Trip/Event Location: Lincoln, NH
Trip Leader(s): baezfred , MO
Max # People: 12
Trip Guiding / Event Fee: No, I will not be asking participants for money
Difficulty Level: Moderate to Strenuous
Liberty Springs Trail
Starting at the Whitehorse trail parking lot we walk/hike the Whitehouse Trail for about 0.9 miles. Then at the junction we turn onto the&
Liberty Springs trailhead is accessible by the Whitehorse trailhead parking lot off route 93 northbound. Get off at exit 33 head north on US 3 shortly after the the Flume Visitors Center. You will see a "Trailhead Parking" sign on the right.
Enter your departure destination in the link below:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir//Liberty+Springs+Trailhead+Parking+Lot,+Lincoln,+NH+03251/@44.1007212,-71.6857273,16z/data=!4m8!4m7!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x4cb480bb3e61e7f9:0x739d1768517fd44b!2m2!1d-71.6817902!2d44.100854
Overview
The hike up Mount Liberty (4,459 ft) turned into a full winter adventure, complete with 4 to 5 feet of new snow in the last few weeks (thank goodness for the monorail). The summit wind gusts (20+ mph) sent plumes of snow swirling off the ridge. The optional plan was to continue across the ridge to Mount Flume, but the conditions (wind and unpacked snow with no snowshoes) above treeline made that a no go. Liberty alone was a worthy challenge.
Ascent
Our approach was via the Whitehorse trail, which along with the start of the Liberty Spring Trail had minimal snow coverage. But as the incline steepened traction was welcomed - even though the climb was via monorail.
The climb to the Liberty Spring tent site was steady and sheltered. Occasional gusts shook snow down from the pines, but the forest provided reliable protection from the worst of the weather. Above the tent site, the trail grew steeper.
Franconia Ridge and the Summit
As soon as the trees thinned, the wind made its presence known as we arrived at Franconia Ridge. Gusts hit 20+ mph with strong blasts funneling across the exposed ridge. Snow whipped across the trail, filling in tracks within minutes. With the colder temperatures and wind chill factor we donned on more apparel. It's winter in the mountains!!!
Visibility was fabulous and ever changing as the winds whipped the clouds across the ridge.
At the top we saw remnants of prior foot traffic - as prior hikers postholed their way past the summit. After several minutes of assessing the route, it was clear that with drifting snow; unpacked trail conditions; and limited daylight hours crossing to Mount Flume and back was not a good option.
Descent & more
The descent started a bit slow until we got off the summit & the ridge trail.. From there it was fairly easy going.
As a reward, for our accomplishments, we all headed to Enzo’s Pizzeria to celebrate - yummy!!!
(Note: this trail report was brought to you chatGPT & Mo (otherwise known as MoGPT)
Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate to Strenuous
Outdoor Fitness Level: Strenuous
Outdoor Fitness Level: Very Strenuous
