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Western Pemi Loop - May 17-20, 2005

Four days of hiking along the Franconia and Twin Ranges.
We camped at official tentsites and shelters.
The weather was cloudy but we managed to dodge most of the flurries except during the second night.

Photos are organized by date, with a bit of narrative for each day.

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Day 1: Osseo Trail to Liberty Spring

Parked at the Lincoln Woods trailhead on the Kancamagus, hiked up the Osseo Trail to Mt Flume, then along the Franconia Ridge Trail to Mt Liberty before descending part of the Liberty Spring Trail to the Liberty Spring campsite.

you should see an image here The first view from the Osseo Trail: east to Mt Bond (which will be our last mountain of this trip).
you should see an image here Owl Head (middle distance) has an interesting shape, but it doesn't look like an owl to me.
you should see an image here McRat poses on the ledge just below the summit of Mt Flume.
you should see an image here From the same ledge, view north to Mt Liberty.
you should see an image here From Mt Liberty, view north to Little Haystack, Lincoln, and Lafayette.
you should see an image here From Mt Liberty, view back to Mt Flume.
you should see an image here Another shot northward to Little Haystack and Mt Lincoln, this time from just north of the summit of Liberty.

Day Two: Liberty Spring to Garfield Ridge

After a night at Liberty Spring Campsite, we continued North along the Franconia Ridge Trail, passing over Little Haystack, Mt Lincoln, and Mt Lafayette before following the Garfield Ridge Trail over Mt Garfield to the Garfield Ridge Campsite.

you should see an image here As we emerge from the trees on Little Haystack, we get a good view of Mt Liberty behind us.
you should see an image here This is the summit of Little Haystack (on the right), with Mt Lincoln behind it (on the left).
you should see an image here From up on Franconia Ridge we've got good views of the cliffs on Cannon Mountain.
you should see an image here Also we can see Mt Kinsman and Lonesome Lake across Franconia Notch.
you should see an image here I thought about climbing to the top of this slab, but then thought better of it.
you should see an image here From Mt Lincoln, we can see Greenleaf Hut sitting on a shoulder of Mt Lafayette. I liked the way the highway snakes away in the background.
you should see an image here Here's the highway again: that exit is the trailhead for the classic Lincoln-Lafayette loop hike, part of which goes along the top of the ridge at right.
you should see an image here Here's Mt lafayette from up close. I was trying to take this shot from about the same spot as you should see an image here View eastward. In the distance is the Presidential Range. The dark ridge across the middle of the photo is the Twin Range, which is where we're going next. If you look very closely you can distinguish Galehead Mountain at the exact center of the photo, lower than and in front of the Twins.
you should see an image here From Mt Lincoln, view down the Franconia Ridge Trail toward Mts Liberty and Flume.
you should see an image here From Mt Lafayette, view south to Mt Lincoln.
you should see an image here A view toward Cannon and Kinsman from the northern shoulder of Mt Lafayette.
you should see an image here Garfield Pond.
you should see an image here More of Garfield Pond.
you should see an image here I didn't bother taking photos of snow-covered trails, so this photo is here to prove that there was deep snow in the areas below treeline.
you should see an image here I can't seem to resist a good water shot...
you should see an image here McRat signs the visitors' log at Garfield Shelter as the snow streams down.

Day 3: Garfield Ridge to Guyot Shelter (with a side trip to North Twin)

After spending a restful night with our tents tucked warmly inside Garfield Shelter, we continued east along Garfield Ridge to the Galehead Hut, where we briefly left our packs to climb Galehead Mountain, then attacked the west face of South Twin. I left my pack at the top and made a detour to North Twin, then backtracked. We then proceeded southeast along the Twinway to Mount Guyot, then south to the Guyot Campsite.
you should see an image here Galehead Mountain from just below it to the west.
you should see an image here Galehead Hut on the col between Galehead Mountain and South Twin Mountain.
you should see an image here North Twin Mountain.
you should see an image here From the Garfield Ridge just below Galehead Mountain, a view southward along the western face of Owl Head. Mt Hancock in the distance.
you should see an image here A view back west to Mt Garfield.
you should see an image here North Twin Mountain from just outside the Galehead Hut.
you should see an image here South Twin Mountain from the same spot.
you should see an image here From the overlook on Galehead Mountain, view back to Galehead Hut (North Twin in the background).
you should see an image here South Twin from the Galehead overlook.
you should see an image here This is the summit of Galehead Mountain.
you should see an image here View of Galehead Mountain from near Galehead Hut.
you should see an image here From the west slope of South Twin, view back to Galehead Mountain. Franconia Ridge in the background.
you should see an image here Same shot, different camera orientation.
you should see an image here View back to Mt Garfield as I climb higher on South Twin.
you should see an image here Mt Lafayette seen from South Twin.
you should see an image here Proceeding higher up South Twin, the view opens up to include the Franconia Range from Little Haystack north to Mt Lafayette.
you should see an image here North Twin Mountain, from near the top of South Twin.
you should see an image here More of North Twin.
you should see an image here Summit of South Twin, with Mt Washington in the distance.
you should see an image here From the top of South Twin, view south-southeast along the Twinway. Guyot sunlit at center, Bond at right, Carrigain distant and shadowed just left of center. Passaconaway faint on the horizon at right.
you should see an image here View due south from South Twin. West Bond at middle left.
you should see an image here South Twin from just below it on the North Twin Spur Trail.
you should see an image here View down to Galehead Mountain from the North Twin Spur Trail. You can see the Galehead Hut in the center, and Mts Liberty and Flume in the distance.
you should see an image here South Twin seen from North Twin.
you should see an image here View west to Garfield from the Twinway south of South Twin.
you should see an image here Mount Guyot, with the Presidential Range in the background. Seen from Guyot's south peak.
you should see an image here View east to the Willey Range, from Guyot.
you should see an image here This was the third grouse we'd seen, but the first one I'd gotten close enough to get a photo of.
you should see an image here This grouse was showing me no respect!

Day 4: Guyot Shelter to Lincoln Woods Trailhead

After a warm night in Guyot Shelter, we enjoyed fine weather for the hike over West Bond, Bond, and Bondcliff then out to the car via the Wilderness Trail.

you should see an image here Mount Guyot, from West Bond.
you should see an image here Bondcliff, from West Bond.
you should see an image here Mt Hancock beyond the Bondcliff Trail, seen from West Bond.
you should see an image here View over Owl Head to Little Haystack, Mt Lincoln, and Mt Lafayette, from West Bond.
you should see an image here Bondcliff, from Bond.
you should see an image here West Bond, from Bond.
you should see an image here Mounts Nancy, Anderson, and Lowell, and Vose Spur, from the Bondcliff Trail.
you should see an image here Mount Bond, from the Bondcliff Trail.
you should see an image here Mount Carrigain, from Bondcliff. Chocorua visible on the right horizon.
you should see an image here A trillium blooming on the Wilderness Trail.