NH Franconia / Garfield Ridge Traverse

“Over this summer, I plan to take my wife on an AMC hut traverse. I was wondering if anyone can help out with input from experiences.

I was thinking about the following itinerary:

D1: I-93 across Franconia Ridge to Greenleaf Hut
D2: Greenleaf Hut across Garfield Ridge to Galehead Hut
D3: Galehead Hut Across Garfield Ridge to Zealand Falls

Rather than spending the third night at Zealand Falls Hut, I was thinking about just pushing thru the extra 5 (downhill) miles to the Zealand Trailhead.

Basically, am I crazy to try this? Any other suggetsions?”

“I did that same itinerary with an Adventure Camp a few years ago except we started at Crawford Depot and went to Zealand Falls, then Galehead, the Greenleaf and then out to I-93.

We did it in mid-July with 9 teenagers. I don't think you are crazy - I think it's very doable, especially with staying at the huts. It means a lot lighter load (no tent, less food, etc).

Have you (and/or your wife) hiked in that area before?”

“The hike out from Zealand is very very easy.

The first two hundred yards is straight down beside a waterfall on rock steps through the woods.

the next 4.8 miles is basically a walk in the woods.

If you would otherwise just be planning to walk out from the hut the next morning (if you stayed there overnight) to the Zealand Road . ..then there is no reason you couldn't do it the same day that you hike over from Galehead.

Having said that . ..flat miles are still miles. Another 2 miles on your feet may not be what you are looking for at that point!”

“We have hiked in NH before. I have more experience in the area than my wife.

I think that if we make good time leaving Galehead on D3, we should have no problem making it out in time.

The lighter loads will definetly help.

In a pinch, as a last-resort emergency shelter, I'm sure that we could find a way to stay at Zealand; although I'm not counting on it.”

“What is the route to the hut for day one?”

“the short way would be up the Bridle Path. The longer (intended) path is up the AT, across Frenconis Ridge, then backtrack a little down to Greenleaf.”

“The more scenic, trip extending way would be the Falling Waters trail across the ridge and summit and down to the hut.

On the other hand . .the next morning you would have to re-trace that mile back up to the summit.

if D1 is a travel day (just getting up to Franconia notch, then the Bridle path would be the easiest route (obviously).

What you would miss is a spectacular ridgeline between Lincoln/little haystack and Layfayette. Narrown, precipitous drops, great chimneys . .just a great stretch of trail.

I have found your D2 to be a real grind. The ridge line between Garfield and Galehead was a lot of up and down and up and down.

Admittedly my first hut traverse was up the Bridle Path, past the Greenleaf first night destination was Galehead. So that was a long long day.

Second time was miserably hot. Up to Garfield directly, then over to galedhead for the night.”

“That mile from Greenleaf to Lafayette is a fun one! ;) More fun to go up than it is to descend though.

Here's the pics from when I did it with the campers if you are interested: http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/406330641?start=0”

“I just wondered what you were planning for day one.

Day two is not as easy as it looks on the map and then day three starts right out with a big climb to South Twin.

Day three you may want to take it a little easier. If either of you have any doubts you may want to reconsider Zealand. Huts in a pinch are not something I would count on, they get full.”

“sounds like mixed reactions so far.”

“The trip is definitely reasonable and doable. The most important person to run it by is your wife. I know hikers (both male and female) who have done great damage to marriages by picking an itinerary that the other found oppressive. Make sure it will be fun for both of you.

Take a realistic look at mileages and elevations and "book times" for the routes and let her know the plan and get her input.”

“No, it's great hike over one of the most beautiful ridges there is. I've done variations many times.

I'm just looking back to where you said your wife does not have much experience in the area and distances can be deceiving.

It's all doable, we just want to make it as enjoyable as possible.”

“She seems OK with the trip. I'm hoping the scenery can outweigh the miles. Plus, the hut accomodations (bed, meals) are much more appealing to her than camping outside (besides the AMC price$).

Its not that she hasn't been hiking, just not as much in NH as I have been. I'm very concerned that putting her thru a "death march" will be the death of me.

We do intend on taking some training hikes this spring on the PA AT with semi-loaded packs, to get the endurance up.

While I will not subject her to my 20-mile MD AT day of last summer, we did a 10-mile NJ AT hike in January (when it was still warm), and she was good with that.”

“To further illuminate my two experiences with getting to Galehead.

The first was at age 15 with my parents. Late start at trailhead (9 am). Up the Bridle path. Late lunch at the Greenleaf hut leaving there at 2pm or so). When we summitted Layfayette we looked east, around the perimeter of the Pemigewasset . . .and a long long long way away in the distance we could see the mid afternoon rays of the sun . .already in its descent . . .glowing in the windows of the Galehead hut.

Distances being deceiving . .it looked impossibly far. And we were supposed to be there at 6pm sharp for dinner.

It was a long hike across the ridge. My dad finally told me to go ahead (run as it were) so that I could claim our bunks and be sure they had put dinner aside.



The second time . . .when I was 35 or so .. with my wife.


From the summit of Garfield I casually point out the hut on the ridgeline. I think that it will be an incentive . ...you know . . ."hey honey. That's where we'll be spending the night"

To her it looked impossibly far away. It made the ridgeline from Garfield to Galehead seemingly drag on forever. That ridgeline, btw, is no cakewalk.

Having said all of that

The trek from Greenleaf to Galehead is perfectly doable by someone in moderate condition over the course of a day. that is what the spacing of the huts is for. YOur D2 is a no brainer.

Your d3 is also fine. Again . .the 5 miles out is going to come at the end of a long day. But . .it is a relatively flat, enjoyable walk out. (again, assuming you are headed out to the Zealand road)>Not steep and pounding. Good footing. Nice beaver meadows and pine forests.

I have skiied it up to the hut a couple of times.

A couple of thoughts.

Are you going to leave a car at the top of Zealand Road?? If not, that is a LONG dirt road. I would not want to hike from Galehead and then have to hike out the Zealand Road as well.

Although you could probably catch a ride wth a hiker leaving the parking lot . .or one of the other parking lots (Mt Hale trails) .. if you had to hoof it . ..you (and your wife) would NOT be happy.

There are two campgrounds on the Zealand Road, but they are near the Route 302 end of it. If you had a site reserved there, you could leave a car at the top of the road and then drive down to the campground and set up a tent.


Also.

If you STAY at the hut, a nice "out and back" hike is to Thoreau Falls.



There are camp”

“We have friends who summer up there, so we were hoping they could drop us off at I-93, and we would leave our car at the Zealand trailhead (in the woods, not near 302).

Another thought is the AMC Shuttle http://www.outdoors.org/lodging/lodging-shuttle.cfm, but the timing of that looks difficult. Based on the current schedule, we'd have to get the 2p shuttle from Zealand, and take the Bridle Path up to Greenleaf, cutting D1 short, but still getting to where we need to be on time.”

“Leave your car all the way in. At the trailhead. Its at the end of the road . .just keep driving.

If you can do that . . .I would not worry about D3.”

“I love the the ridge. It was my fist backpacking trip (Flume to Garfield, when I was 12) and I've done the main stretch of Lincoln to Lafayette four times since then. The only downside is when it gets too crowded.”

“The trip sounds reasonable to me. As stated before, the trip from Zealand Hut to the trailhead is easy. There's only one stretch of really muddy rutted up trail, but it's basically flat out hiking once you come down that first few hundered yards from the hut.”