Franconia Ridge Loop, Sept ’18 and July ’19
Total Distance: 8.6 mi
Total Elevation Gain: 3,822 ft
This is the classic White Mountains hike, and for good reason.
This was also my first introduction to the White Mountains. Shortly after I moved to Boston, I decided I needed to check out the mountain range that was only a short 2 hour drive away. After minimal googling it wasn’t hard to figure out what hike to do – nearly every post recommended Franconia.
So, in September of 2018, my friend and I headed up to Lincoln, NH and stayed in The Notch Hostel the night before our hike. That night, we sat around a campfire and listened to some through-hikers talk about their Appalachian Trail experiences, all the while getting us amped for our own hike the next day.
Given that this was such a popular hike, we got up at 6am in order to get a parking spot and get on the trail early. We did the loop clockwise, starting out on Old Bridle Path and hiking first to Mt Lafayette, the tallest point on the trail. I loved going this direction because you’re above the treeline for a good portion of the climb up. So while it’s a brutally steep hike, at least you have stunning views all around to keep you occupied.
The summit of Lafayette was extremely windy and the clouds were rolling in and out, but the views along the ridge line were still incredibly picturesque. We made our way across to the summits of Lincoln and Little Haystack and finally, back down the Falling Waters Trail.
This trail absolutely kicked out butts – after driving back to Boston the same day we were in bed by 8pm. However, I now understood why everyone was suggesting this hike, its a quick, hard climb to reach some unforgettable views.
That’s why when I organized a trip to the White Mountains with a few of my coworkers, I was excited to go back to the Franconia Notch region and do this hike again.
Perhaps my desire for another early start took a few of my coworkers by surprise, but they were good sports and we all piled into the car by 6:30am. We reversed the hike this time, going counterclockwise up Falling Waters Trail, in order to spread out the elevation a bit more. It was again a partly cloudy day, but at times the clouds would break and it felt like you could see for miles.
It was so fun being with my friends and, for some, this was their first major hike. When we were sitting at the top of Lafayette eating lunch together, I realized I’d never hiked with a big group of people before that wasn’t my family. It felt a little different, but it was fun to be expanding my circle of potential hiking partners.
This hike was just as hard the second time around, but luckily for us, that afternoon turned into a beautiful sunny day and we found ourselves lounging in a river back in town.
This trail has now given me so many fond memories – my first introduction the Whites and my friends’ first introduction to the Whites. And I can safely say that the internet was right, this is a hike worth doing.
Trail Leader Travels 