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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"
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<title>Hiking Mt. Liberty and Mt. Flume, NH</title>
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<meta name="keywords" content="Mount Lafayette, Lincoln, Liberty Flume">
<meta name="description" content="Routes to Liberty and Flume, with Notes on Liberty Spring Campsite">
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<div id="header">
<h1>Hiking Mount Liberty and Mount Flume, New Hampshire</h1>
</div> <!-- header div -->
<div id="main">
<!-- table of contents start -->
<h2><a name="toc" id="toc"></a>Table of Contents</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="liberty.html#weather">Mountain Weather Forecast</a></li>
<li><a href="liberty.html#map">Map</a></li>
<li><a href="liberty.html#tocref1">Huts and Established Trailside
Campsites</a></li>
<li><a href="liberty.html#tocref1a">Franconia Notch Recreational Trail (Bike
Path)</a></li>
<li><a href="liberty.html#tocref2">Routes to Peaks</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="liberty.html#Liberty">Mount Liberty</a> (elevation 4,459
feet)</li>
<li><a href="liberty.html#Flume">Mount Flume</a> (elevation 4,328 feet)</li>
<li><a href="liberty.html#LibFlume">Mount Liberty and Mount
Flume</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="liberty.html#winter">Winter Routes</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="liberty.html#tocref3">Mount Liberty in Winter</a></li>
<li><a href="liberty.html#tocref4">Mount Flume in Winter</a></li>
<li><a href="liberty.html#tocref5">Mount Liberty and Mount Flume in
Winter</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="gps-trailheads.html">Coordinates of Trailheads for GPS
users</a></li>
</ul>
<!-- table of contents end -->
<p> These notes are written to help you compare the various routes
that are <i>commonly</i> used to hike to the peaks. They are written
on the assumption that you have a guidebook and a set of maps, so no
directions are given to trailheads, and the trails are not described
in any detail. I have omitted hikes that are substantially longer or
more difficult than the standard ones, or that are simply less often
used. The fact that a trail is not mentioned here does not imply that
it is unsuitable.</p>
<h2><a name="weather" id="weather"></a>Mountain Weather Forecast</h2>
<p>The <a href="http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/me/public.html">Recreation
Report for New Hampshire and Western Maine</A> gives a two day
forecast for higher elevations (separate forecasts for elevations of
2,500 to 4,000 feet and for above 4,000 feet). There is also a point
forecast for <a
href="http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=44.12284&lon=-71.653&site=gyx&smap=1&unit=0&lg=en&FcstType=text">Mount
Liberty</a>.</p>
<h2><a name="map" id="map"></a>Map</h2>
<p>The map below is a fully interactive Google map, you can zoom in or
out and click on any feature. Specifically clicking on the P symbols
will allow you to get driving directions to the trailheads.</p>
<div class="C">
<br /><br />
<iframe width="400" height="325" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=p&msa=0&msid=103828115753497871383.000484b2dac57925ac4f9&ll=44.09375,-71.636009&spn=0.080137,0.136986&z=12&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=p&msa=0&msid=103828115753497871383.000484b2dac57925ac4f9&ll=44.09375,-71.636009&spn=0.080137,0.136986&z=12&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">Liberty and Flume</a> in a larger map</small>
</div>
<h2><a name="tocref1" id="tocref1"></a>Huts and Established
Trailside Campsites</h2>
<p>The Liberty Spring campsite is located on the Liberty Spring
trail [ow: 3.4 miles, 2,550 feet, 3:00] near the spring. It has 7
single and 3 double platforms but no shelter. It can be used for an
easy two day trip to Mt. Liberty and Mt. Flume, or as the start (or
end) of a traverse of the various inter-connected ridges
(Franconia, Garfield, Bonds, Twinway).</p>
<h2><a name="tocref1a" id="tocref1a"></a>Franconia Notch
Recreational Trail (Bike Path)</h2>
<p>The bike path (maintained by the New Hampshire Division of Parks
and Recreation) connects many of the trailheads in Franconia Notch,
and is useful when making loops with only one car. The following
table gives the cumulative distances (in both directions) and
elevations of several locations on the path.</p>
<br />
<div class="C">
<table cellspacing="0" border="3" cellpadding="3">
<caption>Distances on the Franconia Notch Recreational
Trail</caption>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Location</th>
<th>Elevation</th>
<th>Distance<br />
Northbound</th>
<th>Distance<br />
Southbound</th></tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="L">Visitor Center</td>
<td>1,400</td>
<td>0.0</td>
<td>8.8</td></tr>
<tr>
<td class="L">Whitehouse Bridge</td>
<td>1,400</td>
<td>0.9</td>
<td>7.9</td></tr>
<tr>
<td class="L">Basin (West)</td>
<td>1,520</td>
<td>1.8</td>
<td>7.0</td></tr>
<tr>
<td class="L">Lafayette Place</td>
<td>1,770</td>
<td>3.5</td>
<td>5.3</td></tr>
<tr>
<td class="L">Profile Lake</td>
<td>1,960</td>
<td>4.8</td>
<td>4.0</td></tr>
<tr>
<td class="L">Old Man Viewing</td>
<td>1,960</td>
<td>5.5</td>
<td>3.3</td></tr>
<tr>
<td class="L">Cannon Tramway</td>
<td>1,980</td>
<td>6.0</td>
<td>2.8</td></tr>
<tr>
<td class="L">Echo Lake</td>
<td>1,940</td>
<td>6.6</td>
<td>2.2</td></tr>
<tr>
<td class="L">Skookumchuck Trailhead</td>
<td>1,700</td>
<td>8.8</td>
<td>0.0</td></tr></tbody></table>
</div>
<h2><a name="tocref2" id="tocref2"></a>Routes to Peaks</h2>
<h3><a name="Liberty" id="Liberty"></a>Mount Liberty</h3>
<p>Either take the <b>Bike Path</b> or the <b>Whitehouse Trail</b>
to the start of the <b>Liberty Spring Trail</b>. Take that trail to
its junction with the <b>Franconia Ridge</b> trail, and follow it
to the summit of Mt. Liberty (rt: 8.0 miles, 3,250 feet, 5:35). The
Liberty Spring Trail has a steep and rough section. A short segment
of the Franconia Ridge Trail is above treeline, but most is
sheltered. This trip is often combined with Mt. Flume (see
discussion of loops below).</p>
<p>Most hikers start at the Flume parking lot. It is probably a bit
shorter to take the bike path from the Basin parking lot, but
hikers driving up from the south will have to return by going to
the Tramway exit to reverse direction. Starting at the Basin gives
more substantial savings in distance if the
<a href="http://www.geocities.com/nhfours/liberty-shortcut.html">old
logging road</a> briefly mentioned in the <i>White Mountain
Guide</i> is followed. While its upper end is quite clear, the
lower end has no clear landmark.</p>
<h3><a name="Flume" id="Flume"></a>Mount Flume</h3>
<p>The classic approach is by the loop (see below) going up the
<b>Flume Slide Trail</b> and down the <b>Liberty Spring Trail</b>.
Since the Flume Slide trail is not recommended on the way down,
most people doing it alone do a round trip by the <b>Wilderness</b>
and <b>Osseo</b> trails (rt: 11.2 miles, 3,150 feet, 7:10). The
grades are easy almost the whole way, the trip is less demanding
than the length might suggest.</p>
<h3><a name="LibFlume" id="LibFlume"></a>Mount Liberty and Mount
Flume</h3>
<p>The classic loop is up the Flume Slide trail, across the ridge,
and down the Liberty Spring trail (lp: 9.8 miles, 3,700 feet,
6:45). The Flume Slide is steep, rocky and almost always wet and
slippery, and there is a substantial elevation gain between Flume
and Liberty. It is not recommended to go in the opposite direction,
going down the Flume Slide trail.</p>
<p>There are two alternatives for those who would rather not go up
the Flume Slide. Those with one car can go up Liberty Spring,
across the ridge to Mt. Flume, and return the same way (rt: 10.2
miles, 4,250 feet, 7:15). With two cars a traverse going up the
Osseo trail and down Liberty Spring trail is possible (lp: 10.7
miles, 3,800 feet, 7:15).</p>
<p>To summarize, here are the distances, elevation gains and book
times of the various possible routes to Mount Liberty and Mount
Flume:</p>
<br />
<div class="C">
<table cellspacing="0" border="3" cellpadding="3">
<caption>Routes to Mount Liberty and Mount Flume</caption>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Route</th>
<th>Distance</th>
<th>Elevation Gain</th>
<th>Book Time</th></tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="L">Mt. Liberty by Liberty Spring</td>
<td>8.0</td>
<td>3,250</td>
<td>5:35</td></tr>
<tr>
<td class="L">Mt. Flume by Osseo</td>
<td>11.2</td>
<td>3,150</td>
<td>7:10</td></tr>
<tr>
<td class="L">Flume and Liberty, Flume Slide and Liberty
Spring</td>
<td>9.8</td>
<td>3,700</td>
<td>6:45</td></tr>
<tr>
<td class="L">Flume and Liberty by Osseo and Liberty Spring</td>
<td>10.7</td>
<td>3,800</td>
<td>7:15</td></tr>
<tr>
<td class="L">Liberty and Flume by Liberty Spring, RT</td>
<td>10.2</td>
<td>4,250</td>
<td>7:15</td></tr></tbody></table>
</div>
<br /><br />
<h2><a name="winter"></a>Winter Routes</h2>
<p>Mount Liberty is a fairly popular hiking destination, so the trail
is likely to be broken out. Mount Flume is more of a peakbagger's
destination, and so is less likely to be broken out soon after a
storm.</p>
<h3><a name="tocref3"></a>Mt. Liberty in Winter</h3>
<p>The only approach to Mount Liberty alone is by the Liberty Spring
Trail, with the shorter winter days some hikers prefer to do the extra
driving to the Basin to have a shorter hike. If the old logging road
described <a href="liberty.html#Liberty">above</a> is broken out its lower end,
which is obscure in summer, will be obvious! The final short section
above the trees may well be icy, use care!</p>
<h3><a name="tocref4"></a>Mt. Flume in Winter</h3>
<p>The Flume Slide Trail is definitely <i>not</i> recommended in
winter. So most people doing Mount Flume alone do it by the
Wilderness and Osseo trails. With deep snow the ladders can be
completely covered with snow and hence rather difficult, while with
less snow they can be dangerously icy. The final rocky climb can also
be treacherously icy. It is also much less well broken out than the
Franconia Ridge Trail.</p>
<h3><a name="tocref5"></a>Mt. Liberty and Mt. Flume in Winter</h3>
<p>These are often done together, usually as a round trip using the
Liberty Spring Trail. A traverse saves a few hundred feet of
elevation gain but requires negotiating the potentially more difficult
Osseo Trail. In either case the Franconia Ridge Trail may be difficult
to follow in the area in the col between the two peaks.</p>
<br /><br />
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