Date: 2017-08-29
From: Franconia Notch/Liberty Springs trailhead/Notch Hostel 

To: Garfield Ridge Shelter/Campsite
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: overcast clouds

8/29Franconia Notch/Liberty Springs trailhead/Notch Hostel to Garfield Ridge Shelter/Campsite10.3 miles Total Miles:  1827.0I was awake by six o'clock after a good night sleep. I had completed my journal and uploaded my photos before going to bed last night. No matter, I still woke up around midnight. I decided to review the nearly 3,000 photos from my trip thus far and was able to delete about 200 as duplicates. It was rather nostaalgic to review my journey all the way from the car trip to Georgia up to the present. The shuttle back to the trailhead was scheduled for 7:45, and all three of us were on it. The goal was Garfield Ridge Shelter, some ten miles ahead. The climb up to Franconia Ridge, which contains Little Haystack Mountain, as well as Mounts Lincoln and Lafayette, was demanding but not particularly difficult. I described it to a passing hiker as being on a Stairmaster with great scenery. He added that the stairs were rough and uneven but understood what I meant.  Nonetheless, the initial climb gained 2,851 feet in 2.7 miles. I then hiked through a short saddle before adding an additional 517 feet to the summit of Little Haystack Mountain. The summit is above tree line, and I would hike along the treeless Franconia Ridge for over two miles as I crossed over Mount Lincoln and Mount Lafayette. The air was chilly with a pronounced wind, but I was comfortable enough that I never even rolled down my sleeves.  The view was stunning in all directions.  Lonesome Lake was clearly visible,  and I'm sure I could have seen the dock I was standing on yesterday morning through binoculars. From the summit of Little Haystack, you can see the entire trail to Mount Lincoln. I admired the view from Haystack before continuing along the 0.7 miles that led to Mount Lincoln. The views were simular and equally amazing.  A local hiker pointed out Mount Washington, my objective in a few day's time, to me. Featureless in its outline, it still managed to look tall and foreboding in the distance. As with Haystack, the mile-long route between Lincoln and Lafayette is clearly visible along its entire route. I reached Mount Lafayette, at a height of 5,263 feet, without any difficulty, although the trail was more difficult than it looked from a distance. I was almost a mile high as I took in the views from the summit. Looking like a small model, Greenleaf Hut was clearly visible as I hiked along the ridge. While it looked close, a challenging 1.2 mile side trail led to the hut from the peak. Instead, I opted to hike the additional 3.9 miles along the AT to Garfield Ridge Shelter/Campsite. The trail down from Franconia Ridge was more challenging than the climb up had been. I soon was below tree line and was back among the spruce and other trees.  The ensuing climb up Mount Garfield would prove to be the most difficult trail of the day, although not as difficult as Kinsman or Smarts had been.  The foundation of an old fire towers remains on Garfield's summit. On a whim, I took off my pack and climbed up to the summit.  I was required to crawl up a steep rock face with my hands and feet wedged into a crevice along the way, but I managed to make it to the top. Steam was inside the foundation, taking a break before heading down the mountain to the shelter. Getting back to the trail from the summit provided me with a slightly different problem, and I ended up sitting on the rock face and sliding down it while slowing my descent by holding onto the edges of the crevice. It was a bit hairy, and I ended up sliding a bit faster than I had hoped, but I was able to stop my slide at the bottom of the rock face with no real difficulty. The view from Garfield was also amazing, and the sinking sun provided some color to the clouds. I then began the final half mile of my day by beginning the descent of Mount Garfield. The going was slow and steep, but I soon arrived at the side trail to the shelter area.  A pretty stream provided water, and I stopped to fill my bottles before following the 0.2 mile trail to the campsite. At the stream, I met Steve and Christy from Houston. They are hiking the Whites, and we discussed the recent devastation caused by the hurricane. Although I am largely insulated from current events, I've heard something about the hurricane and the resulting damage. Fortunately, their home survived,  but many of their friends and family members were not so lucky. Mother Nature certainly has a way of reminding us who is really in charge. I arrived at the campsite and met Ryan, the caretaker of the site. A recent college graduate, Ryan landed the job of caretaker after working for the AMC as a trail maintainer. We had a great chat as I set up my tent in a little secluded grove down from the shelter. As happens so often, I am again refreshed by the quality of the young people I meet on this trail. Ryan also provided me with information to help me plan out the rest of my trip through the Whites.  I set my tent up along the edge of the site to provide room for Gravity and Polecat, but they did not make it here tonight. My guess is they decided to find a stealth site along Garfield Pond, which is located prior to the final ascent. I had arrived at the site at 6:00 but still needed my headlamp to finish cooking dinner, which I did at the shelter.  Several other hikers from the Notch are also here tonight. It's become quite chilly, and the forecast for the morning is for temperatures in the mid-thirties. Rain is in the forecast for Thursday, which may affect my planning, as I have no inclination to climb Mount Washington in the rain. We'll work all that out in the upcoming days. For right now, I'm going to snuggle back down into my sleeping bag and get some more sleep so I'll be ready for more hiking in the Whites tomorrow.