Date(s) Hiked: Feb 28, 2009
Trails(s) Hiked: Old Bridle Path, Greenleaf Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Liberty Springs Trail, Franconia Notch Bike Path
Total Distance: 11.8 miles, 4350' vertical (companions did 14.8 miles, 5100')
Difficulty: Very
Conditions: High winds, icy, deep snow
Special Required Equipment: Snowshoes, crampons, ice axe, full winter gear
Trip Report:
After 8 years I *finally* got up on Franconia Ridge in winter! While I'd done the hike in winter conditions not too long ago (Mats' "Santa Hike"), this was the first time I'd been up there in calendar winter, and quite likely the strongest winds I've ever hiked in.
I had some concerns as we were heading up the Old Bridle Path, as snow could be seen whipping and blowing across the upper summits, so thick they seemed cloud-enshrouded. However, as forecast, things continually died down throughout the day, so that by the time we were headed up Lafayette we simply had 20-30mph steady out of the northwest, not a big problem but still tiring to work climb against. The weather only get better as the skies cleared, the winds eased up except over Truman, where they were more like 40mph knocking people around. Ground conditions alternated from snow drifts to ice and packed snow.
The views were astounding - 100+ miles in every direction. We could easily make out the ski slopes of Killington & Pico, Sugarbush/Ellen, MRG, and Stowe/Mansfield. The footing was packed snow and ice north of Lincoln, but from there to Little Haystack was a lot of bare rock. From Little Haystack to the Liberty Springs trail, well, there's a reason so few people do that in winter: there's no vertical corridor! Seriously, pks4000 does not want to hike this stretch! Every few feet I had to protect myself from eye-level branches, and with the extremely deep, soft snow conditions, the constant ducking and pushing made this section much more tiring than one would expect.
The summit of Liberty was, as always, spectacular. I was bonking at this point, so I stayed there while Sabrina & Jeremy went out to Flume. I took my time, had a snack, and eventually ambled down to the junction with the Flume Slide trail, where after about an hour they caught up to me. My candle lantern, hung from a branch, made for a quite cozy spot in the dark (and kept my imagination at bay).
For an encore, Jeremy flawlessly took us on a bushwhack to the bike path, directly toward the Basin where we had a car spotted. While on the path, a groomer went past us, leveling the field for the snowmobiles. That was a fun way to end!
I'm tired but happy - it was a beautiful day, an amazing hike, a fun time in great human and canine company, and a goal finally achieved.
Oh, 28 of the 48W so far. No rush, it's still ski season.
My Album From This Hike
Trails(s) Hiked: Old Bridle Path, Greenleaf Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Liberty Springs Trail, Franconia Notch Bike Path
Total Distance: 11.8 miles, 4350' vertical (companions did 14.8 miles, 5100')
Difficulty: Very
Conditions: High winds, icy, deep snow
Special Required Equipment: Snowshoes, crampons, ice axe, full winter gear
Trip Report:
After 8 years I *finally* got up on Franconia Ridge in winter! While I'd done the hike in winter conditions not too long ago (Mats' "Santa Hike"), this was the first time I'd been up there in calendar winter, and quite likely the strongest winds I've ever hiked in.
I had some concerns as we were heading up the Old Bridle Path, as snow could be seen whipping and blowing across the upper summits, so thick they seemed cloud-enshrouded. However, as forecast, things continually died down throughout the day, so that by the time we were headed up Lafayette we simply had 20-30mph steady out of the northwest, not a big problem but still tiring to work climb against. The weather only get better as the skies cleared, the winds eased up except over Truman, where they were more like 40mph knocking people around. Ground conditions alternated from snow drifts to ice and packed snow.
The views were astounding - 100+ miles in every direction. We could easily make out the ski slopes of Killington & Pico, Sugarbush/Ellen, MRG, and Stowe/Mansfield. The footing was packed snow and ice north of Lincoln, but from there to Little Haystack was a lot of bare rock. From Little Haystack to the Liberty Springs trail, well, there's a reason so few people do that in winter: there's no vertical corridor! Seriously, pks4000 does not want to hike this stretch! Every few feet I had to protect myself from eye-level branches, and with the extremely deep, soft snow conditions, the constant ducking and pushing made this section much more tiring than one would expect.
The summit of Liberty was, as always, spectacular. I was bonking at this point, so I stayed there while Sabrina & Jeremy went out to Flume. I took my time, had a snack, and eventually ambled down to the junction with the Flume Slide trail, where after about an hour they caught up to me. My candle lantern, hung from a branch, made for a quite cozy spot in the dark (and kept my imagination at bay).
For an encore, Jeremy flawlessly took us on a bushwhack to the bike path, directly toward the Basin where we had a car spotted. While on the path, a groomer went past us, leveling the field for the snowmobiles. That was a fun way to end!
I'm tired but happy - it was a beautiful day, an amazing hike, a fun time in great human and canine company, and a goal finally achieved.
Oh, 28 of the 48W so far. No rush, it's still ski season.
My Album From This Hike
