Parking for Liberty

[1SlowHiker]

I'm thinking of doing Mt liberty with an option of Flume Friday - (if the weather holds).
What is the best place to park? The Basin or Liberty Spring TH, or is it a coin toss?
Also any thoughts on if I can leave my shoes in the truck? After last week, I'm really going to try and lighten my load some this time.

 

[TJsName]

The Basin is shorter, but requires a bit of a whack. Has the advantage the you can park on the southbound side, saving time on the way back. I'd keep an eye on trip reports today and tomorrow. What I've seen so far suggests they probably aren't needed. Have fun - lucky mid-week hiker!

 

[1SlowHiker]

The Basin is shorter, but requires a bit of a whack.

Where is the whack?, I thought you had to follow the bike path up until it crossed LS trail.

 

[JustJoe]

Where is the whack?, I thought you had to follow the bike path up until it crossed LS trail.

It's been a while but it's just before or after a large boulder on the your left coming from the Basin lot. Map below is roughly where it is. Can't find my tracks but it's roughly a straight shot to and from that dog-leg.

 

[DayTrip]

I'd add that if Joe's mileage estimate is correct (the 0.3 miles) it would appear the overall distance even if you stayed on bike path and skipped the bushwhack to official trail junction is probably a bit shorter too. I've always done from Flume Visitor Center side (I didn't realize Basin Parking was that close) and it is about 0.8 miles with a few decent ups and downs along the way (short but annoying on the way out after a long day). Not sure what the up and down is coming from the Basin lot.

 

[Tahoma]

I parked at Flume Visitor Center (Whitehouse trailhead). Whitehouse is a fast easy .8 mi cruise on flat ground. Liberty trail access is right there. Trail was packed out the day I ran into you on Lincoln. I went up Flume slide and across the ridge to Lafayette. Liberty trail was even more heavily used. This was 2 days prior to the rain however which Im sure turned it into cement (hopefully with no postholes). And now I'd estimate there is 6-8" of light powder on top of that, more in places that drift. (This is based on what there was on the ground 4" yesterday when I finished on Osceola.)
Its hard to say if anyone was out there today or will be tomorrow. The friday I did it I was the only car at Flume center when I took off at 630am and when I returned at 230pm.

 

[1SlowHiker]

It's been a while but it's just before or after a large boulder on the your left coming from the Basin lot. Map below is roughly where it is. Can't find my tracks but it's roughly a straight shot to and from that dog-leg.

Got it, thanks Joe. I found lat/lons for end points on wikiloc, if there are sign of tracks or thin woods i'll take it.

 

[1SlowHiker]

Thanks Tahoma, now I don't know what to bring for traction. I was hoping to go light but now it sounds like I may have to carry spikes, crampons, and shoes. Oh well. 630am-230pm? Your in a different world then me . I hope to get an early start again (2-3am) and unfortunately will probably need it. Rather start in the dark then finish in the dark.

 

[peakbagger]

FYI, For folks parking at the AT parking lot south of Liberty, its a lot faster to walk to the south end of the parking lot and cut through the woods to the bike path rather than taking the actual trail from the parking lot to the bike path. The trail has a couple of PUDS (Pointless Ups and Downs).

 

[Tahoma]

Thanks Tahoma, now I don't know what to bring for traction. I was hoping to go light but now it sounds like I may have to carry spikes, crampons, and shoes. Oh well. 630am-230pm? Your in a different world then me . I hope to get an early start again (2-3am) and unfortunately will probably need it. Rather start in the dark then finish in the dark.

The true mountaineer's crux! What to carry!

Just Ses it out when you get to the trail head. Walk in a ways and see what you find. Youll know right away if people have been out and done you some favors or if you need the shoes. Honestly, I carry them at times but almost never use them. Unless its 5+ deep (or wet and compromised) they dont make that much of a difference. Micros go with me everywhere. Most versatile piece of traction you can have along. No brainer. For me, Crampons are almost always unnecessary on a trail but youll know the ones that you might want them along on. I carried them up Flume Slide (pre rain event) and Osceola trail (post rain event) this winter, only used them on Osceola.

In the end, if you carry it and dont use it, it was good training weight and will make you stronger.

 

[peakbagger]

I would guess that lack of snowshoes given the recent snow is guaranteed charge for rescue by NH F&G, despite that you will probably be the minority carrying snowshoes. Using their definitions, this could be considered a reckless act rather negligent act as it was premeditated. I guess you shouldn't have asked the question

 

[TJsName]

FYI, For folks parking at the AT parking lot south of Liberty, its a lot faster to walk to the south end of the parking lot and cut through the woods to the bike path rather than taking the actual trail from the parking lot to the bike path. The trail has a couple of PUDS (Pointless Ups and Downs).

The trail does have the upside of being off the snowmobile corridor though. If it's open, that is.

 

[1SlowHiker]

FYI, For folks parking at the AT parking lot south of Liberty, its a lot faster to walk to the south end of the parking lot and cut through the woods to the bike path rather than taking the actual trail from the parking lot to the bike path. The trail has a couple of PUDS (Pointless Ups and Downs).

Figured this out the hard way 1st and last time I did Liberty. It was fall and tough to stay on the trail with all the leaves. When I came out I realized I was just running parallel to the bike path, took the bike path on the way back

 

[peakbagger]

Have fun, looks like Friday hikes are the way to go of late.

I generally recommend the Basin parking lot in the winter as its gets plowed out more often and has more traffic. The whitehouse parking lot is bit of a dead end and doesn't seem to get as much attention in winter. It gets plowed eventually but no where near as often as the Basin.

 

[1SlowHiker]

Have fun, looks like Friday hikes are the way to go of late.

I generally recommend the Basin parking lot in the winter as its gets plowed out more often and has more traffic. The whitehouse parking lot is bit of a dead end and doesn't seem to get as much attention in winter. It gets plowed eventually but no where near as often as the Basin.

thanks PB,heading north now.

 

[sierra]

I park at the Whitehouse PL and stick to the trail. I deplore snowmobiles and thier toxic fumes, not to mention, how close to getting hit, I've come. I do the whack on the descent just for something different.

 

[dailey7779]

Have a fun hike, Marvin!

 

[bcskier]

Ten years ago we did a Flume/Liberty traverse and used the Head of the Flume as our jumping off point for Flume Slide Trail. The woods are very open and easy to traverse. The trails cross the bushwack route at nearly right angles so intersecting them is not difficult. We returned to the Flume area from the Liberty Spring Trail by veering off at the big dogleg on the descent. You could easily reverse the route but intersecting the L.S.T. at the dogleg might be more difficult. Better to aim a bit west and intersect the trail lower down. If you were descending F.S.T. you could easily parallel Flume Brook to take you back to the Flume's network of trails.

The Flume Visitor Center is closed in the winter but the area sees a good deal of ice climbing traffic (or it did) so if that is the case the trail network should be accessible. The jump-off point was a shuttle shelter called Top o' Gorge. I probably had GPS coordinates for it at one time but no longer do.

This is too late for the O.P. to make use of but for future reference it might be worthwhile to someone.

 

[Raymond]

Marvin, nice to have met you Friday. Hope you had a safe trip home.

That Facebook group is called ‘‘The 4,000 Footer Club-Climbing and Hiking in New Hampshire.’’

 

[1SlowHiker]

Thanks for all the info. Ended up parking at the Basin and taking the suggested short whack from the bike path to the trail. Easy to follow even at 2 am with no fresh tracks. Slipped off the log bridge into deep mud but luckily that was on the way back. No snowmobiles on the bike path even at 3 pm when I finished. Bike Path from whack to basin is a slight uniform uphill grade that would probably only be noticed by me after a long day. Could have used snowshoes or crampons between Liberty and Flume - Light powder deep enough that spikes wouldn't always bite - but stupidly left them both with my main pack at LS Camp site when I lightened my load. Just like the previous Friday more people out than I would expect on a winter weekday. Nine I think. Nice talking with you Raymond (two weeks in a row what are the odds).