The weather, which had been clear and sunny for our entire morning and our time up on and near the summit, had taken a decidedly darker turn. A high overcast had obscured the blue, and upon Mt Lafayette itself, tendrils of lower cloud began to lick and envelop the summit. It was starting to look a bit rainy-ish.
Fortunately, we were nearing the end of our journey, and as long as any deluge held off for another 30 minutes or so, we'd be good.
Although not a true mountain trail, the multi-use path did bring us along some interesting little points of interest and scenic spots. An easy and pleasant final stretch of what was turning out to be an excellent hike.
courtesy JInnes
Cannon Mountain Parking Lot
Back at Kinsman Ridge Trailhead
There were a few minor sprinkles but nothing major, and we arrived back at the Kinsman Ridge parking lot (after following the iffily-signed recreational path - a bit of navigation sense was required) around 2:45pm. We were all no worse for wear, except for Sophie: she had a monster broken blister on one heel. Looked red and angry and like something that would have staying power for a few weeks. Ouchie.
Overall our loop adventure had been great. Lots of stretches of quiet and un-eroded forest path, a superb stretch above treeline, and a nice pleasant and interesting walk in the notch itself. If I had to do this again, though, I'd take more care to figure out where the real start of the Greenleaf trail is, and on the way down, I'd cut across to hit the multi-use pass as soon as the Skookumchuck trail starts to bend to the north. I noticed a covered-over herdpath in that area, and I bet that's exactly where that goes and why. Not too sure why that isn't a marked connector path, actually - it would make sense and I don't believe it would encourage any over-use, given its location.
Anyhow... great outing, guys! It's been too long since we did one like this and we can't let that happen again! Until next time...
Interactive trackmap with photo points - desc - click map to view
Lafayette loop via Greenleaf and Skookumchuck
Start Time:
6:38a.m.
End Time:
2:44p.m.
Duration:
8h6m
Distance:
17.93 km
(11.14 mi)
Average Speed:
2.2 km/hr
(1.4 mph)
Start Elevation:
1971ft
(601m)
*
Max Elevation:
5225ft
(1593m)
*
Min Elevation:
1745ft
(532m)
*
End Elevation:
1964ft
(599m)
*
* : +/- 75 feet
Total Elevation Gain:
3586ft
(1093m)
*
Total Elevation Loss:
3574ft
(1089m)
*
* : +/- 75 feet
Elevation Graph
