Franconia Ridge: The Dawn of the AHL

We didn't hit the Carters due to weather issues, but we did hit Franconia Ridge today.

tMail's Trip Report (pics here): What a great day to get out and get back into the winter mind set. Couple of things:

For the knee brace wearers in the crowd the snow builds up between the knee brace and shell pants. In the hinges it also forms a icy fill that needs to be scraped out with a finger.

Snowshoes could have been a good piece of equipment but at times been an cumbersome.

The mountains always surprise the forecast was for 70-50mph winds with them decreasing to 45-30mph there was hardly any wind. Bottom line always be prepared.

There was a group that camped on falling waters. When I was coming up he asked me where I was camping. I said I am not camping I am doing the ridge why? He said "big pack". Mutha asked him how his night was he said cold. He had the equivalent of a fanny pack I had more than him in my pack.

Now we move on to the David Westie (Rip van Winkle) part of the report.

Westie disappeared for a while on falling waters and didn't respond to verbal commands (which raises the question of whistle commands what are they?)

I don't know if it was the fear of being with three other guys but Rip Van Winkle proved his manhood on Lafayette to the 3 cute girls from Quebec. Before saying "hi" he says "do you have a hockey team the Sherbrooke you know the AHL, huh do you?" then says "you know hockey". Smooooth!!! One of the girls said that's how you get the ladies.

Also Westie has officially earned the nickname Rip Van Winkle. He sleeps on the drive up and sleeps on the way home. Within 15 minutes of ride home feet on dash board out cold...I don't know if it was smell or instinct he wakes up minutes before NH liquor store says pull in. He comes out with gallon of Makers Mark.

Back to the hike.

I bombed Greenleaf wedged myself in the corner braced the corner walls and dropped a cairn. Snowconed my pie hole it was perfect then dried with TP.

Great day out all gear worked awesome.

Great day, Mutha finished his first grid peak. I am 1 or 2 mountains away from my 100th overall peak.

Mutha's Trip Report (pics here):

• The Falling Waters trail was pure carnage. The high winds of the previous storm tore down so many trees that two faint-hearted groups turned back. The downed trees caused serious delays and made the trek both more interesting and more challenging.
• From our perspective, nobody else was doing the loop. There were some close contenders but those parties appeared to be conducting limited attacks on the ridge.
• Conditions: not very cold, not very windy. The overcast would suddenly disperse and then return. One time exposing the entire western view over Kinsman Ridge, then suddenly exposing the entire Pemi as far as the Presidentials. The changes were rapid and unpredictable.
• Snow depth varied from a few inches at the parking lot to several feet in drifts. Typical snow depth in the trees, near treeline: 18". Snowshoes could have been used, but would have been a hindrance for most of the hike. Crampons weren't necessary for the ridge (no ice). In general, good boot-skiing technique was the most helpful on the way down.
  

Rip Van Westie's Trip Report (pics here): Congratulations is due to Zucker for completing his first grid mountain - Lafayette
▪ 8.9 miles of great exercise, endorphins & fab views periodically as the sun came out on the ridge – could have set up margarita bar and sun bathed on Lincoln! Here kitty kitty
▪ I may have had a slow start with the lovely ladies from Sherbrooke, Quebec on top of Lafayette with my hockey team comment. Next time I’m going straight to the Vodka & hot tub line
▪ Those Sherbrooke girls must have been angels as they flew down from Lafayette like they had wings
▪ Tmail dropped an A-bomb behind Greenleaf which shaved about 5lbs off him and helped him kick it into high gear
▪ 1.75L of Makers Mark at the NN state liquor store for $41 is worth every penny!
▪ Thank you for including me guys. With ski season near I probably won’t see you on the trails until I ski Tuckerman’s in the spring. Good luck and be safe!
▪ On the twelfth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Twelve drummers drumming,
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree!