Pac-man
New member
Trails: Old Bridle Path, Falling Waters, Franconia Ridge, Greenleaf Trail, Old Bridle Path
Trail Conditions: Falling Waters was hard packed and the monorail was stable from the rain and cold temperatures with some icy spots around the Dry Brook crossings. Some frozen postholes along the way. Franconia ridge had a light coating of snow and ice, with lots of bare spots. Greenleaf trail was icy due to frozen runoff in locations, but plenty of rocks to step on to descend. OBP was icy in spots but overall hard packed and good moving. No blowdowns to be found.
Equipment: Due to the low temps and rain from the previous night, we used microspikes for the whole trip. A couple spots along the way where more traction would be helpful, but overall, spikes were perfect. Snowshoes got a ride.
Comments: Didn't see anyone going up Falling Waters until we reached Haystack. The clouds were thick, so 20-30' views in most locations. Made quick time along the ridge because of strong winds and some whipping ice/snow that didn't feel too good on the face. Reached Lafayette and ran into 2 more groups. Once we started heading down to the hut, things got fairly icy with a little snow covering it up. A few spots that needed special care, but pretty easy overall with spikes and poles. Ran into many people on the way down to the hut and down OBP. Light traction was a minimum today, but there were plenty of people in jeans, regular shoes (galoshes?), no traction, one backpack per group, etc. The ridge probably was 0-10 degrees with wind chill with 40-50mph gusts, so I hope they turned around before reaching the summit. It definitely did not feel like a spring day on the ridge, but it was your typical type 2 fun!
Trail Conditions: Falling Waters was hard packed and the monorail was stable from the rain and cold temperatures with some icy spots around the Dry Brook crossings. Some frozen postholes along the way. Franconia ridge had a light coating of snow and ice, with lots of bare spots. Greenleaf trail was icy due to frozen runoff in locations, but plenty of rocks to step on to descend. OBP was icy in spots but overall hard packed and good moving. No blowdowns to be found.
Equipment: Due to the low temps and rain from the previous night, we used microspikes for the whole trip. A couple spots along the way where more traction would be helpful, but overall, spikes were perfect. Snowshoes got a ride.
Comments: Didn't see anyone going up Falling Waters until we reached Haystack. The clouds were thick, so 20-30' views in most locations. Made quick time along the ridge because of strong winds and some whipping ice/snow that didn't feel too good on the face. Reached Lafayette and ran into 2 more groups. Once we started heading down to the hut, things got fairly icy with a little snow covering it up. A few spots that needed special care, but pretty easy overall with spikes and poles. Ran into many people on the way down to the hut and down OBP. Light traction was a minimum today, but there were plenty of people in jeans, regular shoes (galoshes?), no traction, one backpack per group, etc. The ridge probably was 0-10 degrees with wind chill with 40-50mph gusts, so I hope they turned around before reaching the summit. It definitely did not feel like a spring day on the ridge, but it was your typical type 2 fun!
Last edited:
