Climb Into The Clouds - Hiking The Franconia Notch Ridgeline Loop

The strangers seemed like hidden ghosts of the mountains that would pop up to scare me and disappear just as quickly as they arrived. I would be left alone again to wander through the clouds.

THE FRANCONIA NOTCH RIDGELINE

OH MY GOD - My hike through the White Mountains in New Hampshire was and still is one of my favorite hikes that I have been on to date.

I have been curious about Franconia ever since my first overnight hike with Jason Morena in the Catksills in October 2019. It has been in the back of my mind but since then, I have spent most of my time either in the Catskills or Adirondacks in New York. Since I never managed to explore beyond that, I did some research and found a solid 11 mile loop to explore with interesting peak features that I was very eager to see for myself.

THE FORECAST WAS A LIE

In mid September 2020, I set out for a few days and left Long Island to make the drive north to New Hampshire. I picked some days where the sun would be shining because I was most excited about seeing the Ridgeline connecting Little Haystack Mountain, Lincoln and Lafayette. I started my hike at about 4am before the sun rose and spent the next two hours climbing up a scramble from the trailhead to Mount Liberty.

THE VIEW

Well it’s safe to say I was just a little confused when the sun started to rise. As I reached the peak of the first mountain on the trail, I was greeted not by the cool 65ºF and sunny weather I was expecting but by a windy 40ºF rain storm and clouds as far as the eye could see.

THE BOXING MATCH

After the surprise of the weather wore off, I actually became quite excited about the possibility of there being moody fog and a melancholy vibe on the mountain peaks. I am somebody who absolutely loves foggy weather because it creates such a mysterious and peaceful mood over the landscapes that it happens in.

I had only read a little bit about this mountain range before I made this trip and the harsh weather conditions were mentioned in several different articles and hiker excerpts. I figured there would be a bit of wind and a sprinkling of water but I was definitely in for a shock once I reached the Ridgeline. After a quick stop on Mount Liberty for a hearty breakfast of vegan chili and instant coffee (lol), I picked up my pace and started making my way towards Little Haystack Mountain. After around 30 minutes, I left the high trees and found myself in the Alpine Zone. For those that don’t know, (and I didn’t know), Alpine is defined as the area where trees are 8 feet tall or less. In the White Mountains, this occurs at a relatively low elevation because of the harsh weather.

The wind was so harsh that he clouds and thick fog were pouring UP and OVER the mountain like a waterfall flowing in reverse. It was mind blowing to see but it was beautiful at the same time. I absolutely loved the scenery but trying to walk through it felt more like a boxing match with mother nature rather than a nice hike through the sky!

PROPER GEAR

Every time I hike I’m able to push myself further and further. My body gets used to the strain on my muscles pretty quickly and my breath starts to match my pace as I climb into the clouds. I have been loving this and the more I research different trails, peaks, and mountain ranges the more excited I get. Proper gear helps me out a lot when I’m trying to make a cup of coffee on a mountain and keep my camera gear safe and dry... and also keep me safe and dry! I am using a lightweight windbreaker from Northface that I have been using for over a year as well as an Osprey 40L backpack and waterproof boots from Columbia. Everything must be high quality and protect both me and my gear and so far all has been well.

ECCENTRIC ENVIRONMENT

Growing up, my trips off of Long Island were mostly to upstate New York to ski in the winter. The furthest I’ve traveled to ski has been Vermont (Literally the state next door) so the unique landscape of New Hampshire was an exciting ordeal. I have gotten very used to huge tall pine trees and thick greenery traveling within the Adirondacks and Catskills so the almost bare mountain peaks, low plants and lichen were a sight to behold.

Since there were no tall trees or bushes to hide behind I expected to see some other hikers along the trail. With limited visibility, it was easy to zone out and get in my head but once every few hours a stranger would appear out of the fog and startle me. They seemed like hidden ghosts of the mountains that would pop up to scare me and disappear just as quickly as they arrived. I would be left alone again to wander through the clouds.

APPALACHIAN TRAIL & THE GREENLEAF HUT

The Appalachian Trail is a 2,190 mile extending through 14 states and an elevation gain of approximately 464,500 feet. For some perspective, the 11.5 miles I hiked on the Franconia loop had only 4,436 feet of elevation gain. There are 14 backcountry shelters and tentsite locations in the White Mountains and I happened to hike right passed one by chance! The Greenleaf Hut is a popular destination by day hikers (myself included) who need to fill up their water bottles, or stop and rest. I sat outside during my short visit to hydrate and make myself a cup of coffee to perk myself up for the hike down from Mount Lafayette.

THE FOREST IN THE VALLEY

After making my way off of the ridge-line and back into the forest below the peaks, the trail led me deep into the forest once again. Since the valley between the mountains receives a drastically less amount of wind, the plant life and greenery here is free to grow much larger than it would at the higher altitudes.

As I made my way back towards the trailhead to eat another meal before heading home, I took my time walking through the last bit of green before the leaves start to change colors in the autumn. I saw a bright red leaf on the ground that look pretty similar to my hands that were swollen from climbing down cliff faces, hours of performing a balancing act with a tripod, and 30 pounds of camera gear and camping supplies on my back. The blood in my hands and creases in my skin started to look like the venation of the leaves.

The forest seemed to be growing on me.

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