“Late spring, in my opinion, is the most dangerous time to climb, and I suspect the busiest time for mountain rescue teams. There are way too many people out there who won’t accept help, or advice, until the situation is desperate.”
I had other plans. I was hoping to climb Mount Osceola, which had already thwarted me twice—once due to weather conditions, and now again because the Tripoli Road was still closed for the winter. With limited time, I didn’t deliberate for a second and headed straight to the Lafayette parking area for a fast ascent of Mount Lafayette and Mount Lincoln.
It probably wasn’t the most reasonable decision, considering I only had a four-hour window to complete the climb before heading home. But I was fueled by my frustration over missing out on Osceola again, and the fact that I had already climbed these two mountains before, so I had some idea of what to expect.
Old Bridle Path on Mount Lafayette
Starting off on the Old Bridle Path, I made my way towards the Greenleaf Hut, which presents an inviting scene at the foot of Mount Lafayette. Having this hut here is super helpful for lowering the amount of water you need to carry up to this point, as you can fill your bottles here. It’s also a great place to find shelter, like I did on another climb here with my son, when we got caught in a rainstorm that had us chilled to the bone. At this point I hadn’t run into too many hikers yet, but given the amount of cars in the lot, I knew I’d be running into them soon enough.
“Every spring, on one glorious sunny day, New Englanders with no climbing experience at all emerge from their offices, Cape Cod-style homes, and Colonials, and get the sudden urge to go hiking. The warmth of the sun leads them out into their driveways with high hopes and little gear, ready to take on something totally new. And much like my home life, it will be a total mess.”
Ascent of Mount Lafayette on the Greenleaf Trail
Don’t get me wrong, Mount Lafayette is a great mountain. And I get why it’s so popular is because it gets you an unencumbered view above treeline for a very long time. But I always find the rocky slopes of Lafayette to be particularly painful on the knees. Every time I climb it I’m always wondering why other mountains in New Hampshire aren’t more famous than this one. You can still get above treeline on a ton of other mountains without having to take the bludgeoning Lafayette gives ya. Oh, well. Whatchyagonna do?
As I neared the summit, I came across rime ice and a sharp chill in the air, despite the sunny skies. It was seventy degrees back home in southern New Hampshire, but with the wind, it felt like it was in the thirties up here.
Ascent of Mount Lincoln Along the Franconia Ridge
Ok, you might start to think I’m hating on Mount Lafayette, but I’m not. Truly. It’s just that even right next to Lafayette is a mountain I enjoy a lot more: Mount Lincoln.
In summer, the approach to Lincoln has a greener, more inviting appeal than Lafayette’s rocky summit. The ridgeline leading to it is stunning—exactly what comes to mind when you picture a classic New Hampshire mountain ridge walk. In fact, I’ve seen plenty of photos online labeled as Mount Lafayette that are actually of Mount Lincoln. Mount Lincoln is the one you want, people! But since you can’t get that view without climbing Lafayette first, I suppose it’s a moot point.
Falling Waters Trail Descent
“I couldn’t understand how nobody could see the peril they were in, but perhaps when everyone around you is making the same mistake, you fail to see it. Every year, people need to be rescued off Lafayette, and today looked like it was going to be a busy one for the New Hampshire Mountain Rescue Service.”
It wasn’t until I started descending from Little Haystack Mountain on the Falling Waters Trail that I started to find all of the hikers, and boy did I find them. They weren’t the ones who owned the cars back at the Lafayette parking area either, because these hikers were all heading up. If they belonged to the cars I saw, they would have turned around at the summit. But not only were they going up, they were the most woefully unprepared throng of hikers I had ever seen. I counted thirty to forty hikers, none of whom were carrying a backpack or extra water. Most of them were in jeans and a t-shirt and only a couple of them were wearing proper footwear. Most of them were in Keds or other flat-souled shoes that wouldn’t be appropriate for a treadmill, and one particular idiot, was heading up the mountain in flip-flops. What is going on today?
Apparently, the good weather back in Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire had lured people to the mountains, thinking they would experience the same weather here. I recently got to speak with a SAR member who said it’s a common occurrence each spring in the White Mountains. I know there are always some big rescues each winter in the White Mountains, but I started thinking we might hear about twenty or twenty-five on this day. It was a mess.
Given my past experiences on the trail, I always carried an extra pair of Yaktrax in my pack, just in case my spikes broke, and I started offering it to every person who was grasping at trees, trying not to fall on the ice. But nobody took me up on it. Sometimes people just have to learn the hard way, I guess. (Ahem.)
Ascent Details – Mount Lafayette & Mount Lincoln Loop
Route: Old Bridle Path → Greenleaf Trail → Franconia Ridge Trail → Falling Waters Trail
Summits: Mount Lafayette (5,260′), Mount Lincoln (5,089′), Little Haystack Mountain (4,760′)
Total Mileage: ~8.9 miles
Elevation Gain: ~3,900 feet
Trailhead Location: Old Bridle Path Trailhead in Franconia, NH
Starting from the Lafayette Place parking area, ascend via the Old Bridle Path, a steady but rocky climb leading to the Greenleaf Hut. From there, take the Greenleaf Trail up the final push to Mount Lafayette, where you hit treeline and are rewarded with sweeping views of Franconia Notch.
Following the Franconia Ridge Trail, traverse the open ridgeline to Mount Lincoln and then to Little Haystack Mountain, soaking in some of the best summit views in the White Mountains. The descent follows the Falling Waters Trail, a steep, rugged path that passes multiple waterfalls before leading back to the parking area.
Peakbagging Resources for Lafayette & Lincoln
If you’re planning to hike Mount Lafayette and Mount Lincoln as part of the Franconia Ridge Loop, these resources can help with trip planning, trail conditions, and safety information:
- 4000Footers.com – Franconia Ridge Loop – Detailed route description, maps, and elevation profiles.
- New England Trail Conditions – Recent trail reports from hikers.
- Peakbagger – Mount Lafayette & Mount Lincoln – Ascent stats, route logs, and climber reports.
- NH State Parks – Franconia Notch – Park regulations, trailhead parking, and seasonal updates.
This climb and others are featured in 4000s by 40. For the full story, check out the book!
To see more photos of New Hampshire’s “48” 4000-footers, head on over to the Visual Companion to 4000s by 40.