Franconia Ridge - 4/13/09

Since finishing the 4000 Footers, I’ve been really excited to get back to a certain few places. The Franconia Ridge was at the very top of this list. The first time I was on The Ridge (May ‘08) it was on a very cloudy day. In fact once above treeline, I couldn’t see much of anything, especially not the views I'd heard so much about. So with the goal of soaking these sights in, I set off on a bright, sunny morning with hardly a cloud in the sky.

After getting geared up in the parking lot I set off on the Old Bridle Path. This particular trail is one of my favorites. Built in 1852 as a path for horses, hence it’s name, the lower section is fairly flat and makes for a great warm-up walk through some lovely forest. The going gets a little tougher, and at around the 2 mile mark you come out on a series of ledges with incredible views across Walker Ravine to the peaks along the ridge. After this you ascend the steep little humps along what is known as Agony Ridge. It received this name from the AMC crews that must pack heavy loads of supplies up to Greenleaf Hut. The hut is reached at 2.7 miles and sits right below treeline next to the Eagle Lakes. After taking a refueling break here, I strapped on my crampons, knowing to expect a mix of ice, snow, and rock once in the alpine zone.

Mt. Lafayette rises over the Greenleaf hut

About an hour after reaching the hut I had climbed the mile up the summit cone to the top of Mt. Lafayette. As expected, and forecasted, the wind was very strong today and it was much more so up here. I did however get every bit of the view I was denied on my previous trip here. The view off toward Mt. Washington was amazing, as was the sight of the snow-covered dome of Moosilauke, but the true gem was the greatest perspective of the Pemi Wilderness I’ve ever seen. I especially loved looking off toward the Bonds. I had to duck behind a large rock after snapping a few pictures every minute or so to avoid being frozen in the wind, but it was worth it.

Trail signs atop Lafayette

After finishing with the pictures, I suited up in some more appropriate clothing and set off along the spine of the Franconia Ridge. This is an exhilarating traverse with wide-open views the entire way. After a mile you come to the top of Mt. Lincoln, with a great view back to Lafayette and Flume and Liberty now come into view. A short walk later and I was at the junction with the Falling Waters Trail atop Little Haystack. I looked back, getting my last glimpses from the ridge for the day, before descending down the trail into the trees. This trail is fairly steep and makes quick work of getting back down while passing by some nice waterfalls. Not long after beginning the hike down I arrived at these falls and, shortly thereafter, my car. I was glad I had waited for a great day to get back up on the Ridge. I enjoyed it the first time but truly appreciated it this time. Now I’d like to get back up there and see it when it isn’t covered in snow. Shouldn’t be long now.

The Franconia Ridge seen from Lafayette

View of Mt. Washington and the Twin-Bond Range

Mt. Monroe - 3/25/09 The Big Four Eight

The weather forecast for my days off this week was looking great, and it proved to be even better in reality. I set off around 9 AM for the Cog Railway base station - the winter trailhead for the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail - under warm, sunny conditions. I arrived, strapped on the pack, and set off on the trail. On the drive in the "Ammo" Ravine looks pretty steep and slightly daunting, but it was a really nice walk. The first mile or so is relatively easy going. Then you arrive at the Gem Pool, from then on the trail is quite steep. This where the vast majority of your elevation is gained. I took a short rest, strapped on my crampons, and was set out for the Lakes of the Clouds hut.

The Ammonoosuc Ravine

After climbing up through the woods, you slowly come out above treeline. The summit cone of Mt. Washington comes into view off to the Northeast and a broad view opens up behind you. The hut, closed in winter, comes into view ahead. The hut sits in a col between Mts. Washington and Monroe, beside two small alpine tarns (glacial ponds), with Washington being 1.4 miles away and Monroe being .3 miles out. This area is normally pounded by high winds nearly constantly, this being obvious by the roof-high snow drifts on the hut.

Snow-covered Lakes of the Clouds hut

The snow is rather compacted and incredibly icy, making crampons and ice axes required gear (as well as sunscreen, so I found out). Setting off for the summit of Mt. Monroe, I began the steep, icy climb upward. I also met a group of backcountry skiers, who jumped off the East side of Monroe and skied down into Oakes Gulf. It was pretty impressive, to say the least.

Summit cone of Mt. Monroe seen from the roof of the hut

The conditions up there where almost unheard of for these particular mountains. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the wind never picked up to more than a light breeze. The views seemed to never end. I could not have asked for a better day to finish my 4000 Footers, and while I felt accomplishment to have finished them, the prevailing emotion was that of excitement to get back out to these awe-inspiring places.

View Southwest from Monroe, Franconia Ridge are the white-capped mountains in the back


Lakes of the Clouds hut and Mt. Washington


View Larger Map

Mt. Moriah: Round 2 - 3/17/09

What better way to spend a beautiful St. Patrick's Day than atop a mountain? I couldn't think of one so I decided to attempt to climb Mt. Moriah again. I arrived at the trailhead to find that the snow on the trail was packed solid, meaning I wouldn't even need snowshoes this time. A world of difference from the last time I had tried this path.

The Presidentials from summit ledge of Moriah

I made it up and over Mt. Surprise in good time and soon passed the spot where I had turned around on the previous trip. From this point the trail goes over a few PUDs (Pointless Ups and Downs) and over a couple false summits before reaching the small ledge at the actual summit. Here I sat on the bare ledge, had a quick lunch in the sun, and gazed off toward the Carter Range and the Presidentials.

USGS benchmark at summit

I snapped a few pictures of the 360 degree panoramic view from this vantage point before setting off for the car again. See you next time, for what will hopefully be the completion of my 4000 Footers list!

View toward the Northeast

Mt. Moriah Attempt #1 - 2/25/09

As one who enjoys hiking, I spend a fair amount of time reading trip reports and trail conditions online. I frequently read reports of people being turned back during there hikes for various reasons, mostly weather-related, before reaching their destination. Fortunately I’ve yet to be forced to cut a hike short. This lucky streak ended on this particular trek.

I had decided to hike up Mt. Moriah via the Carter-Moriah Trail from Gorham on this crystal clear day. A few days before the hike we had a rather large snowstorm, I thought I would save myself a huge amount of effort breaking trail and give it an extra day for other people to pack out the trail. However, upon arriving at the trailhead I found that it hadn’t been touched since the snowfall. Trail breaking is incredibly strenuous and is usually done in groups, with the leader breaking trail for a while before stepping to the side and going to the back of the line, and the next person in line does the same, and so on. The prospect of breaking out the 4.5 mile (9, round trip) trail by myself was not at all appealing, but it was a beautiful day and I didn’t want to have driven up there for nothing. I decided I’d give it a go.

A lower (not-so-deep) section of unbroken trail

From the start the snow was about 2 feet deep and the indentations from the trail could be seen clearly. While this made for easy route finding, the stomping through the snow was getting tiring quickly. The trail ascends over a minor hump called Mt. Surprise before climbing up the main peak of Moriah. After a little more than a mile, the muscles in my legs where already getting worked heavily. I had almost decided that I would turn around upon reaching Mt. Surprise when I remembered the ”rest step”, and put it into action. The “rest step” is a method of hiking that allows your legs to rest while you walk. This is done by locking the knee of the rearmost leg while the other leg is moving forward. Locking the knee takes all the weight off the muscles and puts it on the bones instead, allowing the muscles to rest for a brief moment. While I find this method too slow and “clunky” for warm-weather hiking, it seemed to work really well in this application. I came to the summit of Mt. Surprise and thanks to the newfound energy I decided to continue. By this point, however, the snow had already become quite drifted, erasing any sign of the trail and was around 4 feet deep. After another mile and a half, my legs begged me to turn around. I had to agree with them after it took around 20 minutes to gain only a tenth of a mile. I turned around and began the painful 3 and a half mile trudge out. Since I was the only traveler on that particular trail that day, it was almost as hard hiking back though all that snow as it was the first time. Needless to say, I don't think I was ever so happy to see my car.

View from Mt. Surprise ledges

While it was a shame to not get to the top on such a gorgeous day, I was still rewarded with some great semi-panoramic views off to the North and to the West to the Northern Presidentials from the ledges around the top of Mt. Surprise. Moriah will still be there the next time. See you then!


View Larger Map