#1 & #2 Lincoln(5089), Lafeyette(5260') October 10,2011:

10/10/2011 (Columbus Day)  - Mt Lincoln(5089’ AMC # 5) & Mt Lafayette (5260’, AMC # 6)

 Franconia Ridge Loop counterclockwise.  From Old Bridle Path Trail Head to Falling Water trail up to Little Haystack (over 4k but not one of the 48), across Franconia Ridge Trail  to Mt Lincoln across Franconia Ridge to Mt Lafayette, down Green Leaf Trail to Greenleaf Hut, down Old Bridle Path to The trailhead.  8.9 miles,   3,900 ft elevation gain, book time: 6:25

My time 07:00 (daylight) to  19:00(dark)  12.0 hrs  Hardest part was last 500 ft up to Little Haystack.  I kept telling myself  “ I don’t belong here, I don’t belong here", and I was probably right. 

Some nice views of falls going up Falling Water. Great views on top of all 3 peaks.

Weather:  clear 50 deg +, 20 - 30 knt wind on top of Lafayette. No snow on ground yet or even on Washington. Hurt my knee on the  way down Bridle Path and had to limp last 2-3 hrs. Last 1 ½ hours in darkness with a flashlight

Equipment:  Heavy wooden hiking stick (duh), and slip on shoes with no ankle support.  I brought an old pair of hiking shoes but after 10 minutes I realized I’d get blisters and went back to the car for my only other pair of shoes.  I met  my friend Jeff from work and his family on top of Lincoln, they were doing the loop clockwise.  Jeff is the reason I started all this . He told me about the hike he was doing with his family this weekend.  Since my breathing was getting better and better since my lung operation,  I figured I'd give it a try.  Once on the ridge looking over the whites on this blue sky day, I was hooked.  I think I was also hooked just for the fact that it was so hard for me to do and the satisfaction that I got from finding that I could do this.

Hundreds of hikers on the mountain (and at least 10 dogs). This was my first hike of any  real distance and elevation since the Marines decades ago. 

Pictures:

Falls going up Falling Water trail

 

view of Mt Cannon

Last section of trail going up Little Haystack

 (I used to think this was steep)

Within site of the top - I'm resting trying to get my breath.

 

Top of Haystack - though not one of the "48",

it was my first peak over 4k

 

Looking south to Liberty  and Flume

 

on Lincoln looking North to Lafeyette

 

 

 

 

 

 

#2 Lafeyette Summit picture - trail signs on top

View North

old foundation of ??

Inside Green Leaf hut below Lafeyette.

bunk room in the hut

 

looking back at Lafeyette from Greenleaf Hut

hikers starting into wooded section of the trail in lower right

From view point part way down Old Bridle Path trail

 

 

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