I parked my car at the Mt Liberty/Mt Flume trailhead around 7:30am and got into John's car for the ride to the Ranger's station on the Kancamagus highway where we were to begin our hike. When we arrived, there were already a few cars in the parking lot as well as two people gathering their gear from their car. This was my first major White Mountain hike of 2002 season and I was really happy to be here. With skiing season officially over, I could finally turn my full attention to finishing the 48 4,000 footers, where I only had ten left to complete. From all reports most of the Franconia Ridge was free of snow, so neither John nor I brought alone snowshoes.

The walk up the Wilderness Trail was uneventful as we tested our legs by quickening our pace for we were both excited to be hiking the ridge once again. John mentioned that when he dies he wants his son to scatter his ashes alone the ridge that he so loves. I hope that his passing will not be for some time, because both my wife and I truly enjoy hiking with him. At 1.5 miles we took a left onto the Osseo Trail and walked beside the small brook that lines the trail. As we were walking I noticed that the trail was not well marked. In fact, I don't recall seeing any marks that would indicate the direction of the trail. Luckily for us, however, the trail was well worn so we didn't need any markings to help guide us, for the time being that is. As we continued to walk we would catch glimpse of the ridge, but later realized it was probably Whaleback and not Mt Flume that we saw in the distance.

After about an hour and a half the trail takes a sharp right and moves away from the ridge. At first I thought that this was odd, but later recognized that it was in our best interest that it did so for going straight up the ridge would have been daunting. After awhile the switchback headed back west towards the ridge and we began to see small patches of snow in the woods and on the trail. I half jokingly said to John that he should have brought his snowshoes. Little did I realize that my innocent joke would come back to haunt us.

As we ascended towards the ridge, the small patches of snow began to increase in size and then eventually became a constant snow patch. We also began to have problems staying on top of the snow as we postholed our way up the trail. We were only able to travel 10 to 15 feet before we would fall through the thin layer of ice that kept us on top of the snow and once we fell through, it was an ordeal to climb out and regain our footing. Our going was slow given the amount of snow on the trail and coupled with the fact that any semblance of a trail had disappeared under the snow.

After about 4 hours of walking on the snow bridges and the obligatory postholing that were always present, we finally emerged on the summit of Mt Flume. We both quickly put on our shells to keep the cold wind from dramatically dropping our body temperature as we ate lunch and enjoyed the views. The Bonds, Owl's Head, the Twins, the Pemi and Cannon were absolutely beautiful in the early afternoon sun. We soaked up the scenery before decided to head over to Mt Liberty. Before we left, however, John decided it might be time to put on his gaiters. I couldn't resist pointing out the humor in putting on gaiters after you have just traversed waist deep snow.

As we headed toward Liberty we once again battled the snow bridges and paid homage to the postholing gods as we struggled toward the summit. In the distance we heard voices coming form Mt Flume so we knew we were not alone. I know the voices were not in my head because those usually tell me to kill. Just Kidding. Luckily for us the snow wasn't as deep between Mt Flume and Mt Liberty as it was going up the Osseo Trail. If it were, I believe both John and I would have had to sacrifice a passing hiker to the snow gods for safe passage. Our trip to Mt Liberty took a little longer than the hour book time, but that was understandable given the book time is for summer travel time and not winter.

When we emerged on Mt Liberty, a feeling of satisfaction came over us knowing that the worst was over. We sat for a while and took in the view while eating what was left of our lunch. As usually, John brought with him a small convenience store worth of food, which I was thankful for. We had a sandwich and some cheese while resting before our descent down the Liberty Spring Trail. While we were waiting, another hiker emerged on the summit that had come up the Flume Slide Trail. He was heading to Mt Lafayette and so he just briefly said hello before heading out.

As we descended Mt Liberty, I gave one of my poles to John so he could stable himself on the snow bridges. It was more difficult keeping your balance descending than ascending because the slippery ice made it nearly impossible to keep your balance. After an hour of fighting with the snow, the trail finally became clear so we were able to increase our speed. We encountered several group heading up the mountain late in the day and I was wondering why some people start a hike so late. Both John and I love to start a hike early in the morning, so I guess we will never understand.

After what seemed like hours, we finally emerged from the woods and hiked along the bike path towards our car. I remembered that we had to reenter the woods just past the picnic table to reach our car at the trailhead. I thought that it would only be about .2 miles to the car, but both John's and my heart sank when we saw the sign indicating that we had .6 miles left to go. Sometimes the last half-mile can be the hardest part of any trip, and this was no exception. When we finally reach the car we gave each other a high five for a trip well done. It took us 8 hours to cover the 9.9-mile trek, which in retrospect, is not bad for a couple of old guys. I cannot wait for our Washington trip in June!