Magic in the Mountains

August 9, 2021 (14 miles)

Liberty Springs Campsite – Guyot Campsite

Woke up early this morning ready to bust out some miles. We climb the rest of the hill up to Garfield Ridge and then began the climb up to Franconia Ridge. I didn’t realize where we were heading until the trees began to drop below us as we climbed, and suddenly we were on top of the ridgeline looking out at one of the most beautiful views on the entire trail.

We had an absolute blast on the ridge, we took pictures and felt like we were on top of the world. Because we were there so early the clouds were beautiful – they hugged some of the mountains, floated below others, and differed lazily around others. The sheer rock faces and cliffs made me think of something you might see in Yosemite. Most of the views we’ve seen have looked really similar, but Franconia was in its own category. Hiking in the Whites is hard, but that view made it almost worthwhile.

The rest of the day was uneventful. Truffles and I descended the ridge, met up with the crew by a spring for lunch, and just hiked. I listened t a book and tried to just power through the day. I felt tired and my pack was crazy heavy, so I was dragging by the time we rolled into Galehead Hut for a break before climbing the last mountain of the day and cruising into camp.

We hung out for a bit before powering up South Twin Mountain and rolling through the last couple of miles. The campsite was crazy full so we had to pile into the already packed shelter. Thankfully we were all able to squeeze (with some on the floor and porch), and we went to bed early. Ready for an easier day tomorrow.