Lonesome Lake Hut
July 3-4, 1998

Our family, except for Erin who was away at camp, drove up to Franconia Notch on July 3, arriving there in the mid-morning, expecting to get to the hut for lunch. This was Toi and Holly's first trip backpacking up into the White Mountains. Erin was at Camp Favorite on the Cape and Holly was getting too old for the kid's Fourth of July activities in Westboro, so we though we'd do something different this year.

We figured that it wouldn't be nearly as crowded up at a hut as in a regular campground down below. The huts don't really allow dogs, but we were hoping to sneak Muffin in, as Lonesome Lake Hut has 4-person bunkrooms, and we expected to have a room all to ourselves where Muffin wouldn't bother anyone.

We stopping at the Trailhead sign in Franconia Notch  State Park for a picture, then headed up the trail. We moved a little more slowly than usual because Toi wasn't used to backpacking, but we had plenty of time and were in no hurry.

When we reached Lonesome Lake, we stopped for a rest and to admire the views across the lake. It was a nice day and we could see people on the far shore below the hut. After walking around the lake, partly on timber puncheons, we arrived at the bridge over the little brook that drains the lake and stopped to take some pictures.

While Holly waited by the lakeshore with Muffin, Toi and I climbed up the rest of the way to the hut and checked us in. We got our room and found out that we did have it all it ourselves. We put our stuff inside, then got Holly and Muffin, and settled in.

After relaxing for a while, we went to the dining room and ate the lunch we had packed. The hut sold lemonade, tea, and coffee, and Toi got some lemonade to go along with her bag lunch.

After lunch, Holly went to our bunkroom to rest and be with Muffin, while Toi and I took a hike around Lonesome Lake. Later, while Toi and Holly read and worked on crafts in the dining room, I took a hike up the Lonesome Lake Trail partway up the side of North Cannonball, almost to the Kinsman Ridge Trail, but turned around because I wasn't carrying enough water and because it was getting late.

We ate dinner in the dining room. It was shepherd's pie, and was cooked and served by the croo. It was crowded and we were really packed in at the tables. After dinner, we went down to the lakeshore to sit and relax. The views of Franconia Ridge were great. At night, it was a little hard getting to sleep because the hut was crowded and the walls were paper thin. You could hear everything anyone else did. Someone banged on our wall when we were talking softly, and Muffin started barking. We decided not to bring Muffin to an overnight hut trip again.

After breakfast the next morning, which seemed even more crowded because we were at a table packed with a million little kids, we packed up and headed down the trail back to the car. Toi fell when the top of her pack hit a branch, but she was okay. She fell again further down, which we discovered later was due to her hiking boots being extremely worn and slick on the bottom. We stopped at some gift shops in Lincoln, then headed home. We decided to go to another hut sometime, but without Muffin and not on a busy day like the Fourth of July.

Muffin by the Crawford Path Trailhead. I'd been up this trail from Rt 302 several times before, but never in the summer. It was nice to see the trail without snow.

Holly and Muffin resting on a rock near the beginning of the trail. It was a nice day, and Muffin was glad to be on the trail.

Toi by Lonesome Lake. The north end of Franconia Ridge is in the distance. The views from the lake are great.

Holly and Muffin by Lonesome Lake. This shot was taken from the bridge that crosses the lake's outlet near the hut.

Toi and Muffin in our bunkroom. Toi and Holly both took lower bunks, and I took one of the upper bunks. Most of the bunkrooms at Lonesome Lake Hut are 4-person rooms. A couple rooms sleep 6.

Holly on her bunk, eating a snack. The bunks were pretty comfortable, but the walls between rooms were paper-thin, as we were to realize later that night.

Holly in the hut's dining room. The Lonesome Lake dining room is hexagonal, with the tables arranged in a semi-circle around the kitchen.

• Lonesome Lake dining room and croo quarters in the winter