Mt Flume is the southernmost peak on Franconia Ridge and the primary mountain the Pemigewasset Loopers encounter after leaving the Lincoln Woods Trailhead. I climbed in by way of the Osseo Path which supplies a comparatively gradual ascent, climbing 3150′ ft in 5.6 miles, aside from a collection of wood ladders as you close to treeline. Whereas I’ve hiked the Osseo twice beforehand, in winter and as soon as at midnight after a counterclockwise Pemi Loop, I’d by no means seen it with its “leaves on” and kicked myself for not going up Flume this far more typically. It truly is a stunning path and far simpler to climb than the opposite routes up the height.
I left the Lincoln Woods Trailhead, which was surprisingly crowded for an early Friday morning, and headed out the dreaded Lincoln Woods Path. It’s not a foul path, but it surely’s the primary gateway to the Pemigewasset Wilderness, which implies I’ve hiked it lots of of occasions, which will get just a little monotonous. It’s a very quick path to hike and I can often rise up to three mph on it as a result of it’s so flat and huge, so the hike out to the Osseo Trailhead glided by shortly.
The Osseo Path runs by way of a fairly wooded space earlier than it begins a gradual climb up an jap ridge to the primary Franconia ridgeline. Whereas the path runs alongside an unnamed stream, it does so some 100 ft up a steep slope so the stream is virtually inaccessible with no herculean effort. I’d packed additional water since we’re within the midst of a foul drought, however I made a psychological word for future forrays, to not rely on this stream for water sooner or later.
The path floor is especially grime till 2.1 miles up when the path begins to change forwards and backwards to achieve elevation and tree roots and rocks make their look. The path quickly enters a really steep part, punctuated by wood and rock stairs, earlier than passing a viewpoint on the appropriate which overlooks the south facet of Owlshead Mountain and the Bonds, together with an important view Bondcliff. I ended for a snack and studied the terrain simply north, inspecting a ridge from Mt Flume right down to Lincoln Brook, to see if it might be used as a shortcut. I noticed a reference to a Dirrettissima Route that used one thing within the neighborhood and questioned if and the way that hiker had been capable of hike down this ridge: it appeared impossibly steep to me.
Extra rock steps and ladders start above the perspective earlier than the path flattens out in terms of Franconia Ridge beofre climbing briefly to the Flume Slide junction and a brief uncovered scramble to the highest of Mt Flume. I had a imprecise recollection of this part from my Pemi loop of some years in the past, however I wouldn’t realize it from Adam if I hadn’t recognized the place I used to be on a map.
I handed the Flume Slide junction and continued to the summit, which was pretty crowded for a Friday afternoon, in summer season. I took within the view of close by Mt Lincoln after which turned to hike again down the way in which I’d come, chatting with just a few hikers I’d handed earlier. Within the span of two minutes, three folks requested whether or not they need to climb down the Flume Slides Path.
My response: that’d be an effective way to get a trip in a Nationwide Guard Helicopter! So no. It’s moist and climbing down the slippery ledges is ill-advised. All that element is within the White Mountain Information, if solely individuals who purchase it and browse it as a substitute of counting on AllFails or Fb for his or her path beta (mentioned the curmudgeon).
Different Routes: There are two different methods to climb Mt Flume. The primary is by way of the Flume Slide Path and the second is to observe the Franconia Brook Path south from Mt Liberty. The latter is so steadily hiked that it’s also known as “Fliberty” by the locals.
Historical past: The Osseo Path used to run up the west facet of Whaleback Mountain earlier than climbing to Franconia Ridge. It was re-routed within the Eighties following the development of the Clearbrook condos on the earlier trailhead. That outdated path remains to be unofficially maintained and is utilized by bushwhackers to climb South Whaleback.
Map
Mountain climbing Mt Flume by way of the Osseo Path
Really helpful Guidebooks and Maps:
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