Franconia Ridge Hike

 Earlier in the week the weather report had called for what sounded like spectacular hiking weather:  sunny, dry, with temperatures in low 70's.  Man, this weather report could not have been more wrong!  At the trailhead, six GO members (JT, Chris, Chris, Bill, Tom with "Baxter", and Carlos) met in a light drizzle, and after a brief discussion, decided to go on with the hike.  Most people who had signed up had backed out, and three no-showed...and we wondered if they knew something we didn't know.  We were fine going up the Falling Waters Trail, though as we got higher it became clear that the drizzle was turning into good old fashioned rain, and that the temperature was dropping quite steadily.  At the turn for Shining Rock, people coming down from the ridge were heavily bundled up, quite soaked, and had that wild-eyed look one gets when one has seen a vision of Hell.  Comments like "It's freaking freezing up there!"  and, "It's raining and sleeting sideways!!"  persuaded Bill and Tom (and Baxter) to turn back, as they noted that they did not have adequate gear for the elements.

The four remaining GO members:  JT, Chris, Chris, and Carlos, dressed up and got up to the Little Haystack.  Yes, it was windy, chilly, and quite rainy up there, so we decided not to linger, and continued on our hike.  The two Chrises opted to continue the hike in shorts (wow!) while JT and Carlos put on rain pants, plus assorted other gear.  JT noted that he seemed to be dry on his left side as he hiked, but thoroughly wet on the right side, or in other words, on the side where the rain was hitting us.  Chris and Chris noted that they were wet all over, while Carlos, thanks to GoreTex, remained dry.  The views were totally obscured by the clouds, and we all had a hard time explaining to Chris what wonderful views he was missing.  Maybe it was around this time that Chris developed some form of Tourette's Disorder as every time he was addressed, some type of expletive came out of his mouth.  We hope he has by now consulted with a reputable doctor to take care of this sudden onset of spasmodic cropolalial articulation.

In any event, the four intrepid GOsers made it to Greenleaf Hut, where Chris and Chris started to shiver.  It was a bit scary for a moment, but the hot soup seemed to revive them, and as soon as we started our hike back down to the car they both warmed up.  We made it down where we met up with Bill who had faithfully waited for us to come down, and informed us that Markus had made it, at least partly.  He was quite late, as usual, and hiked alone to the ridge, where he found a solitary rock in which to hide and eat his lunch.  He then very wisely decided to turn back.  Sorry we missed you Markus.

We also then learned that a group of French Canadian hikers were missing three companions.  They described them to us, and asked if we had seen them on the trail.  None of us had, and as far as we could tell, it appeared that the hikers may have made a wrong turn somewhere up on the misty ridge.  After some more queries to hikers coming down, JT directed them to contact the NH Fish & Game rescue folks.  We hope that these hikers made it back in good health.

This was quite an experience for all, and congratulations are in order to the intrepid GOsers who survived the ordeal.  There were three big lessons learned in this adventure:  Always Keep Your Group Together...and more so when nature is throwing a lot of stuff at you.  Always Carry Good Weatherproofed Gear!!!  It does make a difference.  And last but not least, turn back if you find that you are not prepared for the conditions.

 We will hike the entire Franconia ridge by going up the Falling Waters Trail, over Little Haystack, Mt. Lincoln, Mt. Lafayette, and back down the Bridle Path.  The entire hike will be around 9 miles and a good portion of this hike will be on the exposed ridge above treeline.  It is one of the classic hikes of the White Mountains with amazing views of Franconia Notch on one side, and the Pemigewasset Wilderness on the other.  It is also a very popular hike, and can be quite crowded in the summer, so this is a good time to enjoy it without the crowds.  Weather can be quite variable up there, even on a nice warm sunny day in the valley.  So come prepared.  Bring good weatherproofed gear that will keep you both dry and warm.  Also bring at least 2 liters of water, snacks, and a lunch.  The AMC's Greenleaf Hut will be open and they do have water and food there.  However, we hit it towards the last part of the hike, so do come prepared.  Also note that this hike is rated strenuous because there are some very steep sections along the Falling Waters Trail, and lots of ups & downs on the ridge itself.  The starting elevation is 1,780 feet at the trailhead, and the highest elevation reached will be 5,260 feet at the summit of Mt. Lafayette, for an "official" elevation gain of almost 4,000 feet.  With the ups & downs, the actual ascend/descent will be higher.  Rain will cancel.