike in from the east side, even if it was perhaps fewer miles.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 View back towards Mount Lincoln 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Rocky outcrop on the way to Little Haystack Mountain 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Springs in the granite 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Rocky outcrop on the way to Little Haystack Mountain 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Approaching Little Haystack Mountain 600 x 400   1024 x 683 View back towards Mount Lincoln 400 x 600   683 x 1024 Owl's Head slide 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Owl's Head and valley to the south 600 x 400   1024 x 683 South end of Owl's Head 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Mounts Flume (left) and Liberty (right)

I arrived on top of Little Haystack right around 1pm and there were lots of people up there. I did stop to take some photos and also eat a little trail mix before starting down the Falling Waters Trail but there were way too many people on the summit there for my liking.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 Trail singage on top of Little Haystack Mountain 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Little Haystack summit cairn, Mighty Moose 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Little Haystack summit cairn, Mighty Moose 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Little Haystack summit cairn, Bob 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Little Haystack summit cairn

The clouds had continued to increase as I made my way along the ridge and then down the Falling Waters Trail and by mid-afternoon there were lots of clouds in the sky. They were not storm clouds though so no worries.

The hike down from Little Haystack Mountain along the Falling Waters Trail was very nice and the waterfalls were very pretty. There was not nearly as much water flowing down here as there had been coming down Beaver Brook when I climbed Mount Moosilauke in early June but they were still very nice.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 Cascade - Falling Waters Trail 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Cascade - Falling Waters Trail 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Small waterfall 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Upper portion of Cloudland Falls 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Cloudland Falls 400 x 600   683 x 1024 Cloudland Falls 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Cloudland Falls 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Small waterfall 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Small waterfall 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Small waterfall 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Stairs Falls 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Back at the Old Bridle Path trail junction 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Walker Brook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Walker Brook

In spite of all the stops I actually finished about 30 minutes earlier than expected which was good because I hit all kinds of traffic on the way home.

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