White Mountains - Day 1 [Mount Flume & Mount Liberty]

We began our hike at the Lincoln Woods Visitor Center, located on Kancamagus Hwy (Route 112), in Lincoln, NH. Though there were signs that the just-concluded weekend had brought droves of fall foliage appreciators, the advantages of starting the trip on a Monday included ease of access to parking. We remitted our $5/day parking fee at the self pay station and were soon on our way.

 

The journey started off in an unassuming fashion. We were in high spirits and enjoyed absolutely perfect weather as we hiked along the Pemigewasset River. It wasn't long (only about 1.4 miles) before we reached a junction for the Osseo Trail. The day's work was about to begin, as the flat terrain quickly became upward slopes and the relatively smooth footpaths began to gradually give way to the uneven, rocky traverses that would define our next couple of days.

 

The slopes on the Osseo Trail (4.1 miles) continued to steepen until, ultimately, we were presented with a series of ladders that represented the final push to the Franconia Ridge Trail. We were about to be rewarded with a spectacular view from the summit of the first 4,000 footer we would encounter on the loop, Mt. Flume. We allowed ourselves a brief rest to take in the scenery.   

 

 


 


 

Only 1.5 miles separated us from the next peak on our itinerary. A brief descent was followed by a bit of scrambling, but Mt. Liberty's summit was one of the most memorable stops on this trip. We allowed ourselves a slightly longer stay atop Liberty, the view from which was truly stunning. The limited supply of late fall daylight remaining eventually inspired us to vacate our second 4,000-foot peak of the day in favor of our campsite for the evening.

 


  

 

 


 

Just .3 miles below the Franconia Ridge Trail, albeit a steep and rocky .3 miles, is the Liberty Springs Tentsite. For $10 a night, the amenities include a composting privy, a dishwashing station, bear boxes, and wooden platform campsites. Of course, Liberty Springs also provides an optimal water source. We arrived at the site as the sun was beginning to set. We set up camp, prepared and ate dinner, secured our food, and went to sleep with thoughts of the ridgeline dancing in our heads.


Check out the YouTube video!


 

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