Three early risers met at the Richmond Park and Ride at 4:00 AM for the two hour drive to Falling Waters Trailhead where we met up with two others in NH. Shortly after our 6:00 AM start the two hikers we met up with decided that they were going to split away from the main group to proceed on their own. With our smaller group (all of us own to each other) we picked up the pace and completed the loop in under 6 hours with multiple view breaks along the way. Peaks summited along the way included Little Haystack (4760’), Mount Lincoln (5089’) and Mount Lafayette (5249’). About 9 miles with 4100 feet of vertical gain. The day was very clear with an undercast to the west and clear skies to the east over the Pemi Wilderness. While the outing started in the dark with cool temperatures and early sustained wind above the tree line, temperatures increased significantly as the day progressed. By our finish just before noon temperatures had risen to the mid 80’s. Franconia Ridge offers stunning, open views on a clear day and today did not disappoint.

Participants: Julie Cimonetti, Liana Edwards and Chris Luczynski (leader).