Franconia Ridge

Franconia Ridge from Mt. Lafayette; Mt. Lincoln in foreground

On December 14, I hiked the Franconia Ridge in New Hampshire with my friends Rick and Hugh.

Mt. Lafayette (l.) and Mt. Lincoln (r.)

The Franconia Ridge rises to the east of Franconia Notch, a deep and narrow cleft in the White Mountains between Mount Lafayette on the east Cannon Mountain on the west.  From Mount Lafayette, the Franconia Ridge runs south over Mount Lincoln, Little Haystack, Mount Liberty and Mount Flume; however, our loop went only as far as Little Haystack.

Rick and Hugh on the summit of Mt. Lafayette

We started hiking up the Old Bridle Path around 8 a.m.; the temperature was around zero Fahrenheit.  After stopping at the Greenleaf Hut to adjust our gear, we continued up to the summit of Mount Lafayette.

Presidential Range (on horizon) from Mt. Lafayette

Although cold, it was a sunny morning and we enjoyed expansive views from Lafayette's summit.  To the northeast lay the Presidential Range crowned by Mount Washington, and Cannon Mountain was close by across Franconia Notch.  Far in the distance, we could see Mount Mansfield and Camel's Hump in Vermont.

Cannon Mountain from Mt. Lafayette

From Mount Lafayette, we continued along the spine of Franconia Ridge.  Descending into dips and rising over icy, rocky peaks, we passed over Mount Lincoln and on to the summit of Little Haystack.

Rick on Mt. Lincoln

From Little Haystack we descended into the woods and down the Falling Waters trail, named for the beautiful waterfalls that it crosses.  The falls were frozen cascades of blue ice when we crossed them, providing a dramatic conclusion to our cold but fulfilling day in the White Mountains.

Mt. Flume, Mt. Liberty and Little Haystack from Mt. Lincoln