Lafayette almost to Liberty

[Mohamed Ellozy]

Today was a gorgeous day, and I decided a bit late that I would do a "big" (for me in my current state) hike today. Up Old Bridle Path & Greenleaf to Lafayette, and across the ridge. When I reached Little Haystack I knew that I wanted to continue. But when I reached the Liberty Spring trail I decided that was as far as I would go; I was running out of daylight and out of energy.

Going down I took the old logging road that meets the bike path just a bit south of the Basin, and as it was late in the day decided to take the bike path instead of the Pemi Trail. The logging road to the Basin probably saved me about a mile, take a good look at a recent map and you will see what I mean (the road starts where the trail makes a hairpin turn about 0.2 miles below the junction with the Flume Slide Trail).

 

[Bob Kittredge]

Mo,

What's the section of Franconia Ridge between Little Haystack and Liberty like? I've never done it. Any views? Pleasant woods walk? Good footing? Easy to follow?

Hey, do you have any interest in doing Mount Tremont with me this Friday? I'm going up to do some trailwork on the section between Tremont and Owl's Cliff, and I'd be grateful just for some company.

Cheers, Bob K

 

[Lovetohike]

Bob:
I'm not sure what Mohamed will say, but on a somewhat recent hike I found the section between Little Haystack and Liberty pretty tedious. The footing is fine and all, but there are no views and you're pretty closed in even though you're on a ridge. I guess you could call it a moderately pleasant woods walk.

Mohamed:
The hike I did was almost identical to yours. Thanks for the tip about that logging road. On the trip I took I spotted a bike at the Flume parking lot and returned to OBP trailhead that way, but knowing about that road is a good option (I could have left the bike at the Basin...) After doing the section between Little Haystack and Liberty once, on subsequent trips I would opt to go back and forth on the section between Lafayette and Little Haystack if I had the time rather than add on that very closed in ridge section.

 

[Mohamed Ellozy]

Logging road

Thanks for the tip about that logging road.

I should probably have noted that the logging road is overgrown, and that following it requires a little care at times. Also it peters out before reaching the bike path, and I have not yet figured out any landmarks at its lower end.

In winter it is occasionally broken out, which makes it a no-brainer to follow!

 

[arghman]

What's the section of Franconia Ridge between Little Haystack and Liberty like? I've never done it. Any views? Pleasant woods walk? Good footing? Easy to follow?

nice woods walk, remarkably level for a col between peaks, little/no views east of Little Haystack summit. (But then again, the crowds of Ridge hikers disappear also.) The end near Little Haystack is slightly steep. Middle part is a bit boggy due to terrain flatness.