Mount Lafayette and Mount Lincoln, June 16, 2025, Franconia Range, White Mountain National Forest

View to the South from Franconia Ridge Trail

I've been to Mt. Lafayette many times, with several particularly-memorable hikes being up Falling Waters Trail and another one being a longer loop via the lesser-used Skookumchuck Trail. Since Lafayette is my favorite of the 4,000 Footers, I was excited to find out that both of my nephews had named it as the hike of choice in advance of our most recent trip to the White Mountains. That decision made, all that we needed was a decent forecast. As it turned out we got just that. 

All Smiles on Agony Ridge

It was actually quite lucky that we had such a perfect day - 60s in the valley, 40s up top, no precipiation, and summits in the clear with light and variable winds. The day before our hike was rainy, as was the day after, and we just barely got ahead of a heat and humidity wave that arrived 48 hours later and lasted for a week. The only downside to a good forecast amid a week of unsettled weather is the chance of heavy trail traffic on the most popular peaks. So we resolved to get out as early as possible and were on the trail at 7 a.m. sharp, my brother and I both grumbling that our preferred start time would have been 5 a.m.

View to Lafayette Summit from Greenleaf Hut Nap Spot

We made quick work of the lower, forested reaches of Old Bridle Path and took our first break at one of the numerous rocky ledges along so-called "Agony Ridge" that offer amazing views up to Lafayette and the entire Franconia Range. All of my White Mountain 4,000-Footer hikes with the nephews wind up having catch phrases, which have ranged from the humorous "can you cut the mustard?" to the sullen "this sucks," depending on their moods. For this hike, it was simply "What a Vista!" 

Franconia Ridge Trail, View to the South

What a vista is right. This hike has nothing but great views. The dramatic perspectives up to the top of the ridge as you ascend are only the first. Greenleaf Hut, where we took a break and filled up our water bottles, sits on a prominent pondside point that affords a great view to Lafayette's looming summit cone. After climbing Laffy, we headed south along the Franconia Ridge Trail to Mount Lincoln. This entire route, of course, has amazing views in all directions, making it one of the most popular trails in the White Mountains. At the summit of Little Haystack, we descended into the notch via the Falling Waters Trail, which proved to be equally picturesque since the recent rains had the many namesake waterfalls tumbling in full force.

Lafayette has always been my favorite... even more so now.

Peaks: Mount Lafayette and Mount Lincoln
Elevation: 5,260 feet and 5,089 (Gain: 4,044 feet)
Distance: 8.5 miles
Route: Loop, Old Bridle Path to Franconia Ridge Trail to Falling Waters Trail to Old Bridle Path to 
Conditions: Pleasant and clear, 50 degrees F
Notable Flora and Fauna: Blackpoll Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Bicknell's Thrush

AT and Blue Mountain Trail Loop, April 6, 2025, High Point State Park and Stokes State Forest

View to the west from high point pipeline bushwhack

One of the nicest trails in the Kittatinnys is a relatively newly-cut trail called the Blue Mountain Trail. The problem is that it runs on the edge of a closed-in-winter campground and an environmental school so to get some peace and quiet you need to hike it in the off season. Furthermore, the near 14-mile loop hike that incorporates the Blue Mountain Trail also involves a bushwhack along a pipeline right-of-way. This section has to happen in the cold season. Come spring, the no-mow trace is a tick and bramble haven. Further, the warm weather brings out the rattlesnakes that love to sun on the off-trail rocks found there. Closely monitoring the calendar and the weather forecast during the first week of April, I resolved to use what might be the last cold day of the season to go out and get 'er done.

Shag bark vernal pond on Parker Trail

This hike starts at the Mashipacong Shelter Appalachian Trail parking lot on Deckertown Road. That's a two hour drive, one-way, making it the extreme limit of my in-car time tolerance for a day hike. 13.9 miles on a trail per day is easy; 4 hours in a car is not. I still managed to hit the trail by 7:45 a.m. and started the loop in a counter clockwise direction on the AT. It makes the most sense to do this hike in this direction since it puts the pipeline bushwhack in the early morning -- before the rattlers slither out of their holes. Utility cuts are unsightly scars on the environment and this one is no different. The upside, as birdwatchers know, is that the open land in the middle of dense forest is always a great habitat for our avian friends. There's a nice rocky high point here, too, where I paused for a short break to pull out the binoculars.

Blue Mountain Trail

The reason for the bushwhack is to access the Parker Trail, a lesser-used trail with its northern terminus at the headwaters of Big Flat Brook, which the trail shadows for some distance heading south. Its a nice trail, with a number of pleasant, vernal pools and occasional glimpses of the brook to the east. I took Parker Trail all the way to the campground and my planned destination for the middle of the day - Blue Mountain Trail. The trees on Parker Trail are largely decidous, while those on Blue Mountain Trail are coniferous, which makes the changeover from one trail to the next all the more pleasant in the winter. I hit the 6-mile mark just as I was passing from the stark, barren forest of the Parker Trail into a lush green canopy of Blue Mountain Trail and resolved to take a break to enjoy the scenery. In addition to the pretty conifers, Blue Mountain Trail runs adjacent to picturesque Big Flat Brook. I found a great creekside break spot and took my time relaxing to the sounds of the light rapids.

Blue Mountain Trail break spot on Big Flat Brook

I spent so long at this pleasant spot, in fact, that I forgot that it was a pretty cold day in the mid 30s and got chilled from sitting around. I always have more gear that I need and pulled out a down puffer to warm up before hitting the trail again. This entire section of the hike is along the brook and amid the pleasant pines. Past the New Jersey School of Conservation campus, which was fortunately empty at this time of year, I reached the low point of the hike, elevation-wise, and then turned to the south on the Webster Trail for the long climb back up to the AT. I took a second trailbreak to divide the uphill into two parts and caught a nice sighting of a Red-tailed Hawk careening through the trees just a few feet from where I was resting. All in all, it was a good day for bird sightings and a great day for solitude. Didn't see a single person on the trails and just one car driving along Crigger Road when I was using it as a connector.

View back up to the Kittatinny Ridge and the AT

The only downside of this hike is that the elevation gain is later in the day. I much prefer doing the climbing first thing. But the grade is easy and the footing is good, so it's not that big of a deal. Once up to the AT, of course, I found myself back on the rocks... and the notoriously rocky AT, unfortunately, proved to be the demise of my trusty, 7-year-old Aku hiking boots. One minute, all was good. The next, I felt a flapping on my heel. Sure enough, the entire sole had separated from the uppers. I lashed them together with duct tape (long ago, my brother suggested that I carry it for exactly this purpose) and managed to make it the last 2 miles back to the Mashipacong Shelter and my car just beyond. 

Time to go boot shopping. These boys are done.

Destination: Blue Mountain Trail and Big Flat Brook

Distance: 13.9 miles
Elevation: 1,789 feet (gain)
Route: Loop, AT to Pipeline cut to Parker Trail to Blue Mountain Trail to Swenson Trail to Crigger Road to AT
Conditions: Partly cloudy to partly sunny, 45 degrees F
Notable Flora/Fauna: Red-tailed Hawk, Great Blue Heron, Pileated Woodpecker, Downy Woodpeckers, Red Bellied Woodpeckers, Nut Hatches, and plenty of LBJs of all sorts

Sunrise Mountain and Stony Lake Loop, March 16, 2025, Stokes State Forest, Delaware Water Gap

Pines on the Sunrise Mountain ridge

The thing that I don't like about Stokes State Forest is its accessibility. Too many auto roads wind their way through this somewhat narrow tract of public land that it seems like you just can't escape people and signs of civilization. For this reason, the only time that I'll hike there is in the winter months when some of those roads are closed for the season. On this particular March day, I had the benefit of the closed-off auto roads but without the winter weather. By the time that I got off the trail in the early afternoon, the temperatures on this sunny, windless March day were in the mid 60s.

View to the southeast from AT

When I arrived at the Culver's Gap Appalachian Trail parking area at 7:15 a.m., I found the parking lot totally empty, quickly geared up, and was on the trail by 7:30. The first section is a quick climb up to the ridge that carries the AT a long, rocky five miles over to Sunrise Mountain. There are quite a number of very good lookout points along the way, as well as a fire tower to climb if you so desire. I don't do towers, so I took my first break of the day at a picnic table in its shadow -- the first of many signs of civilization that you find on this loop hike.

USGS summit marker, Sunrise Mountain

The next landmark, Sunrise Mountain, is totally built up with parking lot, restrooms and a picnic pavilion, but since the auto road leading there was closed for the season, the place was totally deserted. That auto road, by the way, basically follows the route of the AT nearby, so much so that you can see it from time of time and, in the busy season, would surely hear it. Another downer.

Vernal pond near Swenson-Tinsley trail nexus

Leaving Sunrise Mountain, my route descended off the ridge for a long southwesterly return in the valley below. After crossing Sunrise Mountain Road, the trail enters into some pleasant, lonely woods for a spell before reaching a bog-side cabin located at the Swenson-Tinsley Trail nexus. From there, a slight uphill brought me to the most pleasant spot on the entire hike -- a vernal pond teeming with spring peepers sounding their raucous cacophony. I chose this as my lunch break site and stayed there for a full half hour, choosing only to be on my way when the frogs suddenly stopped singing and went silent. 

Bog stream near cabin

If that unexpected vernal pond was the best moment of the trip, the worst was soon to come. Stony Lake has a huge, I mean HUGE, parking lot to service the multiple buildings scattered along the eastern shore. Unlike the one leading to the pavilion at Sunrise Mountain, this auto road does not get closed in winter. I had to amp up my pace to the double-quick to blow past a large group of extra-loud teenagers and over to the Coursen Trail, which got me away from the noise and onto a final, peaceful mile back to Culver's Gap. That is, until I hit the mid-day road noise coming from busy Route 206. 

Yeah, this hike has highway noise, too.

Destination: Sunrise Mountain and Stony Lake
Distance: 11.4 miles
Elevation: 1,564 feet (gain)
Route: Loop, AT to Cartwright Trail to Swenson Trail to Coursen Trail to Sunrise Mountain Road
Conditions: Mostly sunny, 35 degrees F increasing to 65 degrees F
Notable Flora/Fauna: Spring peepers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Garter Snake