Hiking Lafayette

[mryan]

Along with three friends, I'll be hiking Lafayette this weekend via the Greenleaf Trail, the one that starts in Franconia Notch. Has anyone visited these confines earlier this year? If so, what are the conditions and how would you rate the hike in regards to difficulty, beauty, etc.? Thanks.

 

[David Metsky]

The standard route up Lafayette is up the Old Bridle Path the Greenleaf Hut, then the Greenleaf trail to the summit. This is slightly shorter than taking the Greenleaf trail the entire way and also allows you to do a loop across the ridge and down the Falling Waters trail back to the same parking lot. The Greenleaf trail starts further north.

Counter Clockwise
Clockwise

It's a fantastic trip, trails are in fine shape, weather conditions can vary hourly. Check a forecast before heading up and bring insulation layers and rain gear.

-dave-

 

[mryan]

thanks.

thanks for the info dave. provided the weather cooperates, it ought to be a great hike.

on a totally unrelated note: i am curious to know, in your or anyone else's humble opinion, what is the most difficult hike in the whites. i'm not necessarily talking pure distance as much as i mean technical. let me know what your opinion on this matter is. i'd like to get a consensus and then hike it. i've been told its the huntington ravine route up washington, a route that i have already done. i can say that it is, in fact, challenging, but i wanted to get some other opinions.

thanks--mryan.

 

[Greg]

Madison Gulf is also pretty challenging. Many also say Six Husbands is very difficult. I've only descendied 6H and I don't find it that difficult. It's a very interesting trail with ladders and a "cave".

 

[MichaelJ]

I would recommend the loop going up Falling Waters and down Old Bridle Path (note that these both go to/from the same parking lot). That way, you face the falls as you're ascending, which I find preferable visually, and you also get your hut stop for water & toilet on the latter side of the loop. People do it both directions, but that's my preference.

Most difficult? I think that can depend on how you define it - technical difficulty or just physical exertion required? The Mahoosucs certainly have some of both going in and out of Mahoosuc Notch and up Mahoosuc Arm.

Washington has routes both complicated and easy, but it's always a physical challenge to get up 4,000+ feet of elevation. Similarly, the Franconia Ridge loop is never technically challenging, but by the end will have your quads twanging like guitar strings.

 

[David Metsky]

From an exposure standpoint, Huntington wins. Other trails with great difficulty include King Ravine, Great Gully, Castle Ravine headwall, Great Gulf headwall, North Tripyramid slide, Six Husbands, Sphinx, and some of the abandoned slide trails.

I think maximum difficulty is pretty subjective. Different trails will be harder for different people depending on height, conditioning, weather, etc.

-dave-

 

[mryan]

thanks for the info all. without a doubt, the most difficult hike, in terms of strenuousness, was coming down king's ravine on a blistering august afternoon. my girlfriend was with me as well. we ended up running out of water and becoming, as a result, very dehydrated and exhausted. my girlfriend, in fact, almost broke her leg in a fatigue-induced misstep. by the time we arrived back at the car, over eight hours after having started, both of us felt like hell. we chugged water and slept for a few hours before driving anywhere.

cheers, mryan.

 

[Charlie Schuessler]

The Whites

As stated by others, the Lafayette Mountain starting in the Campground trailhead is an excellent day hike by itself, with a nice AMC hut to take a quick break. One of my favorite hikes (single day or overnight).

If you want breathtaking, rugged, technical and/or physically difficult, try the Appalachian Trail through the Whites between the borders. Try it in 1 or 2 day hike segments.