autumn view from flume slide

autumn view from flume slide
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

Want to try this hike? Take a look at these resources:
Mohamed Ellozy's description
Flume Slide Trail discussion at Views from the Top
Chris Oberg & Robert Havasy's trip report

Notice that Chris Oberg and Robert Havasy say that the hike along Flume Slide Trail to the beginning of the slide itself is difficult, which was not my experience. I think they had a rough time because of the high temperatures, whereas today it was around 50 °F. Their perception of the hike to Mt Flume is entirely different from mine, so it's worth taking a look to get a different perspective.

some autumn color

some autumn color
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

On the drive up 93, I saw a lot of autumn color. But on the hike itself I mostly saw green leaves, and just a few yellow or red accents here and there. I think northern NH is peaking soon, but there's still quite a lot to go.

As I neared the bike path, I met a woman climbing down with a lot of difficulty. I learned she had sprained her ankle at the top, and had hobbled all the way down with a partner. Worrisome! So far, I've avoided this fate. I hope she's okay.

Despite the grey skies it was yet another great day for a hike! I'm very happy it didn't rain on me. Also, I'm glad I made the decision to try the Flume Slide, which worked out so well. It was challenging but fun.

Last but not least, I applied blister protection prior to hiking, so I didn't get any blisters. And I didn't get any knee pain, either, hallelujah!

farewell mt liberty

looking back at mt liberty
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

This is a look back at Mt Liberty on the way back down.

The descent from Mt Liberty is remarkably easy if you follow the Liberty Spring Trail, which is a leg on the AT. Unbelievably easy! It's probably one of the easiest trails, if not the easiest, to a 4000 footer that I've taken so far. Admittedly I was not climbing up it, but down. Still, I never had to scramble or crawl over giant boulders. It was a completely normal hike. Whew, quite a pleasant surprise!

us geological survey marker at mt liberty

us geological survey marker at mt liberty
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

From Mt Flume to Mt Liberty is about a 50 minute walk. The continued ascent gets a little tedious after taking the Flume Slide, but it's not really difficult.

I was excited to find this US Geological Survey marker at the summit of Liberty. Nice alternative reward, given that there was no view!

When I arrived I was met by several groups, some people hanging out to eat or doing yoga (or maybe meditating). It was a little chilly, and I was still a bit concerned it might rain, so I didn't hang out for long. It was around 1:30 pm at this point. My legs were shaky so I figured I should eat something, even though I wasn't hungry. I started in on my Clif bar, and began the descent.

looking up franconia ridge trail towards mt flume

looking up franconia ridge trail towards mt flume
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

Once you pop off the Flume Slide Trail, you have to take a very exposed ridge walk to get to Mt Flume. Fortunately it was weirdly quiet today, no wind at all. There were a lot of non-biting gnats at the summit.

This view was taken on the way up to Mt Flume; there was too much cloud cover to get a nice shot from the summit. Too bad, since the autumn colors are looking really nice now.

a look up flume slide

a look up flume slide
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

Here's another look up the Flume Slide. This section was not so bad, but it had a larger wet area. Along one large section of the slide, the rock surface got really slick when wet. It was difficult getting traction if your boots were wet, even if the rock was dry. Someone should patent the stuff.

There were times when I had to lay my body against the rock and work my way up with hands and feet, so I can see why it's a class III. But I still think the North Tripyramid slide is more difficult. That's because the North Slide opens out into a wide, exposed area, and it's difficult to know if you're going the right way. I may be mistaken in thinking it matters how you ascend the North Slide - perhaps any route will do. I will have to go up the North Slide again to get a second opinion on that route.

Maybe I was seasoned by North Slide, but the Flume Slide just didn't seem so bad to me. I kept slogging at it, slow and steady, and eventually hit the top. I only slipped a few times, and never more than a few inches. The climb took about 1 h 30 min.

I met two people coming down the slide, something the AMC Guide does not recommend. They didn't seem too bothered with the descent and were using poles (whereas I was using hands and feet). However, I encountered them pretty high up, where the footing was better. I wonder how they managed on the slick parts.

water running down flume slide

water running down flume slide
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

I started at the hiker's trailhead just north of the Flume Gorge parking area, off Rt 93 in NH. In case you're wondering, you should take the Flume Gorge exit, 34A. I overshot it, thinking that the hiker's trailhead would be at another lot directly off 93. No. I wasted some time circling back. Despite that, I started my hike nice and early at 8:30 am.

It looked like it would start raining any minute, despite the 10% chance of rain predicted. I decided to trust the weather report, possibly a foolish idea.

Getting to the Flume Slide is incredibly easy. The hike is mostly flat with just a few hills almost all the way! It made me kind of anxious wondering just how steep the ascent up to Mt Flume would be (the Guide indicates it's 1500 ft in 0.5 miles).

Well it turns out the Slide is not so bad. Here's a look up one section. I was lucky that it hadn't rained. A lot of the rock was dry, although there was water running down along parts of the slide.

Mt Flume and Mt Liberty

got to franconia ridge trail in 3.5 hours
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

Today's hike: 6 h 45 min | 9.5 mi | 1.4 mph

I hiked up two more of the White Mountain 4000 footers today: Mt Flume (4328 ft) and Mt Liberty (4459 ft). These are my 10th and 11th 4000 footers, w00t! Total elevation gain was about 3000 ft.

I had some trepidation about taking the Flume Slide Trail up to Mt Flume. The AMC White Mountain Guide indicates the trail is particularly dangerous when wet, but it wasn't supposed to rain today, so I decided to attempt it.

But later, I read a trip report that says it's a very difficult Class III climb - "harder then the North Tripyramid slide" - yikes! Given my recent difficulty hiking that slide, I wondered if I was up to it, especially since I've recently recovered from a terrible case of food poisoning. This would be my first hike in a couple of weeks.

I waffled all the way to the foot of the slide. I decided that if it looked bad, I would just turn back around.

A story about "Water Lilies"

Water Lilies

by Céline Sciamma

I just finished viewing Water Lilies. Summary: teenage hormones run amok at the pool.

And the French word of the day is: un collier (necklace).

See more about Water Lilies

Tank one hundred and thirty-three

Total miles: 46470. Trip miles: 334.6. Gallons: 5.905. Price per gallon: $2.619.

Screen mileage: 55.6 mpg. Tank mileage: 56.7 mpg.

Two long drives, 3+ hours each.

Tank one hundred and thirty-two

Total miles: 46135. Trip miles: 149.4. Gallons: 2.614. Price per gallon: $2.559.

Screen mileage: 50.6 mpg. Tank mileage: 57.2 mpg.

The tank mileage this time makes up for the poor mileage last time.

A review of "On the Road to Kandahar: Travels through Conflict in the Islamic World"

On the Road to Kandahar: Travels through Conflict in the Islamic World

by Jason Burke

In On the Road to Kandahar, Jason Burke writes about his experiences as a reporter covering the Arab world (Pakistan, Iraq, etc). A lot of the time, I had a hard time understanding what was going on inside his head. I don’t always get the feeling that he’s horrified at what he’s seeing (whereas it horrified me) and that kinda creeps me out. I also don’t fundamentally understand the attraction? romance? of reporting in those regions; maybe it’s a British thing.

I found the book tedious at times. I think it could have used some editing, or maybe it’s just that I don’t enjoy the author’s writing style. Caveat: the book was given to me by a friend, so it’s not something that I picked up of my own accord. My attitude may be due to that.

See more about On the Road to Kandahar: Travels through Conflict in the Islamic World

rainbow

rainbow
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

As I was driving away from the Cascade Path trailhead, I saw a brilliant rainbow to the east.

The Tripyramids make a challenging hike! I got completely exhausted and also developed a few small blisters, but I feel great today! I'd like to hike them again, perhaps taking some variations on the route.

livermore trail

livermore trail
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

I got a sprinkling of rain on the way down the south slide. Fortunately, it never turned into a downpour. Fortunately - because I neglected to bring any raingear, aside from my backpack cover!

Compared to the Tripyramid slides, Livermore Trail looks like downright civilized. It made a nice change on the return trip.

gravel on south slide

gravel on south slide
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

For the curious, here's a close-up look at the make-up of the gravel on the south slide. The toe of my boot is there for scale.

south slide narrows

south slide narrows
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

The south slide is wide open at the top, but it narrows down pretty soon, as you can see here. Most of the south slide is narrow, in fact, making it easier to traverse than the north slide, in my view.

looking down south slide

looking down south slide
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

Getting from Middle Tripyramid to South Tripyramid is reasonably easy, and from there you go down the south slide. This view was taken at the top of the south slide. It's very steep over here, too.

The Guide says the south slide has bad footing, and I guess it does. But compared to the north slide, I found it a piece of cake. Yes, there's gravel, but there are also lots of little plateaus where you can set your foot down flat. There are some short spurts where you are at risk of sliding (and I did), but never too badly.

If I had been wearing a heavier pack, it would have been more difficult. A set of poles might have helped. I didn't bring mine.

view from middle tripyramid

view from middle tripyramid
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

Hiking from the north to the middle peak is a nice walk with just a little bit of boulder climbing. There's a great view from Middle Tripyramid.

stones at north tripyramid

stones at north tripyramid
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

Practically speaking there's no view at North Tripyramid; it's crowded with trees. There is this little "rock couch" near the peak, nice for taking a break. If you want to stop where there's a view, you can do that at the top of the north slide, or wait till you get over to Middle Tripyramid. There are nice views over by the south slide, too.

view of ski area from north slide

view of ski area from north slide
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

Here's another view of the slide, with mountains in the distance. I think the mountains just make it look steeper.

view across north slide

view across north slide
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

I took a photo looking across the slide to get a feel for the angle. It really doesn't look too bad here, but feels pretty bad when you're on it.

One question I have about this slide is: how necessary is it to follow the yellow blazes? I spent quite some time trying to find them, and was concerned when I wasn't sure if I was on the right track. If you stray off the advised trail, does the slide become a lot more difficult? I think I took too much time trying to search out the yellow blazes. If I go again, I'll just make my own way.

I'll have to do some research to see how difficult it is going down this slide. It seems like it would be much harder going down than going up, and going up was pretty tough.

cairn along north slide

cairn along north slide
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

This is a view of a cairn on the most difficult part of the north slide.

At some point, the slide opens out to this very wide, exposed area that is covered in a jumble of steep slabs, unstable rocks, and gravel. The slope here is quite steep, and the trail is poorly marked with a rare yellow blaze. I was frequently buffeted by blasts of cold wind while making my way up here, which I found disconcerting.

The AMC Guide says the trail along here "turns sharp left into the woods at a cairn", but don't be fooled by the first cairn that you see. There are several cairns along this slide, and by the time you reach the right one, it will be obvious because it is close to where the trail goes into the woods on the left side of the slide.

I don't usually suffer from acrophobia, but it did a number on me going up this slide. I probably aggravated the problem by turning around to look out at the vast mountain views frequently, and stopping to take photos.

I crawled up most of the way, sometimes pulling myself up with my hands. This got to be pretty tiresome since I was wearing a 12-lb pack. I recall thinking several times that I should never do this again; being concerned that it might rain and the rocks would become slippery; that I might get stuck without being able to move up or down.

Regardless, I did keep moving up. Eventually I was passed by one guy who seemed to have little trouble walking up, without using his hands. This makes me think my problem was mainly psychological. Looking at the photos from the safety of home, it does look steep but not murderous.

north slide goes on

north slide continues
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

It was kind of hard for me to grok just how long the north slide is. The AMC Guide describes it as "climbing 1200 ft in 0.5 mi." This slide seems to go on forever.

At this point, I thought I was nearing the top. In fact, I was nearing the part of the slide where it expands into a large open area. So far, this was a fun climb, though tiring. It gets a bit tricky after this, to say the least.

north slide continues

north slide continues
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

Here we continue up the north slide to North Tripyramid. This area is still not difficult. I didn't slip here, and the trail is obvious.

start of the north slide

start of the north slide
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

It's a pretty easy jaunt from Cascade Path over to the start of the Mt Tripyramid trail. Cascade Path is not always perfectly marked, but if you're moderately alert you shouldn't have problems.

The AMC White Mountain Guide recommends climbing up the north slide of Mt Tripyramid Trail, and taking the south slide down. I did this. I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm posting these photos to give you an idea. This first picture shows the beginning of the north slide. It's not at all threatening. The moss would be nasty in rain, but yesterday I had no problems slipping.

cascade path trailhead

cascade path trailhead
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

I got started a little late, because I didn't print out a detailed map to get to the trailhead. It's not described well in the AMC White Mountain Guide, and the trail map doesn't make it clear. So here are directions to the Cascade Path trailhead.

Take Rte 93 in NH to exit 28, and follow Rte 49 northeast just about as far as it will go. Eventually, the speed limit goes from 50 to 30 mph, and you'll see signs for the Waterville Valley ski area on Tripoli Rd, to the left. Don't go there; continue straight on. At this point, Rte 49 gets confusing. A lot of this area seems like a set of private streets meandering through a condo.

You'll eventually get to a big brown sign on the right of the road, which is called "Valley Rd" here. The sign points to various attractions, including a (public) golf club, and "WVAIA" trails. Take this right. This is the confusing point. You have been following Rte 49, which is Valley Rd, and you need to continue on this road by going right. If you continue on straight, you'll be following Snow's Brook Rd, which leads off in the wrong direction.

Follow Valley Rd past a golf course and tennis courts. You'll pass Stone Tower Ln and W Branch Rd on your left - Valley Rd becomes Boulder Way around this point. Soon, you'll pass a large shed next to a ski lift, followed by a dirt parking lot. You'll want to park in the lot, as described in the AMC guide. Just beyond the dirt lot is Cascade Ridge Rd; the Cascade Path trailhead is located at the intersection of this road and Boulder Way.

The road in this photo is Cascade Ridge Rd; you'll see this view when driving on Boulder Way in front of the parking area. This is where I started my approach to the Tripyramids.

view from north slide

view from north slide
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

I hiked over North Tripyramid and Middle Tripyramid yesterday, my 8th and 9th 4000-footers.

I took Cascade Path to Norway Rapids Trail to Livermore Trail, and then took the Mt Tripyramid trail clockwise over the summits. The total hike was about 11 miles and took about 6 h 45 min, excluding breaks. My pace was a tepid 1.6 mph. The total time is iffy, since I kept stopping my watch and forgetting to restart it.

This trip offers some great views, like this view from the "north slide".

The Guild is back!

The Guild is back with Season 4, which continues to follow the lives of the members of an online gaming club. (Weirdly, it's streaming from Bing.)

The show stars Felicia Day, but is made great by the ensemble cast and hilarious writing. If you haven't watched it already, go do so now. It will make you happy!

Tank one hundred and thirty-one

Total miles: 45986. Trip miles: 288.0. Gallons: 6.381. Price per gallon: $2.569.

Screen mileage: 54.3 mpg. Tank mileage: 45.1 mpg.

Pretty bad tank mileage! Hm. A week of short commutes followed by a long drive to go backpacking.

rock climbing

I’ve been rock climbing just a few times, mostly outdoors. I’d like to become competent with the knots and techniques, and eventually be able to lead. I tend to like going on my own so I’ll probably get into bouldering as well. I don’t know why I put this off so long; it’s another one of those things I always thought I’d enjoy doing “some day.”

I signed up for a class next week (indoor wall), good start!

See more progress on: Learn Rock Climbing