Eric, Ellie and I lucked out with a really nice weather day last Sunday, and decided it was time for a slightly longer hike then we have done lately.
We were 100% committed to Mt. Liberty (in the Franconia notch) and about 50% committed to Flume. We decided that we needed to check out trail conditions before we decided to attempt the flume slide (a long stretch of very steep and sketchy rock. scrambling required.)
We parked at 7AM at the Flume Gorge lot (the "far" side of the lot, at Mt. Pemigewasset Trailhead). Since it was early there was lots of parking. Flume Gorge is a real circus during the summer and we weren't sad to avoid the chaos (mostly...)
We got off to a good start on the paved bike path. #hiking
The path is about .75 miles long, and is the only way to get to the trailhead.
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| Ellie is like "WTF??" |
Pretty soon (because walking on pavement is so easy) you bang a right over a bridge and are on Liberty Springs trail.
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| I always love a nice bridge |
The trail wound along over pretty easy terrain for about half a mile before coming to the junction with the Flume Slide Trail. This gave us enough time to evaluate the conditions, and decide which path to take.
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| A nice day for a walk |
We knew there had been rain the night before but it was a really pleasant day, and things seemed to be drying out quickly. Based on that, we continued on up the Flume Slide trail.
This trail was pretty amazing for the first couple miles. Beautiful conditions, easy incline, fun river crossings. I must admit that the blazes left something SERIOUSLY to be desired, but the path is clear enough to inspire some confidence. (I want to go out with a paint can....)
I had some trepidations about the "slide". Eric and I have scrambled around enough, and I feel we can basically get by. But what about little Ellie? I was ready to pull the plug on the whole adventure if she seemed afraid.
Before we knew it the trail took a turn for the MUCH steeper, and the first of the small rocks arrived.
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| Majestic |
The slide breaks you in for a minute or two. Steep incline, but manageable terrain. First some "typical" rocks, then some sketchy loose crap, then some totally walkable slabs.
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| Totally walkable slabs |
And THEN. AS EXPECTED. Things got real. The below photo was before things got too intense to take pics. Here are my wise thoughts:
-Our dog was a rockstar, and did an amazing job (I can't think this trail would be a good choice for anything other than a brave and athletic canine)
-This is a trail that certainly would be quite dangerous in wet or icy conditions. Also, I would not be AT ALL excited to come down this stuff.
-It's a long stretch. Over half a mile from what I could see- and possibly slightly more.
-There are "bail out" (totally unmarked) options in the woods but they are TOUGH. Basically straight uphill, just grabbing trees. I took one of these for the sake of the dog, and it was fine but NOT easy. I would not take small children, timid dogs, or beginner hikers on this trail.
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| The easy part.... |
In the end, we made it up without issue. I never felt terribly nervous, I just found that I had to pay attention and not be an idiot.
After the slide finished, there was only a short distance (of mostly very uphill work) to the intersection with Franconia Ridge Trail.
Ellie saw the peak (or close to it!) and sprinted up.
I may not have been so quick to let her scramble up, had I known it was basically a cliff.
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| Queen of Mt Flume |
It was a MONEY DAY. Blue skies, light breeze, only a little haze. Definitely a day to be above the trees!
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| The "other side" of what Elle climbed up..... |
After spending a few minutes on top the hill, we headed off to traverse to Liberty. The map said it would be about 1.5 miles to the next peak (watches measured closer to 1.1 miles- who knows what is right!)
Generally speaking, it was a pretty straightforward path through the woods.
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| Moseying along |
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| Gotta get the photo op! |
Pretty soon, there was a short and straightforward scramble, and we got a great view of where we had just been!
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| Hello, Flume |
A few steps later, we summited Liberty. And it was glorious!!
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| Just me on a big rock |
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| You could see for forever |
We definitely dilly dallied for a while at the summit. It's not often that we score such a perfect day, and we wanted to make the most of it. Also, we wanted to give the dog a moment to eat and recharge (not that she needs it....)
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| Family Pic!! |
After we enjoyed some time up high, we headed back down the mountain. A short stretch on Franconia Ridge took us to the junction with Liberty Springs Trail. The temptation to continue along the ridge was strong, but it would have meant too many miles for Mrs. Ellington.
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| Franconia Ridge, in the trees |
Liberty Springs trail is one of those rocky pain in the butt experiences. It was a moderate to steep grade in places, and was just a bunch of rock hopping and stone stair stepping. Nothing extreme like the slide, but it would certainly give you a good workout in the uphill direction!
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| Looking up Liberty Springs Trail |
The final mile or so of the trial is downright pleasant- and seemed to have tricked quite a few "family" hikers into thinking it would be a good summit to achieve with their VERY small children (in flip flops....) I mean.... Maybe? But my vote is no.
We took the required "sign" photo at the junction of Liberty Springs and Flume, and met up with another hiker who we had seen at the top of Flume. He had come own the slide and proclaimed it to be "the worst thing I have ever tried to do." Let that be a warning! Haha.
We then forged onwards, a trio now, and proceeded to take our own trail back to the bike path. The very well beaten path would make one thing that we were not the first adventurers to do such a thing.
Just make sure to take a left at the junction to stay on the*actual* trail!
(or go straight and you''ll still be ok! we figured there hadn't been to many blazes anyway, so why start looking for them now! and with the clear and obvious din of I-93 ahead of you- you're not getting lost.)
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| Obligatory sign pic |
Anyway! After 6 hours and 2 minutes of hiking, snacking, photo taking, and playing in the river we made it back to the PACKED parking lot.
I managed to take a spectacular tumble while watching Ellie play in the river- but it was *technically* after the hike was over. So it was a "no fall" hike!!
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| I had a FLUME beer!!! How appropriate!! |
We relaxed at a picnic table for a while, and were swiftly joined by an entire age group of summer campers. They had 4 million questions to ask us, and from me they learned what it means to Spay a dog, and how best to pee in the woods without being shy. I am very helpful.
Overall- this may have been the best hike of the season. It was a great length, a nice challenge, perfect weather, and low hiker traffic. It certainly is NOT a great hike for a first timer, but definitely one to put on the must do list. Probably a good choice for those days that the Franconia Ridge loop is just too busy to even cope with.
Strava data: (we take this with a grain of salt)
-elevation climbed: 3,846
-miles covered: 9.8
-elapsed time: 6:02 (we never shut off our watches- so this includes all down time)
Difficulty: Strenuous. Coming in at around 10 miles, and dealing with the slide are what edges this out of my normal "hard" category. If you are looking for a beautiful, wooded and "easy" hike, hit up the bike path and the first couple miles of Flume Slide. While the slide does not take up the majority of the hikes that (plus the steed descent in places on Liberty Springs) would make this no fun for beginners.
Views: Excellent and numerous. Impressive. 360 views from both peaks.
Bugs: Black flies were out, and were mildly annoying
Dog friendly trail? Ish. Only for the brave and athletic friends. Lots of "water features" for the playful doggos, but the slide isn't something for every canine.
