On Sunday, October 17, myself, Joe, Mike, Norris, Bruce, Bill, Brian, Russell, Jack, Lee,Chris, and Anthony (I finally got all of the names right by the end of the hike!) met at the Basin parking lot for a loop hike to Lonesome Lake Hut.   I was wearing my fashionable green GO shirt, and everybody got to the right side of the parking lot, although a few people were at the upper level and a few people at the lower level, we all found each other.    

It started as a clear day, although it ended up getting cloudy later with a high in the upper 40s.    The fall colors were probably a little past peak, but it was still beautiful.    There had been a lot of rain Friday and earlier in the week, and I don’t think I remember ever seeing so much water raging in the cascades.  The cascades and the waterfalls were beautiful to look at, although the one stream crossing that can be difficult in high water was difficult.   We had discussion about whether to turn around and instead go up via the Lonesome Lake trail, but we all ended up taking our shoes and socks off and braving the stream crossing barefoot.    We all made it across, but another group behind us ended up turning around.   No gear was lost either (in April 2009 we led this trip doing a snowshoe where someone lost his snowshoe while crossing this stream).       For most of the rest of the way to the hut we didn’t end up seeing many people, probably partly due to the stream crossing.      We continued up past Kinsman and Rocky Glen falls, and then got on the Cascade Brook trail, passing over a bridge that had been put up a few years ago eliminating the need for a more difficult stream crossing.   The trail was quite muddy in spots, and I probably got the award for most muddy boots, having sunk in completely once or twice.    

 Lonesome Lake hut was fairly crowded, and it was their last day of full service.    They didn’t have any baked goods left, although they did put out some chocolate chips, raisins, and granola for us, and it was nice to be inside in the warmth for our lunch.     We encountered lots of people on the Lonesome Lake trail going down as expected, including lots of  people that seemed to have gotten off of an asian tour bus coming up the Lonesome Lake trail wearing white tennis shoes (I wonder how white they were by the time they came back down with all the mud that there was).   After regrouping at Lafayette Campground, we did the final 2 miles along the relatively flat Pemi trail back to the Basin, enjoying the stream that drowned out the sound of the Franconia Notch parkway, and braving a few more muddy spots.   

Thanks to everyone that joined for a great hike.     It was fun to meet some new people, and this was the most number of people that have attended a hike that I’ve led.    I look forward to seeing everyone on a future GO adventure.   

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