posted
Today I went on my longest dayhike yet, a loop in Franconia Notch up the Flume Slide Trail to summit Mt Flume, across the Franconia Ridge Trail to Mt Liberty, then descending on the Liberty Springs trail.
I arrived in the parking lot at 12:09, switched to my trail shoes (I use the trail shoes from Pearl Izumi as I find hiking boots too heavy and the footing not as good). Put on my backpacked, snapped it up, and set off. The first bit is very, very boring. It's mostly flat for a little over a mile as you head from the parking lot to the Whitehouse Trail, then over the stupid bike path, and then it intersects with Liberty Springs trail. A mile into it and I'm getting bored. I can still hear the highway.
After a half mile on Liberty Springs, it junctions with the Flume Slide Trail on the right. I take off onto it.
It's flat. And boring. Did I mention boring? I jogged a lot, the incline didn't increase much for 2.6 miles. Why is there such a long, boring part? Because of the tourist attraction known as the Flume Gorge, the most direct approach to Mt Flume has been take away from hikers.
Anyway. I lope along until the trail crosses a brook several times, then starts up the base of the Flume Slide. This is an ancient rock slide that scars the side of Mt. Flume.
The first bit is easy, scrambling up the rocks and gravel.
Then you hit a headwall. I hit it at 2:00 pm.
O_o
Then you're rock climbing over granite slick from seep springs. While it took me just shy of two hours to cover the first four miles, it takes me another hour to reach the junction with Franconia Ridge Trail, with .1 miles to the Mt Flume summit.
But let me backtrack. Halfway up the ledges, I misstep, slip on some wet rock, and start sliding down. I grab a tree and hold myself up, but smack my shin on a rock corner. Ow.
I kept going. 3/4 ths of the way up, I lose the trail. How the hell did I lose the trail? I lost track of the blue blazes on the granite and well...yeah. So I bushwhacked for probably one or two tenths of a mile and found the trail again. Went on up.
Summited Mt Flume. Holy crap, it's all exposed and the trail is very close to the edges with sheer drops to the trees and rocks below. The trees look like GRASS. o_O
Then it's an easy 1.2 mile lope over to the Mt. Liberty summit, losing and gaining just 300 ft in altitude. At one point, I figured it safer to walk instead of jog or run, so I slow down.
Five seconds later, while WALKING, I trip and fall. I land on my hip and shoulder, so I'm okay and pissy that I fell while WALKING.
So I ran again.
I summited Mt. Liberty at 3:55. At 4:05, after scarfing a Luna bar and some fruit leather stuff (the "natural" version of a fruit roll up), I head down the Ridge Trail for .2 (or .1?) miles to descend on the Liberty Springs trail. 3.7 miles left and I start down. I tend to practically fly down and pass many folks. I pass a few Labor Day vacationers wearing sneakers and carrying no gear about halfway down the mountain. They're going up and they're really beat already, commenting that they're only halfway there (and the really steep part hadn't started for them yet).
I continue down. When it hits flat again, I break into a sprint, then down to a jog.
By 5:29, I'm back in the parking lot and visiting the outhouse. Ahhhh.
So that was 10.3 miles on that loop. I don't think I'll do the Slide trail again. The rock climbing was great fun, but it's a long, BORING hike to get there. The other loop in Franconia Notch is much more rewarding (one that I'd happily do again).
So here I am. I'm safe. I had entertained thoughts of putting my safety completely to the wind, not being careful at all, not caring about what happened, but I changed my mind. *shrug* I kept having images of falling down and it would just HURT too much. And with my luck, I'd live through it.
Pictures tomorrow. The day was clear, with white puffy clouds, and NO haze. Awesome views.
posted
Sounds exhausting mac. But the views must have been worth it, and, even though I now couldn't quite do what you were able to (do they have bunny trails?) it sounded like a great workout as well.
[ August 31, 2003, 10:44 PM: Message edited by: Erik Slaine ]
Posts: 1843 | Registered: Aug 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I'll add to the voices who want to see the photos.
Those mental images of yourself falling are terrible. I have them every time I'm up high and I feel the slightest bit unsafe. It's not fun.
And that stretch of flat area sounds like any "hiking" that can be done around here. Only there's no nice mountain at the end of it. Posts: 4292 | Registered: Jan 2001
| IP: Logged |
Wes and I spent Sunday in the outdoor store scouting gear, we've decided to take our hobby of short little day hikes into some more serious backpacking and camping.
We're gonna start with some car camping to introduce the older children to the outdoors, then move up into backpacking and primitive camping for the two of us.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
OTOH, I need the pictures because it's time for new wallpaper. I think this time I'll pick one that doesn't give me vertigo every time I clear my screen of open windows, though. Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Mack, Thank you for posting your hikes, and your hiking speed. They make me feel like I have exercised after I read them.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Glad you were at your clumsiest AWAY from the sheer cliffs! O_o Funny how the ground can reach up and get you sometimes *grin*
Sorry it wasn't everything you expected, but it still sounds pretty thrilling to me. Can't wait to see the pictures. Posts: 1777 | Registered: Jan 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
My family went hiking today. It wasn't a hard hike unless you're an unhealthy character. The view was really nice and it was fun to hang out with my family. The scary part was rock climbing on the monument on top of Ensign peak and having wasps or something considering my hands(which were helping to support me). The monument isn't user friendly either(it fails to accomadate for foot and handholds, etc..), and it's really tall.
Posts: 14 | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
That really looks amazing. I'd be a bit nervous up there. I found this one particularly breathtaking. I'm very jealous, here in Southeastern Wisconsin...
Posts: 4292 | Registered: Jan 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Those are amazing pics!! I loved the green cliffside shots! I'm uninformed, but where IS that mountain? I mean, what state are you in?
Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
the White Mountains in NH. Mount Liberty and Mount Flume are the two southernmost peaks in the Franconias.
Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Cool]](cool.gif)
![[Grumble]](graemlins/grumble.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
Yay! Will try to wait patiently.
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
![[Party]](graemlins/party.gif)
![[Hail]](graemlins/hail.gif)
![[Hat]](graemlins/hat.gif)
Thank you!![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
