From: The Notch hostel, shuttle to Flume Visitor Center
To: Garfield Ridge shelter
Mileage: 11.5
Weather: Sunny, damp
Penguin and I took The Notch morning shuttle to the Flume Visitor Center to hike over Franconia Ridge, famous for being one of National Geographic's top hikes in the world.
It was a sunny day, but the previous rain meant wet trail and streams down the path. It was a long climb up to the ridge, and occasional clouds drifted through the peaks. There were a lot of day hikers on the ridge, maybe more than usual given the Friday before Independence Day.
We enjoyed the view for a bit, but clouds were building with the threat of thunderstorms, so we moved on and began a slow, rocky descent.
There were a few distant rumbles of thunder that made Penguin nervous, then a couple of nearby claps as we approached Garfield Peak that gave me pause (I researched lightning in graduate school, so I know the risks and recommendations well). However, it was quiet for a long time so I felt comfortable moving on.
My feet were very sore by the time we reached Garfield Ridge shelter. The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) provides caretakers at many sites and charges a fee to cover maintenance due to high visitor usage. We met the caretaker, James, and Penguin covered the initial $10 fee for my AMC thruhiker pass, which includes a 50% discount ($5) at other sites for two weeks, as well as a free soup and two free baked goods at the AMC huts. Not a bad deal!
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