Labor Day - Franconia Ridge Hike ?

[mrzilliox]

will the Franconia Ridge Trail on Labor Day weekend look like a late running of the Boston Marathon ?

Other commitments will have eaten up all my vaca time by the end of June, and it looks like the full ridge trail will take me 1.5 days or so...

too crowded to enjoy? or if I camp near the trailhead and get an early start I'll be OK?

My other choice would be to day hike the loop section on a weekend, but are the crowds any better?

 

[Mike P.]

I've not done it on Labor Day weekend but in mid-August & late September, both as traverses, both on Saturdays both real crowded. The vast majority of the people are on the Lincoln Lafayette loop though, when I did it in late August not so bad as I went up Flume Slide & by the time I got to Little Haystack most of the people goig up Falling Waters were way ahead of me, I just had a lot of oncoming traffic & that died down by the time I got to Lafayette as it was too late in the day for most people to be heading up.

The September trip we went up Skookumchuk (sic) saw almost no one until we reached Lafayette (even North Lafayette was uncrowded) & then mobbed until we got south of Little Haystack, saw only a couple of groups there, one was traversing in the other direction & knew one of our group. We descended Osseo & saw no one there too.

I'm was planning an early October trip up on the Lincoln/Lafayatte loop but now that I think about it, maybe that will be mid-late October after the leaves come down. (IMO it's not a great foliage hike either, all birch except way down low.)

 

[ga2ski]

I've not done it on Labor Day weekend but in mid-August & late September, both as traverses, both on Saturdays both real crowded. The vast majority of the people are on the Lincoln Lafayette loop though, when I did it in late August not so bad as I went up Flume Slide & by the time I got to Little Haystack most of the people goig up Falling Waters were way ahead of me, I just had a lot of oncoming traffic & that died down by the time I got to Lafayette as it was too late in the day for most people to be heading up.

Good recommendation. This route should result in the least amount of traffic.

I don't know your hiking abilties. Be careful climbing the flume slide, if it is really wet out I won't take that trail.

 

[riverc0il]

flume slide was fun. once. heh. actually, the worst part about the flume slide was the long slog in to get to the slide. definitely not an option when even slightly damn for my preferences.

 

[Vortex]

I'll be hiking in this area over labor day. Not sure where yet.

 

[thetrailboss]

The usual Lincoln-Lafayette Loop is incredible and pretty much very heavily traveled. You're going to have traffic pretty much regardless of WHEN you do it, unless you go when it's pouring (when HASN'T it been raining this spring? :roll: ) or in the winter. Midweek might be a good shot.

I echo the other suggestions in here...the Liberty-Flume Loop is incredible and has much less traffic. I avoided the Flume Slide...too dangerous IMHO.

 

[Mike P.]

Mid-week is the way to go, even over a good winter weekend. First trip on loop was on a September Friday & only saw a few people.