Lafayette loop: Up OBP, down Greeenleaf

[Mohamed Ellozy]

This is probably my most frequent way of doing Lafayette alone. Parked at climber's lot as Old Man Viewing lot still has 10 minute maximum parking. Walked down to Lafayette Campground. Trip uneventful, but when I reached Eagle Pass I tried to take some pictures that might show the magic of the mossy, ferny area. Not much luck, but I found a couple of spots of snow in depressions in the mossy area:

Eagle Pass, June 4, 2010​

[Added]
For those who are not aware, the Greenleaf Trail passes just a hundred odd yards above the Old Man Viewing lot. In fact, that is where the trail originally started. It is just a short bushwhack through wide open woods to the parking lot. There are several herd paths, the best of which is the original trail. But even if you do not follow them, the bushwhack is trivial.

There are two advantages to bailing out at the old Man Viewing. If, like me today, you are doing the OBP/Greenleaf loop with one car you save over a mile of walking. In any case, the 0.6 miles from the Old Man Viewing area to the trailhead are very unpleasant ... rocky, rooty with many small ups and downs at the end of a long hike.

Also saved about 0.3 miles by taking the original OBP, which (I believe) is the way the Croo get to the hut.
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[Mohamed Ellozy]

Finally wrote up the blog entry with more pictures: Mount Lafayette, June 4, 2010.