Franconia Ridge Traverse

Franconia Ridge Traverse

July 12, 2008

Today we joined BigEarl and Trail Trotter for a hike across Franconia Ridge. We met at the Tramway parking lot at Cannon Mountain a little after 7 and by 7:15 were on our way to the Greenleaf trail head.

Geri led us into the woods as we started up the Greenleaf trail which is rocky at the start. The trail climbs quickly until it levels out at Eagle Pass. Just after the Pass we encountered an area with thick green moss that looked inviting for a nap.

After Eagle Pass the trail starts a series of swithcbacks that lead to the hut. Here we filled out water bottles andhelped lighten Earl's load of homemade beef jerky - very tasty! After a quick check on the weather - clouds with 93% humidity we were off to Lafayette.

Near the summit we met Jeremy, aka Rocket21 who was descending having already made it over Lincoln and Lafayette. Soon we were on the summit and were please to find it not too crowded. We started our descent on the ridge towards Lincoln, stopping along the way for photos and discussions of skiing the steep slides. Unlike Lafayette, the summit of Lincoln was crowded so we found a nice place just past it for a quick lunch.

After a quick call to HikerBob, who was sitting on Liberty having summitted both it and Flume we were off. Next up we passed over Little Haystack where we saw close to 50 people, along with a Forest Ranger keeping watch over things and educating hikers on the Alpine Zone. After leaving the summit, the trail dips down into the woods as it follows the ridge towards Liberty. We ran into more people that we have seen before on this section, and a very photogenic Grouse. It took us @ 2 hours at a comfortable pace before we were on Liberty's summit.

More photos and a short rest on Liberty and we headed out for our last summit of the day. Shortly after leaving the top we ran into LarryD and his wife. We hike Mt Jefferson this past Winter with Larry. Off again we quickly made our way the short mile to Flume where we enjoyed the cooling breeze coming up the slopes.

From here it was all downhill as we descended the Osseo trail. We signs of recent trail work and what looked liked the clearing of many blowdowns. A trail runner, Jason, passed us in a blur as he was on his way to a 10:09 hour loop of the Pemi. The trail has numerous ladders that make the decsent over steep rocky areas easier. After the ladders the trail starts a gentle grade as it makes it's way down to the Wilderness trail.

As we started our last leg we saw Leaf and Matts who were just starting out on Leaf's second loop of the Pemi - what a strong women she is! Here Bob and Sue decided it was time to stretch the legs a bit and started a quick jog back to the parking lot, with an all out sprint at the end.

In the parking lot we found HikerBob waiting for us with a cooler of cold drinks. Next we say Ginny who was waiting for Mike and their neighbors to come out. They were supporting Leaf and had been out to Bondcliff.

We ended the day with drinks and mexican food in Lincoln before heading back to our cars. What a nice day - great views, wonderful company, pleasant memories.

Length of Hike: 11 hours

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