71>71 Franconia Ridge Finish September 19th, 2014

Lafayette and I have stories ---there is a bond between us.  So I saved it for last.  With this hike, the classic Franconia Ridge Walk (with a tag at the end,) I bagged the last five peaks on my 71>71 list.

Audrey, one of my two daughters, made the hike with me and bagged two summits.  She says I have lower standards than she does ---and she's right.  My 100 foot rule allowed me to claim Haystack, Lincoln, North Lincoln, Lafayette and North Lafayette.  Her 200 foot criteria (the 48 list) allowed her  just Lincoln and Lafayette.  Be careful what limits you set for yourself!

I'll let these two photos begin my story:

An earlier time on Lafayette

and again September 2014.

I hope I'm not overworking this comparison/reminiscent theme (I used it in my last post too) but I'm having fun with it.  Most of my life has been spent within view of Lafayette and the Franconia Range --- It does have some hold on me.  As a boy, the northwestern Whites were my playground.  Many Fridays after school or early Saturday mornings, a few friends (especially Gene, Bill, Howard, Taylor, Dick) and I would load into the back of my Father's pick-up and be driven to a trailhead.  He would drop us off with with a few words of encouragement and caution, but always ending with, "and behave yourselves!"  Late Sunday afternoon we'd be picked up at a designated hour.  It worked --- there was never a disaster --- and what we learned in that unsupervised time has proven to be an asset to all of us.

But now, a few photos of Audrey's and my recent trip up on the ridge:

One of Falling Waters Trail's namesake

and a steep section.

Up higher the sun began to peak over the ridge.

Soon the trail breaks out on to Mt. Haystack

and the ridge walk ahead beckons.   

After a few bumps in the rock,

some very precarious rock,

we bag Liberty,

then Lafayette ----- along with everybody else! 

At that point I headed over to North Lafayette with remnants of the morning's rime ice,

it's balancing rock

and gliders being dropped off

to play along the ridge line.

Heading back to Lafayette there are great views East,

West,

  

and South to some leaving Lafayette.

     

Back at the summit I posed for my obligatory finish photo.

Then we headed down with a stop for Audrey to reenact a time when she on a rock, on the side of Lafayette, whistling.  It's a long story --- probably better left for another time (or you can ask her.)

We stopped for cookies freshly baked by the competent staff at Greenleaf Hut,

then for a look at where we'd been.

Finally, on the drive home, I was able to catch a hint of alpenglow on "my" Ridge.

Some have asked, "so what now after 71>71?"  The answer is ---I'm not sure yet.  What I can say, unequivocally, is that even if it's not especially ambitious it will not involve sitting around watching soap operas!