I had a few hours free for a snowshoe jaunt before snow moved in late afternoon. I headed up to Franconia Notch with the idea of probing farther up the ridge north of Lafayette Brook, if I could follow the tracks I had made three days earlier. But the most recent snowfall had completely covered my tracks, and the trail breaking was that much harder with an additional 5-6" of soft snow. After taking in the view of Mt. Lafayette from the bridge by the Gallen Memorial, I drove back south to climb to the longtime favorite outlooks on Old Bridle Path.
There was a beautiful packed snowshoe track on Old Bridle Path, soft enough for enjoyable 'shoeing.
A pretty hefty snowpack for early December. Too bad about the heavy rain headed our way.
Signage at a planned relocation around a badly eroded section.
Snow-draped passageway.
A somewhat tricky little ice bulge on the scrambly section below the outlook ledges.
Tunneling.
First peek at the ridge.
A more open vista from the first ledge outlook.
Looking up Agony Ridge and the north branch of Walker Ravine. On Halloween I bushwhacked up the valley to the little open slide patch seen right of center, and basked in 70-degree sun.
Old slide tracks spilling down off the ridge.
Walker Ravine North, overlooked by Mt. Lafayette.
Walker Ravine South, between "Truman Peak" and Mt. Lincoln. It's fun to look at various slides I've visited in these ravines during recent winters.
Dry Brook Ravine, between Mt. Lincoln and Little Haystack.
Snow-packed scrub heading up to the upper outlook in this series.
View back to the south under leaden skies.
The Kinsmans, a few minutes before they were smothered by incoming clouds.
The ridge going under, time to head down.
Parting shot.
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