The Franconia Ridge Loop: Cold, rainy, and spectacular
Rainy weather is never ideal when you are hiking. It makes the rocks slippery, the views impossible to see, and you end up freezing and wet. This was the mindset I had going into my hike on the Franconia Ridge loop with my friend Reece.
The eleven-mile loop (we accidentally added a few miles when we took a side trail to find a lookout) features three different mountains, and all three of them are over 4,000 ft in elevation. Two out of the three mountains were the namesakes for cabins that I had stayed in at sleep away camp, so I needed to complete this hike. The forecast had seemed promising in the days leading up to the hike, but the morning of, a huge storm rolled in, and I knew we were in for a dreary hike.
The drive up once we were in the mountains was unbelievable, it was like nothing I has ever seen. The mountains jutted up from both sides of the road and in the horizon were even more mountains as far as the eye could see. Parking was easy, even with the lot being almost full. The attendants in the lot were very kind, they gave us a map, directions, and good luck.
There are outhouses at the base, but that’s as much as you get for amenities, so be prepared. We took the trail through falling waters first, hoping the weather would clear by the time we began our descent down old bridle path so we could see the views from the cliffs. The weather changes quickly on the ridge, so be prepared for anything. Instead of checking the weather on your weather app, check the weather from the Mt. Washington Weather tower.
Once we had begun really hiking up the trail, we began to see why everyone in New England wants to complete this hike. The first trail you take is falling waters which follows a river all the way up to a magnificent water fall, which is a great place to stop for a snack, or if you had a late start, a lunch as well.
After another few hours of hiking, we finally made it past the tree line and onto the ridge. At this point, we had made friends with a few college students, and once we made it there, the weather became too much for them and they turned back. We were about to do the same, but I was determined to finish this hike.
We were worried about lightning and the strong winds, so we rushed through the first peak and began the second pretty quickly. The ridge line is small and almost a knife’s edge, so we had to be careful, especially because it was slippery. Because of all the excitement and fear, Reece and I had forgotten to look around. We had expected the view to just be fog, but we were very wrong. We had risen above the clouds and could now see all of our surroundings. I had never seen anything like this view.
From Lincoln, the hike up to Lafayette is grueling, but so worth it. You can see the peak of Lafayette the entire time that you are hiking towards it, so you can see the progress you are making, which is both a good thing, and a bad thing. The hike is rocky and steep, but every step you take gives you a slightly different perspective on your view and the world around you, so I didn’t care how long it was taking us, I was just so happy to be there.
The summit of Lafayette is over 5000 ft. tall. I have never been on a mountain with that high of elevation, and it was spectacular. The fog had rolled back in, but at that point, I didn’t care. We had made it to the top and it was beautiful and amazing. There were quite a few other people up at the top with us, but we had to begin our descent down to the moment we had been waiting for for most of the hike: The AMC hut.
The AMC huts are huts with warm food and drinks for hikers, as well as bunks and amenities for people who are completing a multi-day journey. They are run by the Appalachian Mountain Club and there are several in service today. I had never been to one, so I didn’t know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised.
When we came across the hut, I’m not going to lie, I did cry a little. I was so cold and had just run out of water. I filled my bottle using the tap they installed outside, and we made out way into the hut. It was slightly crowded with hikers around the world, but everyone was kind enough to move over to make room for Reece and me. We bought tea, brownies, and soft pretzels, which were all a dollar and we made our way back to the table. A mother was playing her guitar for her two young boys sitting next her her, and everyone in the hut was listening and enjoying the music.
Everyone there was so kind, I was so happy to be there, but I knew we needed to leave. The hike down was so beautiful, filled with cliffs, still above the clouds. I was so grateful to have had the experience of the Franconia Notch Loop and the AMC hut.
The ride home was filled with a lot of singalongs, McDonalds, and rain. This day that began so poorly ended up being one of the best days ever. These stories and memories I made during this hike are ones I will be telling for years. If you ever make if up to the Franconia Ridge loop, I hope that you have just as wonderful of an experience as I did.
For Those Who Wander 