Mountain Wandering: Mount Lafayette: 3/14/22

On what could have been the last powder day of the season, I enjoyed a snowshoe trek up the Old Bridle Path, which offers great snowshoeing when there is packed powder on the trail. Some folks had broken the trail out the previous day, after an 8-10" snowfall - thank you - and the 'shoeing was soft and pleasant despite the divots left by several barebooters.

A nice wintry look to the trail this day.

Skies were gray as the first views appeared along Agony Ridge.

Good angle on a massive old slide in the southern branch of Walker Ravine.

A ghostly view of the slide-scarred amphitheater at the head of Dry Brook ravine.

Can you see why the late Guy Waterman called this the "New York Slab"?

From the lower OBP outlooks, the skies were looking promising.

First emergence of the summits.

The headwall of the northern branch of Walker Ravine, the lower part of which I had visited the previous week.

Great snow-caked ridge walk. I passed a descending hiker near here, only the fourth person I'd crossed paths with, and I saw no one on the rest of the hike.

The steep pitch known as "Red Rocks."

View SW from the top of "Red Rocks."

I took a long break at another outlook above Red Rocks, reached by a short side path.

This spot offers a different perspective on Lafayette and Lincoln.

Another angle on the head of Walker Ravine north, with the trident-like slide under Truman Peak fully revealed.

Zoom on the shaft of the trident. The week before I was staring up at the big ice cliff at lower center.

Peering down into Walker Ravine.

A great angle on Mt. Lincoln and the long snowy slide chute below "Lincoln's Throat," a favorite of adventurous backcountry skiers.

Long view back down the ridge.

Kinsmans and Lonesome Lake.

Drifts in the woods approaching Greenleaf Hut.

Inviting corridor.

The hut!

I made a short side trip down the Greenleaf Trail to check the status of a spur path leading to a partial westerly view. The spur is now marked by a new sign, and the viewpoint has a name.

With a three-foot snowpack, the spur path was obstructed.

Nice view NW to Vermont with the snow platform; would likely be restricted in summer.

Plenty of new snow up here.

Back at the hut, Eagle Lake and Lafayette.

Mt. Lincoln from the hut.

It was a beautiful afternoon, with extra daylight in store, so I decided to keep heading up towards the summit. Two of the descending hikers I'd met had noted icy conditions above treeline. One had actually made it through with snowshoes. I figured I'd snowshoe up to treeline and give it a try in 'spikes.

Looking back up at the hut.

Snowy scene at Eagle Lake.

The summit of Lafayette looming ahead.

Tunnel through the trees.

Approaching treeline.

I exchanged snowshoes for spikes and headed up in the open, enjoying the exhilaration of vast horizons.

Looking SW to the Kinsmans and Mt. Moosilauke. The Old Bridle Path outlooks are way down there.

After some initial low-angle icy stretches, the Greenleaf Trail led up through a long section of drifted snow.

Rocky slope.

North Lafayette around the corner.

As the trail swung around to the windward NW side of the cone, the drifts were replaced by ice and hard crust.

Looking down the Lafayette Brook valley. Camel's Hump, Mt. Mansfield, Jay Peak and other Green Mountain summits are way out there.

Approaching the trickiest part of the ascent, where the trail climbs steeply around a rock buttress on a somewhat exposed slope. As I started up this, I soon realized that my 'spikes were overmatched on the rock-hard crust mixed with ice. I should have had my full 10-point crampons (Black Diamond), which I had left at home, since I wasn't really planning to summit. I made it up and down with the 'spikes, slowly and carefully, but it was sketchy, and I wouldn't do it again. After 39 years of winter hiking I should have known better.