Mount Flume and Mount Liberty Loop

Ten GO hikers celebrated the return of fall to the White Mountains with a spectacular hike of Mts Flume and Liberty.   We met at The Basin parking lot and welcomed Jim (trail name “Rolo”) to his first GO event.  He recently completed his second thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, and we enjoyed hearing stories from his adventure throughout the day.   The Liberty Springs Trail and the first half of the Flume Slide Trail ascend gently, allowing everyone to warm up their legs and socialize easily.  When we started the Slide, the team did a great job watching out for each other and offering support.  Even with three days of no rain, the Slide was quite wet.  It was wonderful to see the care that everyone took to ensure those ahead of them and behind got up safely.  We used the established side trails that run along the Slide freely, and a small cohort of us made up their own trail (accidentally) towards the top. :)

Once we broke treeline on the Osseo Trail, the view towards the summit of Flume, and Liberty further in the distance, was breathtaking.   The weather could not have been better with a warm sun washing over us and a light breeze to keep us cool.   We had lunch on the summit of Liberty before making our way down the Liberty Spring Trail.  We passed a few thru-hikers on this leg of the trip.  About half of the way down, a friendly day hiker that we had passed a few times through the day had a rough fall about 50’ in front of us.  Our group came to her aid without missing a beat--even before her own husband made it there to help her!  We had one person with us who trained as a paramedic and another as a nurse.   We offered basic first aid and left her in the capable care of her husband.  Great job JT & Fred! 

We finished the day around 3:30 p.m.  About half of the hikers went back to Bobcat’s house in Sugar Hill for pizza, Pad Thai, a cheesy monkey bread.  An odd combination to be sure, but delicious nonetheless.  Thank you to everyone who joined us for this adventure!

Celebrate the first day of fall 2023 with a hike of Mount Flume and Mount Liberty!  This loop is 9.3 miles with 3,576’ of elevation gain.  Please note this is a strenuous hike.  It includes two 4,000-foot mountains, climbing steep ledges that may be wet, and ascending the Flume Slide, one of the White Mountain’s “Terrifying 25”.  Having said that, it is an unforgettable hike that should offer some beautiful panoramas of the early foliage season.

Please note: Bob has graciously offered his place in Sugar Hill for anyone that wants to stay on Friday and/or Saturday night.  Please reach out to him directly to book a bed; you can message him through the GO site.  We will do a potluck on Saturday night.  Let him know what you are going to bring if you plan on attending.  If you are not staying over but want to carpool to the trailhead, he can give you the address. 

Route:

From The Basin parking area, we will head south on the Franconia Notch Bike Path for 0.8 miles before turning onto Liberty Spring Trail.  From there we will connect with the Flume Slide Trail.  It is 2.6 miles from here to the start of the Flume Slide, and we will cross a few streams on this trail.  Once on the Slide, we will take our time navigating the wet slabs and loose rocks.  Hikers have created side trails that run through the woods on either side of the Slide for those that prefer these routes.   The summit of Mount Flume is about 500’ beyond the Slide. 

From here, we will follow the Franconia Ridge Trail 1.1 miles to Mount Liberty.  Note, parts of this trail have precipitous drop-offs to the left of the trail, for those squeamish with heights.  After this, we will continue to follow the Franconia Ridge Trail until it meets with the Liberty Spring Trail.  We will pass Liberty Spring, a natural spring near a tentsite in the area.  This is also part of the Appalachian Trail and we may run into some thru-hikers.  It is 2.9 miles down Liberty Spring Trail until we reconnect with the Franconia Notch Bike Path.

Below is the AllTrails map of our hike as well as a list of the “10 Essentials” to pack for any hike.  Please remember to bring extra water, proper footwear, and a great attitude.   I hope you can join us!

AllTrails map of the hike: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-hampshire/flume-and-liberty-loop?p=62044812&sh=ex94e9

Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC)’s recommendation of the 10 Essentials for a backcountry hike: https://www.outdoors.org/resources/amc-outdoors/outdoor-resources/the-10-essentials-what-to-pack-for-a-backcountry-hike/