Kinsman Pond
Where: Mt. Kinsman Trail to Kinsman Pond Shelter
When: 1/21/95-1/22/95
With: Chip
When: 1/21/95-1/22/95
With: Chip
We decided well before the holidays that a winter hike was needed as soon after the New Year as possible. The next question was where? Tradition dictated that we attempt once again to reach Kinsman Pond, our as-yet-unattained goal of the previous two year's winter hikes (a.k.a. Hell & High Water I & II). Chip had some other ideas though. A man he met at a swimming pool turned out to be an avid winter hiker. In fact, this guy (Dick) had a house up in the area we usually go. They exchanged stories of winter adventures and Dick told of ski trips on Mt. Moosilauke, so Chip thought that might be a good idea for a winter expedition. I was somewhat less than enthusiastic though, so Chip looked at some maps to see some of the other places Dick was describing. He noticed a trail going up Mt. Kinsman from the west (the Mt. Kinsman trail) which had a secondary summit at its midpoint and asked Dick about it. Dick said it was a very nice hike, with good views from the lower summit. From the map, it seemed perfect for a winter hike. No rugged climbing, a summit for camping, and potential for a ski run out.
So, the route was chosen and the date picked was the MLK holiday weekend. Chip caught some bug though and we had to postpone, but that turned out to be for the best. The winter, not very snow-productive anyway, turned historically warm on the MLK weekend. What snow there was either melted or was washed away by rain, leaving mud at the lower elevations and mushy corn snow on the peaks. Folks who went camping reported horrible conditions - except for the temperatures. In the week that followed, the temperature returned to near normal, but no new snow came in. We still planned to go though, just to go. The lack of snow was especially tough for Chip, who had purchased new top-of-the-line snowshoes (Atlas) and winter boots (Sorel Snowbears) especially for this trip. Besides, he just generally wants snow on his winter camping trips. Personally, I liked the conditions. First, it meant an easier hike for my aged body, and second, I saw a chance that we could make it all the way to the top of the mountain and spend the night at the shelter we've been trying to reach for the last three years. As it turned out, we found conditions to please us both.
Saturday morning, I was up at 5:15, on the road at 5:45, at Chip's at 6:45, and we were on our way north around 7. We made a quick stop for film and wound up with a disposable camera. The ride north was uneventful - sporadic rain, little or no snow on the ground, and a single pit stop. Up 93 we drove, through Franconia Notch and then down 116 to the trail. We missed it the first time (actually, I missed it...Chip spotted it), turned around and went back, arriving at last around 10:00 AM. After a quick scouting walk confirmed the location, we drove the car in and parked (Chip went ahead to advise on the ruts). There was no snow and mild temps at the trailhead, so we had to change plans on clothing and gear. A lot of warm stuff we'd normally wear got stowed in the packs instead. Chip's skis were left behind and the snowshoes were strapped to the packs. I surprised Chip by producing my own pair of Sorel Snowbears. On the trail around 10:30.
The first portion of the trail was relatively easy. Wide, an old road, with some climbing, but not bad. Immediately after the car, we passed a funky house. Couldn't tell if it was old and abandoned, new and being built, or both. A little later we passed a sugarhouse, then the site of the old Kinsman Cabin. We explored the cabin site a bit and then continued. After a break at a nice stream with a pretty little waterfall, we hiked up to Flume brook and on to Bald Peak. It was about noon, so we had lunch - sandwiches, oranges, cheese, and hot soup from my thermos. The peak, described in the guidebook as a "bare eminence", was just that...views of the valley below and the ridge above, but accompanied by cold, howling winds. We ate lunch on the move, looking for views and shelter from the cold, and then we headed back to Flume Brook. Chip had lost his glasses and thought they were there, and I wanted to get water and look for the Flume. At the brook, Chip realized his glasses were at the next brook down (0.3 miles back). We dropped our packs and split up - Chip went off for his glasses while I headed down a side trail to the Flume.
The Flume (a deep rock gorge with straight walls 40-50 feet deep and the brook at the bottom) was very pretty. I waited there until Chip returned, and then we went back, put on the packs, and headed up the trail. At this point it had become a regular trail, no longer an old road. Narrower and steeper. The snow continued and started to cover the ground. The climb was pretty much steady and fairly tough. We tried to gauge distance by my altimeter, taking breaks for each 250 feet of elevation gain. Suddenly, the trees fell away and we were on top. The wind was blowing very hard and we only briefly considered going to the peak before heading down to the shelter.
Other tracks in the snow (the first we'd seen) indicated others were there. Approaching the shelter, we smelled cook stoves burning and found the MIT Outing Club had also just arrived. 11 of 'em. They told us they had tents, so there'd be room in the shelter. A bunch of them were going for a day trip, so we waited until they cleared out and then we set up housekeeping inside. A few MITers had stayed and they seemed to be spending most of their time cooking... boiling water, making tea, etc. Amy, sitting next to us, seemed to be fairly experienced and acted as "den-mother" to the others, offering warm liquids and advice. We found out later that this was her first winter overnight, though she had lots of non-winter hiking experience. At one point, she even spoke of flying gliders and whooshing past startled hikers on mountain ridges. We pretty much just sat a bit, put on warm clothing, and settled in.
Eventually, we decided to get active. Chip grabbed his snowshoes and we went down to the lake to try them. Managed to find a patch of snow big enough and we got a photo of Chip in his shoes. It got cold out in the wind and storm, so we went back to the shelter, but just sitting there was cold also, so out we went again. This time we walked along the lakeshore down to a marsh at its outlet. Snapped some photos there before heading back.
Once back, we started dinner preparations. First, Italian soup with noodles. While we ate that, we cooked up a pot of salmon tortellini. A pesto sauce was prepared and dinner was served. We offered samples to the others in the shelter, but only got one taker. Finished the meal with decaf coffee & Irish cream, then did one last water boil for the thermos and the water bottles and called it quits. I'd had some concern about my stove, since I was using a mixture of white gas (Coleman fuel) and unleaded gasoline. I'd heard it was possible, and even burned a bit hotter, but clogging could be a problem. For us though, it worked just fine, though it did seem to burn a bit "dirtier".
We were done with dinner around 6PM and decided to go for a walk. Chip wanted to go for the peak, but I wasn't up for it. Somehow though, we wound up making it to the 4100-foot mark before stopping and turning back. A combination of exhaustion and concerns over our single light source (Chip's Mini-Maglight) forced the retreat.
Back down, we settled in and relaxed as the rest of the folks at the shelter began to head to their tents. Around 8, all but three had left, and we rolled out our sleeping bags, crawled inside, and slept. It was a mild night - water left out didn't freeze - and everyone slept pretty well. I had a couple of waking episodes and one nocturnal stroll at 4:30, but otherwise a restful night, except for the mouse that ran across my face at one point. I felt the telltale skitter of tiny feet and then heard a rustle of nylon as it rummaged through our gear looking for food.
At 7am, we all began to stir. I made a quick trip to the outhouse, then climbed back into my bag and began to make breakfast. By filling the thermos with boiling water the night before, we didn't have to light the stove for our oatmeal and first cups of coffee, though we did wind up firing it up for additional coffee and hiking water. After breakfast, we pretty much just packed up and departed, leaving the shelter around 9.
Our immediate plans were to hike to the trail junction, drop the packs, and continue up to the peak. I put on my crampons, partly because I thought they might be helpful and partly just to try them out. They turned out to be great. Just what I needed for the hike and easy to walk in. In fact, I wound up wearing them all the way back down to Bald Peak. We did the hike to the peak as planned and spent some time on the overlook rocks on North Peak. Unfortunately, the storm was still in so we had no views of the surrounding peaks but the view down into the valley (and of the lake itself) was very nice. We snapped a couple of pictures before heading back to the packs and down the trail toward the car.
We both agreed that the trail was a lot prettier than we remembered, maybe because of the snow, or maybe because we were going down, not climbing up. In any case, it was very pretty, and we took our time walking down, stopping to rest or throw snowballs. Eventually we made it back to Bald Peak, where we stopped for some food and more snowball throwing. We agreed that it would make a nice destination for a future hike, especially in deep snow, since the upper section would be almost impossible in those conditions. And the best part would be the ski run back to the car! We had commented on the way up that the lower, old road section would make a great ski run. Walking down it now confirmed our thoughts. It would be great. Nice and wide, with some interesting curves and bumps. Another day. For now, we just enjoyed the easy plodding tromp down.
Almost at the car, we came to the funky house and decided to investigate. Very funky indeed. The whole thing was a three-sided pyramid, with a poured concrete foundation (they must've built a form on the side and poured it in place), topped by a huge (30 feet high?) living space. The whole thing was built around a central chimney that emerged at the peak, and the top was an open cap, to allow heat out.
We found a way in through the basement and looked around. Very weird, but very neat. We never did decide if it was a work in progress or an abandoned dream, but we liked the design. Good solid base, steep sides to keep off the snow, plenty of living space inside, probably energy-efficient. No windows, but again, it wasn't completed. Some of the beams inside seemed old, as if they'd been salvaged from an old barn. It probably has an interesting story.
Leaving the house, we got back to the car immediately, packed up and headed out. We stopped at Dick's house (beautiful place), but there was no one home so we left a note, made one more stop for food and fuel, and then headed home. Arrived at Chip's at 6PM, and at home at 7.
All in all, a great hike. All the equipment worked great...especially the boots, and the weather was just right. Moderate temperatures and a constant snowfall. Having a clear trail the first day was also a big help, in terms of being able to make it to the top. The presence of the MIT folks, a disappointment at first, turned out to be a nice addition to the experience. We even managed to summit a 4296-foot mountain! And all without any great rush or real hardship. Now, if only we'd had sunlight and clear views! Good hike.
More pictures
So, the route was chosen and the date picked was the MLK holiday weekend. Chip caught some bug though and we had to postpone, but that turned out to be for the best. The winter, not very snow-productive anyway, turned historically warm on the MLK weekend. What snow there was either melted or was washed away by rain, leaving mud at the lower elevations and mushy corn snow on the peaks. Folks who went camping reported horrible conditions - except for the temperatures. In the week that followed, the temperature returned to near normal, but no new snow came in. We still planned to go though, just to go. The lack of snow was especially tough for Chip, who had purchased new top-of-the-line snowshoes (Atlas) and winter boots (Sorel Snowbears) especially for this trip. Besides, he just generally wants snow on his winter camping trips. Personally, I liked the conditions. First, it meant an easier hike for my aged body, and second, I saw a chance that we could make it all the way to the top of the mountain and spend the night at the shelter we've been trying to reach for the last three years. As it turned out, we found conditions to please us both.
Saturday morning, I was up at 5:15, on the road at 5:45, at Chip's at 6:45, and we were on our way north around 7. We made a quick stop for film and wound up with a disposable camera. The ride north was uneventful - sporadic rain, little or no snow on the ground, and a single pit stop. Up 93 we drove, through Franconia Notch and then down 116 to the trail. We missed it the first time (actually, I missed it...Chip spotted it), turned around and went back, arriving at last around 10:00 AM. After a quick scouting walk confirmed the location, we drove the car in and parked (Chip went ahead to advise on the ruts). There was no snow and mild temps at the trailhead, so we had to change plans on clothing and gear. A lot of warm stuff we'd normally wear got stowed in the packs instead. Chip's skis were left behind and the snowshoes were strapped to the packs. I surprised Chip by producing my own pair of Sorel Snowbears. On the trail around 10:30.
The first portion of the trail was relatively easy. Wide, an old road, with some climbing, but not bad. Immediately after the car, we passed a funky house. Couldn't tell if it was old and abandoned, new and being built, or both. A little later we passed a sugarhouse, then the site of the old Kinsman Cabin. We explored the cabin site a bit and then continued. After a break at a nice stream with a pretty little waterfall, we hiked up to Flume brook and on to Bald Peak. It was about noon, so we had lunch - sandwiches, oranges, cheese, and hot soup from my thermos. The peak, described in the guidebook as a "bare eminence", was just that...views of the valley below and the ridge above, but accompanied by cold, howling winds. We ate lunch on the move, looking for views and shelter from the cold, and then we headed back to Flume Brook. Chip had lost his glasses and thought they were there, and I wanted to get water and look for the Flume. At the brook, Chip realized his glasses were at the next brook down (0.3 miles back). We dropped our packs and split up - Chip went off for his glasses while I headed down a side trail to the Flume.
The Flume (a deep rock gorge with straight walls 40-50 feet deep and the brook at the bottom) was very pretty. I waited there until Chip returned, and then we went back, put on the packs, and headed up the trail. At this point it had become a regular trail, no longer an old road. Narrower and steeper. The snow continued and started to cover the ground. The climb was pretty much steady and fairly tough. We tried to gauge distance by my altimeter, taking breaks for each 250 feet of elevation gain. Suddenly, the trees fell away and we were on top. The wind was blowing very hard and we only briefly considered going to the peak before heading down to the shelter.
Other tracks in the snow (the first we'd seen) indicated others were there. Approaching the shelter, we smelled cook stoves burning and found the MIT Outing Club had also just arrived. 11 of 'em. They told us they had tents, so there'd be room in the shelter. A bunch of them were going for a day trip, so we waited until they cleared out and then we set up housekeeping inside. A few MITers had stayed and they seemed to be spending most of their time cooking... boiling water, making tea, etc. Amy, sitting next to us, seemed to be fairly experienced and acted as "den-mother" to the others, offering warm liquids and advice. We found out later that this was her first winter overnight, though she had lots of non-winter hiking experience. At one point, she even spoke of flying gliders and whooshing past startled hikers on mountain ridges. We pretty much just sat a bit, put on warm clothing, and settled in.
Eventually, we decided to get active. Chip grabbed his snowshoes and we went down to the lake to try them. Managed to find a patch of snow big enough and we got a photo of Chip in his shoes. It got cold out in the wind and storm, so we went back to the shelter, but just sitting there was cold also, so out we went again. This time we walked along the lakeshore down to a marsh at its outlet. Snapped some photos there before heading back.
Once back, we started dinner preparations. First, Italian soup with noodles. While we ate that, we cooked up a pot of salmon tortellini. A pesto sauce was prepared and dinner was served. We offered samples to the others in the shelter, but only got one taker. Finished the meal with decaf coffee & Irish cream, then did one last water boil for the thermos and the water bottles and called it quits. I'd had some concern about my stove, since I was using a mixture of white gas (Coleman fuel) and unleaded gasoline. I'd heard it was possible, and even burned a bit hotter, but clogging could be a problem. For us though, it worked just fine, though it did seem to burn a bit "dirtier".
We were done with dinner around 6PM and decided to go for a walk. Chip wanted to go for the peak, but I wasn't up for it. Somehow though, we wound up making it to the 4100-foot mark before stopping and turning back. A combination of exhaustion and concerns over our single light source (Chip's Mini-Maglight) forced the retreat.
Back down, we settled in and relaxed as the rest of the folks at the shelter began to head to their tents. Around 8, all but three had left, and we rolled out our sleeping bags, crawled inside, and slept. It was a mild night - water left out didn't freeze - and everyone slept pretty well. I had a couple of waking episodes and one nocturnal stroll at 4:30, but otherwise a restful night, except for the mouse that ran across my face at one point. I felt the telltale skitter of tiny feet and then heard a rustle of nylon as it rummaged through our gear looking for food.
At 7am, we all began to stir. I made a quick trip to the outhouse, then climbed back into my bag and began to make breakfast. By filling the thermos with boiling water the night before, we didn't have to light the stove for our oatmeal and first cups of coffee, though we did wind up firing it up for additional coffee and hiking water. After breakfast, we pretty much just packed up and departed, leaving the shelter around 9.
Our immediate plans were to hike to the trail junction, drop the packs, and continue up to the peak. I put on my crampons, partly because I thought they might be helpful and partly just to try them out. They turned out to be great. Just what I needed for the hike and easy to walk in. In fact, I wound up wearing them all the way back down to Bald Peak. We did the hike to the peak as planned and spent some time on the overlook rocks on North Peak. Unfortunately, the storm was still in so we had no views of the surrounding peaks but the view down into the valley (and of the lake itself) was very nice. We snapped a couple of pictures before heading back to the packs and down the trail toward the car.
We both agreed that the trail was a lot prettier than we remembered, maybe because of the snow, or maybe because we were going down, not climbing up. In any case, it was very pretty, and we took our time walking down, stopping to rest or throw snowballs. Eventually we made it back to Bald Peak, where we stopped for some food and more snowball throwing. We agreed that it would make a nice destination for a future hike, especially in deep snow, since the upper section would be almost impossible in those conditions. And the best part would be the ski run back to the car! We had commented on the way up that the lower, old road section would make a great ski run. Walking down it now confirmed our thoughts. It would be great. Nice and wide, with some interesting curves and bumps. Another day. For now, we just enjoyed the easy plodding tromp down.
Almost at the car, we came to the funky house and decided to investigate. Very funky indeed. The whole thing was a three-sided pyramid, with a poured concrete foundation (they must've built a form on the side and poured it in place), topped by a huge (30 feet high?) living space. The whole thing was built around a central chimney that emerged at the peak, and the top was an open cap, to allow heat out.
We found a way in through the basement and looked around. Very weird, but very neat. We never did decide if it was a work in progress or an abandoned dream, but we liked the design. Good solid base, steep sides to keep off the snow, plenty of living space inside, probably energy-efficient. No windows, but again, it wasn't completed. Some of the beams inside seemed old, as if they'd been salvaged from an old barn. It probably has an interesting story.
Leaving the house, we got back to the car immediately, packed up and headed out. We stopped at Dick's house (beautiful place), but there was no one home so we left a note, made one more stop for food and fuel, and then headed home. Arrived at Chip's at 6PM, and at home at 7.
All in all, a great hike. All the equipment worked great...especially the boots, and the weather was just right. Moderate temperatures and a constant snowfall. Having a clear trail the first day was also a big help, in terms of being able to make it to the top. The presence of the MIT folks, a disappointment at first, turned out to be a nice addition to the experience. We even managed to summit a 4296-foot mountain! And all without any great rush or real hardship. Now, if only we'd had sunlight and clear views! Good hike.
More pictures
