Lafayette and Lincoln, January 22, 2018

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Lafayette and Lincoln

1/22/2018

Old Bridle Path, Greenleaf Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Falling Waters Trail

8.9 miles

3,900 feet of elevation gain

We started our hike around 5:30.  It was pitch dark outside, but it didn't feel cold.

After hiking for a while in darkness, the sun rose more and more until we no longer needed our headlamps.  Then, we got above treeline and saw a serene, albeit cloudy, view.

A big ball of fog sat on Lafayette's Agonies.

As we hiked higher, each snow-covered pine needle was so distinct that the branch almost appeared fake, like it was a branch off a plastic and store-bought Christmas tree.  It was real and genuine though, which was what made the limbs especially pretty.

The trail was hard and solidly packed down.

We reached Greenleaf Hut!  The blanket of mist covering everything behind the hut was exactly what we hiked through all day, but everything was still beautiful.

We had a snack before going on our way.

The climb up Lafayette...

The rocks were covered in decorations of rime ice.

We hiked to the summit and, of course, the sign was frozen and covered in ice, like everything around it.

Sage!

After having a snack of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (my favorite candy), we went on.

Foggy...

We eventually found ourselves on Lincoln's summit!

Fun fact: one of our cats is named Lincoln!

The frozen ground:

Still no views, but oh well.

Mom taking photos:

After that, we kept going.

After a bit more hiking, we arrived at Little Haystack.  That mountain has such a lovely summit, even when there are no views. 

Before...

 

...and after!

Rime ice galore!

We rested a while on Little Haystack while Mom took some more photos, then we started to head down.  

We saw many ice formations near the waterfall sections of Falling Waters Trail.

Crossing the ice- and snow-bridged water:

Mom's frozen hair...

Feeling positive!

Back at the trailhead.

The Lincoln and Lafayette traverse, even when socked in, is one of a kind!

Snowy North and Middle Tripyramid, 1/4/2018

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North and Middle Tripyramid

1/4/2018

Pine Bend Brook Trail, Mt. Tripyramid Trail

9.6 miles round-trip

3,450 feet of elevation gain

Happy New Year!  We hiked the Tripyramids, starting our hike at 5:15 am to avoid the snowstorm that was predicted to occur later in the day.  There were no negative temperatures today, so that made the cold easier to deal with.  As usual, we put on our headlamps and began our ascent!

Please note: my phone went from 100% to 0% to 10% to 95% battery because of the cold, so Mom and I both took pictures just in case my phone would never be reliable.  Thankfully, though, it adjusted to the cold temperatures and started working properly.

Photo by Trish Herr

 Me looking crazy!

Photo by Trish Herr

Trailhead:

Yes, it was dark...

Sage and I, wearing headlamps, hiking up the trail, with me navigating in front:

Photo by Trish Herr

 When the sun came up, I could see the beauty of the trail.  The plus side to hiking in the winter is the snow covers everything, and this makes all of a hiker's natural surroundings even more appealing.  A little later, it started snowing.

Then, Sage took the lead:

After what seemed like an endless incline, we saw the flat summit top of North Tripyramid!  Summit pictures:

Photo by Trish Herr

After drinking some delicious light eggnog, we hiked to the second summit...

On Middle Tripyramid, there were still no views, just clouds, but the forest was beautiful and everything was white.

Photo by Trish Herr

A beautiful view of nothing:

Photo by Trish Herr

By now, it had snowed for a while, so we all had a little bit of snow in our hair.  The density of the snowfall increased as we continued our hike.

Heading back to North Tripyramid...

Gray sky...

Once we got back to North Tripyramid, we had a really fun time on the way down!  We haven't been able to butt slide down peaks in a while because either the snowfall was too light or the incline was too slight.  Today, though, the conditions were perfect for some sliding.  Mom took the picture below of me whizzing away...

Photo by Trish Herr

Once butt sliding became impossible, Sage and Mom put on their snowshoes (I just carried mine), and we walked the last mile or so back to our car.

Photo by Trish Herr

Photo by Trish Herr

Back at the parking lot...

Celebrating our snow-covered selves!  The hike was so fun today, and the peaks were lovely to visit as always.

I hope everyone is enjoying the snow!  I definitely am.