Mt. Lafayette - 5260' (21/48)

At the Trailhead

It’s about time we got back on the trails!  On Saturday, Paloma and I decided last minute (aka, I was fast asleep and Paloma woke me up!) to head up north and do a hike.  We decided that we wanted to try to finish the mountains up on Franconia Ridge, so we chose Lafayette and Lincoln.  When we left our apartment at around 7:30AM, the weather was crisp and cool – a nice fall day for a hike…so we thought.  The ride up was relatively uneventful and we arrived at the Bridle Path trail head at just after 10:00AM.  The lot was full – which was surprising as the weather appeared to be deteriorating pretty quickly.  We decided to start the hike off with layers on as it was quite chilly.

We left the lot and began heading up the Bridle Path trail towards the Greenleaf Hut.  The first section of the trail was quite easy, traversing across the base of the mountain rather than climbing.  This was a nice welcome as it had been about a month since our last hike.  Soon enough though, we began climbing and climbing.  The weather at this point was quite chilly and misty, so it was a struggle maintaining the proper temperature.  We stopped often to take layers off and add layers back on.  It was a never ending battle between sweating and freezing.

Paloma Hiking

By the time we emerged from the trees onto the ridge, the wind picked up and the trail was socked in by clouds.  We couldn't see much further than a 5 foot radius around us.  The Greenleaf hut was a welcomed site when we reached it at 12:00PM.  The hut was bustling with people, as many had decided to make this their end point and not brave the elements towards the summit one mile ahead.  We stopped inside to use the rest room and escape the rain and wind for a few minutes.  It was quite cozy inside.  The cook was busy preparing hot soup and drinks for interested hikers.

I took a look at the trail report they had posted on the wall.  40+ MPH winds at the summit with temperatures in the mid 30’s.  Rain.  Wind.  Cold.  What were we thinking?  This was honestly the first time in my many years of hiking that I questioned whether or not it would be smart to continue.  After all, from the Greenleaf hut to the summit of Lafayette is 1.1 miles of exposed hiking.  No trees to hide behind or brush to block the wind.  Just rocks.  We weren't prepared to be hiking in these conditions, but luckily had brought a few extra items that helped.  Paloma, being the trooper she is, was rearing to go.  I threw on an extra shirt, zipped my jacket up, and pulled my hood tight around my head.  Let’s do this.

Greenleaf Hut

Surprisingly, there were quite a few daring people who decided to continue on.  This gave me a peace of mind as I knew we weren't the only idiots attempting the summit.  With every step we took the weather got incrementally worse.  We couldn't see more than a few feet in front of us and the only way we were able to stay on the trail was due to the massive cairns built along the way.  The wind was now whipping by, so any attempt to shield yourself from the elements was futile.  I could feel my anxiety kicking in as we continued on.  “What are we doing?” I thought to myself.

Summit of Mt. Lafayette

We continued on, trying to pick up the pace.  A forest ranger was coming down from the summit and we stopped to chat about the conditions.  He was taking headcounts of the people hiking to the summit – what a great sign…he was probably expecting the worst.  “If you are going to do it, you have to commit now, get up there, and get down.”  We were so close so against my better judgement, we carried on.

Bad Weather!

The feelings when we reached the summit at 1:00PM were a mixture of excitement, fear, concern, and adventure.  You have to respect the weather in the White Mountains – it can get gnarly. The American flag whipping in the wind at the summit made the scenery quite eerie and mysterious.    We took a few photos with my rain-drenched fogged up phone and decided to get the hell out of there.   We had a decision to make.  Continue over to the summit of Lincoln, almost 2 additional miles of exposure to the nasty weather, or head back down to the hut.  We chose the latter.  It didn't seem that many people were continuing over to Lincoln, so we weren't going to either.  Lincoln will be there for next time. 

Warming up in the Greenleaf Hut

We hustled down towards the hut, reaching it at just before 2:00PM.  We went back into the hut, this time to eat lunch.  It was packed.  It looked like a ski lodge during school vacation week.  Gear was strewn about, the windows were fogged up, and the smell of sweat mixed with hot soup was quite nasty.  Regardless, the warmth provided by the shelter was enough to draw us in and make us sit for a while.  I purchased a cup of lemon tea to warm myself up and we ate lunch.  We were back on the trail at 2:20PM.

The hike down was pretty standard.  We were leapfrogging with a bunch of people the entire way.  One couple was hiking with a black lab – the dog joined Paloma and I for some of the hike before returning to its owners.  It must have been a holiday in Canada because nearly every group we passed was speaking French.  I felt like I was hiking in the French Alps or something.  We made it back to the car at 4:11PM.  What an epic day.  We cranked the heat on to dry ourselves off, stopped at Dunks for a coffee and made our way back home.  We capped the night off with a movie – “Machine Gun Preacher” – which I highly, highly recommend.

Lincoln – we will hike you some day!

Hike Stats
Trails: Bridle Path, Greenleaf
Total Time (Including Breaks): 6:00
Distance: 8.0 Miles

Elevation Gain: 3600'