Mts. Lafayette and Lincoln

We awoke to cloudy skies with threatening thunderstorms around us. However once we met at the Old Bridle Path/Falling Waters parking lot the sun came out and we were ready to get going at our designated time. 

Heading in at 9:15am we felt pretty good and excited to head above treeline for a good portion of the day. Some members had never done this hike before. We like going up Old Bridle Path since it's not all that crowded because everyone else is going up the Falling Waters Trail.

The Old Bridle Path I find to be a great trail to put your head down and go through the bottom section but once it starts opening up with view points towards Mt. Lincoln, ravines and Agony Ridge; one cannot help but start slowing down. We went up through the rock climbing areas, one which is a trough so to speak with one side walled to your right. Greenleaf Hut was in front of us pretty quickly, around 11:30am, and we went inside the Hut to find that they were giving away leftover pancakes. We took a snack break and filled up our water bottles in preparation for the final push to the summit of Lafayette, 1.1 miles away. Looking at the ridge from the Hut it looked like a hedgehog with all the hikers on the Franconia Ridge. 

We passed cairn after cairn and took breaks to snap a picture here and there. We arrived at the summit around 12:30pm so it took us over 3 hours from the parking lot to the summit of Mt. Lafayette. This was going to be an incredible day indeed and I couldn't have been more correct!

We took photos of the traditional across the ridge shots. There were about 30-40 people on the summit and a little windy so we descended a bit from the summit and found some rocks to provide a windbreak for lunch. It was hazy, humid and dark clouds were lurking around the summit so the views were not as great as they could be.

Off we went towards Mt. Lincoln, with the sun reappearing and the breeze keeping the bugs away making great time to our next destination not far away. We took photos along the way and looking down the Lincoln Slide towards Owl's Head. We made great progress and it felt like we magically appeared on Mt. Lincoln and by this point started to meet up with the hikers who ascended up the Falling Waters Trail traveling in the opposite direction.  The skies were getting dark with thunderstorms threatening so we did not linger for very long wanting to be off the ridge before the storm arrived. 

Despite the weather, superb views in all directions, haze filling in the further away peaks but Cannon, Garfield, Bondcliff and a few others were begging for the attention they rightfully deserve. On to Little Haystack we go, hiker freeway it seemed like but as we entered the Gargoyles there was only one person climbing up on the rocks having their picture taken...yup it was me! :-) We started to feel some raindrops so we picked up the pace.

The trail after here to Little Haystack is very well laid out, a path of rocks on both sides of the trail to the exposed outcroppings of rocks and the Falling Waters Trail just to the side with hikers appearing like a stream of water. The rain started to pick up so we put on our rain jackets. 

We headed down the Falling Waters that starts steeply at first but eventually levels off. We saw 5 people heading up toward the ridge and Mt. Lafayette at 3pm? What's up with that? Towards the bottom we enjoyed one waterfall after another beginning with Cloudland, then Swiftwater and ending with Stairs. Everyone came back to our house afterwards for a delicious barbecue of grilled chicken and sausage, rice, potato salad and a green salad...ending with Jon's fabulous strawberry shortcake trifle!!!

What a fantastic day above treeline on some of our favorite mountains! It was nice to catch up with everyone and make some new outdoorzy buddies as well. We look forward to future hikes!

~ Mike Boisvert

Mount Lafayette [5,260'], located just east of I-93 in Franconia Notch, is the crown jewel of the Franconia Ridge and the highest peak outside the Presidential Range. It is the sixth highest peak in New Hampshire's White Mountains and one of the most magnificent for hiking due to its dramatic ridge above treeline, excellent views and gorgeous waterfalls/cascade on the Falling Waters Trail.   

Our favorite method of hiking Mount Lafayette is the Fraconia Ridge traverse that consists of a loop hike linking 3 summits [Lafayette, Lincoln [5089'] and Little Haystack [4780']. The itinerary starts and ends at Lafayette Place, the trailhead for the Old Bridle Path and Falling Waters Trail. Hiking north to south we will start at Lafayette Place [1780'] and head up the Old Bridle Path reaching Greenleaf Hut [4220'] in 2.9 miles. 

From there we continue east 1.1 miles on the Greenleaf Trail to the summit of Mt. Lafayette. Leaving the summit, we travel south on the dramatic Franconia Ridge Trail 1.7 miles up and over Mount Lincoln and then to Little Haystack Mountain [4780']. We then hike down 3.2 miles on the Falling Waters Trail taking time to gaze at its amazing waterfalls and cascades back to Layatte Place. 

This hike is rated strenuous because of its length, elevation gain and exposure above treeline. It's recommended for experienced hikers only. We recommend you carry at least 3 liters of water, lunch, snacks, light fleece, and rain protection. 

Approximate length is 8.9 miles with 3,900' elevation gain. We will take breaks and have lunch on the summit. Because of the length we need to start by 9AM sharp. 

After The Hike: Everyone is welcome back at our house in Waterville Valley to socialize around the deck and enjoy a home cooked meal with dessert! It's BYOB and it costs $5 per person.

Lodging Option: Bunk beds are available at my house near Waterville Valley, NH for Friday and Saturday night for $20 per night. Coffee/bagels each morning and linen/blankets/towels are provided. We have limited space in the fridge to store your beverages/food so it's best to bring a small cooler. Space is limited so email me ASAP to reserve a bunk!