In this post some pictures from previous hikes up these mountains. The one above is from an earlier trip from a year before. There is a nearby air strip were a Cessna will tow gliders out into the notch.

This hike was with Becca who knocked 2 more 4ks off her list.

This was the first four thousand footer I ever did in October 2009. I’ve now done it 5 times since. Needless to say I like this one, has a little bit of everything. Above is a picture from that day, notice the ice on the slides and the poor picture quality, was just using a sony DCS-W1 a pretty simple 5MP point an shoot.

The Dry brook coming down falling waters was pretty wet this day, as it was the first time I went up in 09. Most other times its been more of a trickle. Still working on the longer exposure shots, I’m finding with my 7-14mm and 12-60mm f11 is about as far as I want to go before losing detail. (this is 13mm on the former @ f11, 1/2 second, 200iso) This was pretty early on so the light was still a bit restricted on the west side of the mountain. Might be time to get some ND filters. ~f4-8 and ~1-4 seconds could have likely retained some more detail and natural luminance.

Normally once to the top of little haystack you can see hikers moving along the ridge ahead like little ants in the distance.

This a photo from a group hike last year when the clouds were a bit more dramatic and the viability was better. Actually I have one picture from then where the towers could be made out on Washington. Personally I find this picture of Bond Cliff a bit more stirring.

This time on the ridge I had a another lens to try out the 45-200. Where I could get a little closer to reminiscing about our hike the Monday before

Last summer I hiked the ridge twice. This time was with Kimberly and Will. Here Kimberly is making me nervous. This is a pretty good shot considering I’m looking the other way. It may not look like it but to her left is a 20 foot drop into a rock slide the continues down the face of Lincoln. In all fairness it does look like that bolder could be pushed down the mountain, I recommend against trying.

Greenleaf Hut. The AMC maintains all of these huts with special permit from the WMNF. With one exception, in 1888 one acre was gifted to them by a lumber company where the Madison spring hut is situated today.

Southwards view down the ridge.

Pano from the group hike the summer before.

The part of the group that made it to Lafayette the year before.

I’ve looked the origins of the foundation up a couple of times it is a bit of a mystery in term of exactly why, who, and when. Given the size of the stones and the remoteness of the location I’m more interested how it was built. It was build around 1860 as a summit house / hotel. Seems like building these types of structures was sort of a wild west event in the east. With similar types of structures and ambitions for North Kearsarge and Moosilauke. Here is a link to some pictures of the summit building

Anyone who has ever been up there with some wind will probably understand why it only lasted till around 1875.

Becca exploring the summit.

Seems like if its not a candid photo its a goofy one.

This is a toad. Seemed to be waiting for something to eat him.

Track of the trek below.