The Franconia Ridge Loop consists of two 5 thousand footers, Mt Lincoln (5080′) and Mt Lafayette (5242′). In addition to their summits, the spotlight of the loop is the above treeline Franconia Ridge Trail connecting Lincoln and Lafayette, with magnificent views of Franconia Notch to the west and the Pemigewasset Wilderness to the east. However, by December, this hike resembles a mountaineering expedition greater than an off-the-cuff mountaineering loop. Snow, ice, excessive winds, poor visibility, and artic temperatures could make it very harmful for poorly-prepared those that lack winter mountaineering expertise.
Most folks hike the loop in a counter-clockwise path, climbing first to a peak named Little Haystack Mountain which can also be on the ridge, earlier than heading north to Lincoln after which Lafayette. From there, you drop down the west face of Lafayette, move the AMC’s Greenleaf Hut, and descend on the Old Bridle Path down Agony Ridge. Overall, it takes appreciable effort to climb to the ridge from the Notch trailhead, together with a number of stream crossings, and a achieve of 3000′ of elevation over the gap of three.2 miles. The complete distance and elevation achieve of this loop is 8.9 miles w/3900′ of elevation achieve.
The Loop
- Falling Waters Trail: 3.2 miles w/3050′ of elevation achieve
- Franconia Ridge Trail: 1.7 miles w/850′ of elevation achieve
- Greenleaf Trail: 1.1 miles
- Old Bridle Path: 2.9 miles
When I hiked this route on Dec fifth, I used to be accompanied by two common mountaineering buddies who’re very skilled winter hikers. We all carried a number of types of traction, together with crampons, ski masks, full face safety to stop frostbite, a number of glove layers, and a group of mid-layers and jackets that we may combine and match relying on the circumstances up high. That, along with insulated water bottles, meals, emergency gear, navigation instruments, and satellite tv for pc messengers is the sort of stuff you wish to keep it up a hike like this. While I’ve been up on the ridge in winter circumstances a half-dozen occasions earlier than, it’s not a hike that I take without any consideration and one which I’d by no means wish to do alone.
We didn’t actually know what the climate or path circumstances can be like up on the ridge as a result of so few folks have been up it just lately. The AMC Hut positioned partway up Mt Lafayette is closed for the season and there have been only a few journey stories posted on New England Trail Conditions which is the place winter hikers within the Whites share beta about path circumstances.
But, I’d been monitoring a possible climate window for just a few days and it seemed like we’d have a 1-day climate window to climb Lincoln and Lafayette in cheap climate. That meant sunny skies, temperatures close to 20F with a 20mph breeze which is known as a good forecast. In actuality, I believe the winds had been in all probability nearer to 30 mph primarily based on how a lot we had been getting pushed round up high. But for the wind, the climate circumstances had been primo. We had nice views and blue skies.
We met at 8:00 AM on the Falling Waters Trailhead in Franconia Notch, which might allow us to hike your complete loop in daylight. Our group consisted of myself, Tom who’ve I’ve finished 5 or 6 massive hikes with throughout this previous 12 months, and Wanda who writes articles for SectionHiker and whom I’ve been mountaineering with since round 2017. They’re each top-notch when it comes to expertise, expertise, and common sense and it’s very easy to hike with them.
After just a few water crossings, we began up the Falling Waters Trail to Little Haystack Mountains, on the level the place we’d pop above treeline. This path climbs steadily till its reaches a aspect path to Shining Rock, simply over 4000′. In heat climate, it’s good to comply with the aspect path to this enormous cliff face and an important viewpoint.
We took a brief meals and water break and turned into our above treeline garb, positioning our face safety gear the place it’d be simply accessible if required. I swapped out my skinny fleece gloves for a lot fluffier ones and Gore-tex Mitten shells to cowl them with. I took off my wind shell and placed on my laborious shell, which has an adjustable hood, wrist cuffs, and pit zips. I placed on my sun shades and checked to see that my North25 balaclava was simply accessible together with my ski masks. Then got here the ultimate ascent.
We climbed the subsequent 500′ straight up on ice that obtained thicker underfoot the upper we climbed. Before leaving treeline, we agreed to satisfy behind the massive boulder on the high of Litte Haystack which is an efficient windbreak the place you may relaxation, change layers, or have meals and water. I used to be the primary to pop above treeline and into sensible sunshine. The wind appeared mellow and the views had been attractive.
We regrouped round that boulder and obtained ourselves organized for the ridge stroll. The solar was shining brightly so my buddies placed on sunscreen and heavy sun shades after which we set out alongside the ridge path, encountering heavy ice nearly instantly. Our Hillsound Trail Crampons had been enough however full crampons wouldn’t have been overkill: we simply didn’t wish to cease and alter into them simply but. The downside with mountaineering this time of 12 months is that you just encounter a mix of rock, snow, and ice so most individuals hike with what are known as their “rock spikes” that are already overwhelmed up and duller than what you’d put on later within the season. I compensated by stomping my toes more durable on the ice to get a greater chew. A little bit butt-sliding additionally helped.
Once we had been out within the open, the wind actually picked up. The forecast had known as for winds from the southwest, so we thought we’d have the wind at our backs on the ridge. But the wind was coming from due west as an alternative and hitting the left aspect of my face. It was sturdy sufficient to blow us round on the ice and I used to be involved that my face would get frostbiten. My buddies additionally needed to don face safety.
But first, we wanted to get a break from the wind. There are clumps of vegetation alongside the ridge path so we stopped after we obtained to at least one under Lincoln and placed on our face safety. Naturally, all of us had totally different gear for this. Wanda used an OuterU masks that lined her nostril and higher cheeks. Tom used a Serius neoprene balaclava and I used a wool North 25 balaclava, which is the perfect system I’ve discovered to this point that forestalls my glasses from fogging. After a fast buddy verify to verify we had been all correctly lined up, we set off to complete the climb up Lincoln.
From there, the ridge stroll went fairly easily, we topped the height, and hiked down the opposite aspect earlier than climbing as much as the summit of Lafayette. The wind didn’t let up besides after we hiked behind rock outcroppings or vegetation.
I had Tom snap just a few footage of me on the Lafayette signal since this was my five hundredth summit on the Grid, which is a serious milestone that folks mountaineering the Grid wish to rejoice. It’s known as the five hundred Club. But, there’s loads of mountaineering left in these remaining 76 peaks to complete the checklist.
The wind was nonetheless blowing so we determined to hike down Lafayette and take a break on the AMC’s Greenleaf Hut as an alternative of attempting to eat lunch on the high. The hut is closed for the season, nevertheless it makes a fairly good windbreak.
It may be troublesome to comply with the Greenleaf Trail down from Lafayette as a result of the cairns marking the highest of the path are complicated. If you’ve been following the information these days, somebody died as a result of they missed this flip or the one under it, which can also be laborious to see, and hiked down right into a ravine the place they froze to demise. They had been mountaineering solo on a nasty climate day and so they weren’t terribly nicely geared up, however even very skilled hikers have issues following this part of path. I believed I’d misplaced it on the best way down (I used to be main), however we discovered it once more buried underneath wind slab additional down.
The remainder of this hike glided by fairly shortly. We made good time to the hut, had our snack, and headed down the Old Bridle Path. It had fairly heavy ice as a result of it’s normally a reasonably moist path, nevertheless it simply required due care to descend.
As you may think about, this hike was a giant milestone for me and I’m glad I used to be capable of share it with my mountaineering buddies. Onward and by all means.
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