Cannon and the Kinsmen (Kinsmans?)

Sunrise over Franconia Ridge from N. Kinsman

Deciding on my next summits for the weenend of June 9, I looked back toward Franconia Notch. I hadn't hiked near this popular area since last summer, doing the classic Franconia Ridge loop. So, after hiking in some fairly remote parts of the Whites (the Bonds, the Carter Range), I thought a little company might be in order.

Usually I don't over-plan these mountain getaways - I open the map and find a few 4000' peaks that are close together, see if there's a route and if the mileage is do-able in the time I have, and the availability of shelters or tentsites. Cannon, North and South Kinsman looked like a pretty good excursion. I guess I could have done all three in a day, but honestly I'm not a huge fan of big-mileage runs; I'd rather hike in, camp out, and do two days. These mountains are so beautiful, after all, and the more time I can spend with them the better.

Lonesome Lake seen from the descent of Cannon Mt.

I parked at the Lafayette campground, right off I-93, and headed up the Lonesome Lake trail. Lots of people on this trail, it's not too far to the AMC Lonesome Lake hut (about 1.5 mi.), and a lot of folks hike in and just stay at the hut. The Lonesome Lake hut is one of the eight AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) shelters maintained in the White Mountains. They are quite nice, with hot meals and bunks, a library, and "entertainment" by the Croo. But they're also pretty costly, at about $90 (last I checked) for AMC members. I stayed at one last summer - The Mitzpah Spring Hut on Mt. Pierce. But for this trip I was shooting for Kinsman Pond Shelter, a couple of miles further west. If the caretaker was home, I'd pay about $8 for staying there.


After talking with a few folks with what seemed like a massive amount of gear for a stay at the hut (I mean, they have food, water, blankets, pillows, and a roof and it's 1.5 mi. from the car... what's in your pack??) I turned toward the Kinsman Ridge trail, and toward the summit of Cannon and the High-Cannon trail.

I have to stop looking up at a mountain I'm about to climb and say to myself "Well, that doesn't look too bad." All of these mountains are tough, I'm beginning to realize. But their difficulty is only surpassed by their ability to inspire awe and reverence. The climb up to Cannon summit was quite steep, but very beautiful. At the top is a tower, I'm not sure what it's primary purpose is but I'm pretty sure it has to do with skiing. But since it's "Bike Week", when Harley-riders everywhere descend on New Hampshire in general and Laconia in particular, there were lots of bikers at the summit. I'm guessing they took the tram up - hiking Cannon in a leather vest and jeans probably isn't a good idea.

 After a steep descent from Cannon, and some great views of Lonesome Lake, I cut back over to the AMC Hut and refilled water and took a break, before heading up the Fishin' Jimmy Trail toward the Kinsman Ridge. The name of this trail is deceiving; it conjures up images of lazy fishing at a stream, after a relaxed amble up a woodsy path. Nope. Very steep, rocky, wet, very challenging terrain. I managed it in about an hour, and got to the Kinsman Pond Shelter at about 3:30 PM.

Kinsman Pond Shelter

I considered banging out the Kinsmen that afternoon, but after the Fishin' Jimmy trail I was ready to take a load off and relax. The weather was sunny and warm, and my knees were barking at me, so I hung out on the porch of the shelter for a while, studying my map and drinking water. Three middle-aged women were already at the shelter, on the upper bunk level; they were very friendly New Hampshire residents who do lady-backpacking trips together a lot. Later on, we cooked dinner together and chatted about doing the 4000 footers. Heidi - she kind of seemed like the "leader" - had done all of them multiple times. She also knew how to play what seemed like a limitless number of card games. Later some baby-faced hikers from Massachusetts, two brothers and a sister - all in their early 20's or late teens, from what I gathered - rolled in and joined in the card games and chit-chat. We all hit it off and had a great time, sharing snacks and marvelling at the luxury items Heidi seems to continue to pull from her pack - the best was a little battery powered fan that also repelled mosquitoes. As the sun started to fade and the temps dropped, we all hit the hay. I slept like a rock that night; it was great sleeping weather, cool and dry.

I was up with the sun, and left most of my gear at the shelter while I hiked North and South Kinsman. I just brought day-hiking essentials (water, a couple of snacks, map, compass, extra layer) - since I was doing the Kinsmen and then coming right back past the shelter on my way out, there was no need to carry everything. The hike up to these peaks wasn't too bad, I'd gotten a lot of the elevation out of the way on the first day; the walk along the ridge between the two summits was beautiful; the view from North Kinsman of the sun rising over Franconia Ridge, with the clouds pouring over the tops of the mountains and the sun illuminating the top of the mist, was otherworldly and enthralling. After hitting South Kinsman, I headed back, and the round trip from the shelter to the peaks took about 2 hours. I bid farewell to Heidi and the ladies at about 8 AM (the kids were still asleep), packed up my sleeping bag and other things and headed down the Kinsman Ridge trail. It was a little longer than the way I came in, but I don't like going down the same trail twice - especially Fishin' Jimmy - if I don't have to. Glad I didn't, the Kinsman Ridge Trail is very beautiful, with dense forests, rocky outcroppings, a few passes with scrubby alpine vegetation, and a few extraordinary views. It was about 5 miles from the shelter back to Lafayette campground, to my truck. And then it was on to Ogunquit to install Amy's sign! Later on that night I actually felt really sick, and decided it was probably because of dehydration -- I drank half a gallon of water and felt a lot better. It was the hottest weekend of the year so far, and the sun was beating down the whole time. Remember to drink plenty of water!

What I wished I had: My Katadyn water filter pump. The water source at the Kinsman Shelter was Kinsman Pond, and since I'd drunk all my water getting up Fishin' Jimmy, I had to fill up at the pond. It was kind of gross. I purified it with my iodine tablets (which I've been carrying because they're a lot lighter) but I feel like the pump would have done a better job, and made the water a bit more appetizing.

What I forgot: my cookpot! Washed it and left it in the dish rack. Heidi had an extra (of course) that I used, luckily. It's a good idea, when packing for a trip, to have a list and lay everything out on the floor or bed before packing it all.

What worked well: a single trekking pole. After losing one of my poles on Wildcat mountain I've just been using the one - which I like on really steep terrain like this range. I can have one free hand to grab trees, hold on to a rock, or brace myself when I inevitably fall on my ass.

Didn't need: tarp, bug net. Since I stayed in the shelter. But again the tarp only weight 9 oz. so I don't mind carrying it just in case; tarps have a millions uses in the backcountry. We almost used the bug net to cover the entrance to the shelter because we thought the bugs might be a problem, but after sunset they stopped biting and went to sleep.

The Moriah-Carter Range

Memorial Day Weekend - May 26 & 27, 2012

I was in Maine on a camping overnight, and the closest New Hampshire Forty-eights happened to be in the Moriah-Carter range, which forms the northern east side of Pinkham Notch, opposite the northern Presidential Range.

I headed up to Gorham, where I was supposed to meet a couple of friends, but we weren't able to connect. The weekend was forecast to be unseasonably warm. I went to a café and asked the girl behind the counter if she could tell me where the trailhead to the Moriah Trail started; she told me a drive a short way up the road to Bangor Road, where, at the end of a short residential drive, I found the trailhead. I was a bit unsure if overnight parking would be an issue, since it was basically in a neighborhood, but I parked along a wood fence, out of the way, and hoped for the best. I figured if the residents had a problem with hikers parking near their houses, signs would be posted, but I saw none.

I headed up the Carter-Moriah trail, carrying my new Gregory 38L pack, a significantly smaller load than my Osprey 65 I've had as my primary backpack the last couple of years. I'm carrying a tarp now, instead of my tent, which is 9 oz. compared to upwards of 3 lbs. It's nice to have a reduced weight, especially on terrain as rugged as this. Starting at about 9:30 AM, the hike up to Moriah was a pretty relentless uphill (something, isn't it, these mountains and their relentless uphills) for about 4 miles. It was muggy and hot in the woods. My recent back-of-the-envelope calculations is that I average between 1.5 MPH (over difficult terrain) to 2.5 MPH (over flatter, easier grades). The summit of Moriah was pleasant, with a nice view South of the rest of the range and across Pinkham notch. It was sunny, and I rested awhile on a large, hot slab of granite and chatted with two or three other hikers. From the summit I headed South on Appalachian Trail, following the white blazes that guide hikers over the entire 2100+ miles of the famous long-distance trail.

Something important to remember when hiking in these mountains: Consult your White Mountain AMC guide. If you don't have an AMC White Mountain guide, get one, and get the newest version you can. The guide warned the Carter-Moriah trail had very little water, so I brought an extra liter (my 2-liter Platypus bladder + a Gatorade bottle). Sure enough, due to that and the heat and humidity, I was tapping the last drop out of my third liter as I approached Imp Mountain shelter, where the next water source was. I was glad I'd checked out the trail description.

Imp Mountain shelter

 There were very few people at the campsite/shelter when I arrived at about 3 PM. I took a spot in the shelter and relaxed, filling up on water from a nearby brook and cooking an early dinner. A bunch of Boy Scouts piled in around dusk, which was a bummer, and pretty much filled out the rest of the space. I slept uneasily and rose as early as possible. After a badly prepared cup of coffee I was off, hitting the trail south at about 6.

The hike up to Middle Carter was magnificent. Steep, granite swaths with sweeping views north; Gorham got smaller and smaller in the distance. Once up on the ridge it was pretty easy going, until the steep decent into Carter Notch. Again, the views of the notch and across, to the imposing Wildcat Mountain, were phenomenal, but it was definitely work to get down.

I stopped at the Carter Notch AMC hut to refill water and have a bite to eat, and met a young couple from Somerville. They kindly made me a quesadilla (you can use the kitchen at the hut) and we chatted about pack weights and such. It was about noon, and after a short breather I loaded up and headed out to face Wildcat Mountain.

I'd heard hikers speak of Wildcat in hushed, dreaded tones. A thruhiker I met in Western Mass on the AT, when I mentioned climbing Mt. Washington, scoffed, saying "Mt. Washington is easy, just a bunch of parents and their kids...but Wildcat..." He was right, it was tough. 1200 feet of vertical elevation in .7 miles tough. And, climbing it at noon on the hottest day of the year so far just added to the intensity. But, after many miles in these mountains has taught me that the steeper the grade, the sooner the pain will be over. Silver lining, and all that.

Magnificent views presented themselves soon, and then a pretty mild ridgewalk across the secondary Wildcat peaks, to Wildcat D, the last and sixth 4000-footer of this particular journey. I stopped at the tower, a simple wooden structure that enables visitors to get up above the trees enough to view Mt. Washington from across Pinkham Notch. You can take the tram up from Rt. 16 to this tower, since it's a ski mountain, and there were lots of non-hikers, in their cotton T-shirts and sneakers, glancing at Washington for a few moments, somewhat interested, before going back down. A lot were complaining about the 100-yard walk from the tram to the tower. As I sat against the guardrail, covered in sweat and grime, and having been that tourist who takes the easy way to the summit of a great mountain, I thought about how much different things look when you actually climb it; how much more it means to look out upon the miles and miles of such amazing landscape knowing you've conquered it with your own blood, sweat, and tears.

view of Rt. 16 on the decent from Wildcat

The decent from Wildcat was harrowing. Exposed rock, ladders, but sweeping views of the notch kept things interesting. I actually got off-trail briefly, after a wrong turn and scrambling down a steep incline, and though I could hear the motorcycles roaring down 16, I was alone in the White Mountains, and I felt a flutter of panic. I tried to remember all the things to do; don't freak out, sit down, get out your map, take a drink of water. Within minutes I found a side trail that led to the road, but it was enough to remind me to stay on my game. Especially nearing the end; I'd been hiking for 10 hours and I was tired, and that's when mistakes are made. Please, especially if you're hiking alone up here, keep your wits about you. Take the time to think very carefully about every move; it could, even in the best of conditions, be the difference between life and death.

After soaking my feet in a river and cleaning up a bit, I walked to a parking area where I found a nice young couple from New York who gave me a ride back up Rt. 16 to my car. Amazing how little time it takes to drive the distance it took 15 hours to hike!

What I brought: My Gregory Savant 38L pack; no tent. Ditched the pump filter and used purification tablets, the taste isn't bad and they're a lot lighter and smaller than the pump.

What I didn't need: tarp (though, so light and small, I'll keep it in the pack all the time) - along with bug net.

What didn't work: flip-flips for camp shoes. Flatter and easier to pack, but if wet your feet slide around, becoming unstable. I'll stick with my croc knock-offs next time

Food: brought a bit too much, but Siracha sauce was a good added perc.

Glad I had: Extra Liter Gatorade bottle. Merrill Vent shoes worked well. (replaced after tearing the old pair apart last hike, REI replaced them, no questions asked)

What I should have brought: a light paperback - had a lot of time to kill at camp on the first day.