I summited Lafayette in late summer of 1998 as part of our hike along Franconia ridge. The day's hike began with the summit of Liberty Peak, and ended after we summited Mt. Garfield and camped on our descending side of the mountain. Mt. Lafayette proved to be the most trying of our hike, mostly because it was towards the end of the trek and we were tired. The ascent was fairly easy, but descending the peak was not pleasant, as my tendinitis was starting to act up in both knees, and it started to rain. The rain made it difficult to find a safe foothold on the way down.
Late summer is a great time to go, too.
If you get the chance, climb Lafayette.