Mount Flume, Flume Slide Trail and Mount Liberty Hiking Guide Important Information
Trail Map: Trail Map 1, Trail Map 2
Difficulty: Strenuous
Distance: ~10 Miles
Mount Flume Height: 4,328 foot
Trail Breakdown
Flume Visitor Center To Flume Slide Trail – 1.5 miles
Flume Slide Trail – 3.3 miles
Mount Flume To Mount Liberty – 1.2
Mount Liberty To Fork – 0.3 miles
Liberty Spring Trail – 2.3
Trail Back To Parking Lot – 1.5
Total Loop – Approximately 10.1 Miles
Note: The information is just an approximation.
Parking
Start Of The Journey
I was reading the Bible and in the beginning, God created heaven and earth. I am certain that this has made lots of people angry. Why can’t God just create the heaven, why does he have to put the earth in there too. If they cannot put me on earth, then only place is heaven. I could be in heaven right now, in a Jaccuzzi, smoking and drinking alcohol, my body would have a six pack and everyone would look like a model, I would have several beautiful women next to me. Unfortunately, the earth was created and if that was not bad enough it was propagated with lots of stupid people. Fortunately, hiking was invented and it was most likely invented by a guy who wants to get away from work and stupid people. He most likely called in sick and thought, “you know what, they can’t find me if I go to the mountain.” When hiking was invented, people thought, “Hey, Earth is not so bad. It is actually beautiful.” So our story of this New Hampshire hike began.
Flume Slide Trail
The day started out fine and dandy. Whoever uses the word ‘dandy’ anymore? What does that even mean? I just heard about it. I also heard that only idiots use words they do not know the meaning of. Anyway, the day was fine and dandy. It was just so freaking dandy.
It was as if the heavens planned out this day for us to enjoy, as if predestined or a gift given just for us. The revered woods over which sun shone its cozy rays made the light and shadow flicker swiftly through their green leaves. The brown foot path rolled through the depths of the woodland, straight through glittering rivers, green shrubs and wooden logs that were cut off by man. Deep colored greens surrounded us, and showed the sunlight blazing to our broadest of views. We were hiking a mountain trail with a promise of endless views and natural beauty. The day was just very dandy, I guess.
Flume Slide
I could smell adventure in the air. I could feel it. It lingered on the perilous slope of the flume slide as jagged edges of tree branches spiked up at the forest around us. The slope was steep, wet and the word ‘dangerous’ does not exactly do it justice. I wore boots with lots of traction and even then that was not enough. Water came pouring down the slopes, making traction almost non-existent. Often times, I slid and fell but luckily I did not stab myself, fractured my bone or hurt my body in anyway. I grabbed on but there was nothing to grab, my fingers only felt wet as the cold smooth stone reminded us of our own mortality. Most of us were too busy trying to not hurt ourselves to even think about what other people were doing. But a lot of the people in my group were experienced hikers and they help others get by. I guess they were very fine and dandy.
To think, I asked a girl out before this day and she said, “I’ll think about it”. I could have been drinking wine, paying $100 for 2-3 pieces of shrimp, wearing cologne I have not used in 10 years, holding hands, kissing, and having googly eyes for no reason whatsoever. Who needs all that crap? Right? I was there, under the sweltering sun, amidst spiky branches and slippery slopes that could end my life in one false movement, sweating like a whale with too much oil on its skin, and eating cold hotdogs on a bun that did not taste like hotdogs at all.
Danger? The word was foreign to me before I began hiking. Danger to me meant a wannabe thug trying to steal my bike while riding it in the park. Depending on my mood, one of us would be knocked out, and eating dirt at the end of the day. Dying due to nature was just something I read about, seen in some action flick movie or dreamed of at the back of my imagination. It was never real until that day. On that day, I survived nature. But I know, most of my members would not even think of it like that. To them that ordeal was most likely a walk in the park or something they have already forgotten.
Mount Flume
I raised my arms at a ledge in Mount Flume while looking down with adoration at the wide green world below me. In front of me was a great expanse of green scenery; eternal number of trees clump together and jagged hills rising higher and higher until they were nothing more than shades of grey and blue. The scenery was beautiful and timeless as if it will survive a hundred years; changeless in its existence, inextinguishable and perpetual beauty. I raised my arms as if they were wings that symbolizes freedom. Freedom from what? I do not know. But it looks cool in photographs so I just go with it.
Mount Flume had that certain flare of freedom and the satisfaction from the views were enormous. I had a friend, if he were to pick which one is more beautiful from the views of Mount Flume or Victoria Secret magazine, he would still pick the magazine but he will tell me that views came very close. Still I had a good picture that I put at the top of this page, and you know what, almost getting myself seriously injured in the flume slide was worth it just for that photograph. I guess I may need to rethink my priorities.
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Mount Liberty Hike
The light shining down on Mount Liberty brought glimmer to the vast ocean of trees before me in which to some extent showed how little or how insignificant our actions are compared to the whole world. The setting sun had an air of melancholy greatness as it slowly sank and faded away, which gave some partial comfort to us who were tired from the long and arduous journey that we embarked on but such comfort was only momentarily and fleeting. The sun slowly faded and our source of light waned. We wanted to stay there and see what the moon, and stars would look like but we did not have any camping gear nor food for the whole night.
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Going Down And Back To The Parking Lot
My body was tired and sore.
Note: This is one of those days when I am writing and I can’t think of a nice or good simile or analogy for a sore body so that my readers can understand. The only simile I can think of is a rock under a waterfall. When you are a rock under a waterfall, you are going to be very sore. Just think about it, millions and millions of water pounding you from morning till night. It is like non-stop pounding millisecond after millisecond by a million things from water, leaves, branches, soil, dirt, and other rocks. All of these things lined up to pound you. I don’t know about you but anyone would be sore after that.
Ok, on with my story of this great hike. My body was sore and tired as my footsteps became heavy and my pace became slow. The soft air and tranquility I felt at the summit of the mountain will forever be etched in my memory but I had to increased my pace as the light of the sun was quickly dying on us. Darkness would mean a lot of ill fated harm on our bodies as we will not be able to see the the trail anymore. I need to rest as soon as possible as well. The adventure does not stop on that day as I had 2 more days of hiking in New Hampshire. As we reached the parking lot, a sense of comfort and relief rushed through our veins and into our souls. We made it! The formidable journey was over as we were ready to relax, eat good food and take a good long bath. We will tell stories of this day someday but most likely it will be overshadowed by the other hikes I planned for this trip in New Hampshire.
Flume Slide Trail Dangers
The Flume Slide Trail is definitely one of the most dangerous trails that I have ever done. There is just a big chance to slip and injure yourself. You need to be very careful especially if you are not an experienced hiker or climber. I highly recommend not to get your kids into this trail. Your pet dog will not be able to do this trail also. In fact, your pet dog may slip and become injured.
Eat Breakfast, Eat Lunch And Bring Plenty Of Water
This is a very tough and long hike. It will use a lot of your energy and strength. You need to prepare for it. I’ve heard a lot of stories in the Internet were people did not bring water and they felt extremely dehydrated in the middle of the hike. Be sure to eat a good breakfast, bring lunch and definitely 2.5 to 3 liters of water. You are going to need them. If you do day hikes of around 7 to 8 miles on a weekly basis then I highly recommend eating breakfast, bringing water and lunch to the hike.
* The information is just an approximation. Trails, weather, distance, difficulty, views and all other information on this hike can change in time. You are responsible for your own safety. Please look at our terms of use/service page for more information.