Franconia Ridge!

We got perfect weather with a cool morning and a warm sunny afternoon, clear all day, and great visibility. Summit of Lafayette was chilly and windy but otherwise temperatures were quite comfortable. A few short sections of snow/ice but mostly the trail has melted out. Lots of company along the way. The woodland wildflowers were on full display, including abundant carpets of trout lily on the forest floor. A haze of green just starting on the lower elevation deciduous trees. What a beautiful day to be out. Thanks everyone for a great hike, and thanks to Russ for joining us for his first GO hike we were glad to have you!

This will be an all day, strenuous, 10.2 mile hike with lots of elevation gain! We will start at the Greenleaf trailhead, ascend around Eagle Cliff (which is supposed to have spectacular views), and past Greenleaf hut to Mt. Lafayette. We then hike along the ridge over Mt Lincoln and Little Haystack and over to Mt Liberty, before descending the Liberty Spring Trail. We'll need to spot a car to bring us back to the Cannon parking area, so if someone wants to message me to coordinate that please do! Take exit 34B for the Cannon Mountain Tramway parking area, we will meet there then walk under 93 as a group to the trailhead. Please arrive by 8am, we will leave for the trailhead at 8:15am. It is possible there will still be snow and ice in places, please bring microspikes and appropriate layers for cold weather at higher elevations. Recommended gear: MicroSpikes, poles, wool hat, gloves, hand warmers, rain/wind gear, warm layers, headlamp and NO COTTON. Carry at least 2 liters of water, lunch and snacks. Much of this hike is exposed and above treeline. If the weather forecast is extremely windy or stormy, I will reschedule and/or swap it out for a more protected hike, depending on the conditions. Stats: 10.2 miles Elevation: A Lot! Probably 3500-4000. Duration: All day, will depend on conditions and group pace. I was unable to find an all trails map that matches this exact route but I will try and post a picture of the map with the route highlighted.