Outdoor Diversion: Phenomenal Day On Lafayette and Lincoln

Summits: Mount Lafayette (5,260'), Mount Lincoln (5,089')

Trail route: Old Bridle Path, Greenleaf Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Falling Waters Trail

Trail conditions: Wet, slippery trails but dry across Franconia Ridge

Weather: Cool temps and lots of sunshine

Total miles: 8.8

Total time: 6:11

After checking the forecast the weather was looking favorable for a hike above treeline. I changed my plans from hiking the Kinsmans to a hike above treeline along the Franconia Ridge over Mount Lafayette, Mount Lincoln and Mount Haystack.

The dark sky on the drive to Franconia Notch was full of stars indicating a clear sky and a good start to the day. I arrived at the trailhead and there was plenty of parking available. It was a cool, comfortable morning and I was on the trail at 6:30 AM. I started out with the headlamp so I could see the rocks and roots but daylight soon arrived and I no longer needed my own light.

There was overnight rain and the trail was very wet. It was a nice hike up to the Greenleaf Hut and I could see the sunlight shining across the notch before the sun came up over Franconia Ridge. I took a short break at the hut for a snack and to add a layer before continuing my ascent above treeline as there was a cool breeze blowing.

It was a nice climb to the summit and with the clear conditions the views were spectacular. A few photos and I continued on to Mount Lincoln. It was at this point that I had to remove a layer. I started meeting more hikers along the ridge and there would only be more the further I went. While I momentarily had the summit of Lafayette by myself this was not the case on Lincoln and there were many hikers arriving while I was there. I didn't stay long and kept going to Mount Haystack.

I arrived at Haystack with the summit starting to get crowded with hikers. A few photos and I began my descent, it was all downhill from here. I was going down the Falling Waters Trail and becoming very irritated and frustrated with the number of hikers not masking and social distancing. There were far more hikers showing total disregard for taking appropriate precautions than the few that were masking and stepping out of the way. I'm not sure what the aversion is to pulling a mask up over the face when passing another hiker and stepping out of the way. With this level of ignorance it is no wonder that the number of COVID cases is rising. Enough said.

As I dropped down to Dry Brook it was anything but dry. There was lots of water flowing from recent rain. The many waterfalls were looking fantastic. The trail was very slippery and I managed to slip and fall back onto my pack that helped cushion my fall. I would find out later that I cracked one of my plastic storage containers inside the pack, better than a cracked bone. It was slow and careful footing all the way down this steep section beside the waterfalls.

It was a good hike down and back to the trailhead. I passed many hikers that were on their way up and was surprised to see there was still plenty of parking available. The sun was out during the entire hike but when I arrived back at the parking lot the clouds started to roll in and there were even some sprinkles on the drive home. That's good timing!

The Franconia Ridge can be a difficult and grueling hike in adverse weather. I was very happy with my decision to change my hiking plans today, the conditions were ideal and it was an awesome day above treeline!

Enjoy the photos and videos!