North & South Kinsman
Where: North & South Kinsman
When: 26 November 2019
With: Solo
I'd been planning this hike for a while, but hadn't been able to pull it together. It was actually almost a last-minute call. I got some chores out of the way the day before, then noted that the weather was looking good and my calendar was clear, so I pulled a pack together and set the alarm for 5AM.
I pulled into the parking lot at 8AM after an uneventful ride north, finding four cars already there. The lot didn't look familiar...I figured it had been updated since my last visit in 1995. I pulled my gear together and started up the trail.
I kept a lookout for a quirky modern house I'd seen on the previous trip, but didn't see it. And the path wound through a woodsy area that seemed different. After a bit, the trail came to a junction and I had my answer. The trail had been relocated, with the original lower section (an old road) now blocked off.
Now following the old road again, the walking was easy, passing an old sugar house and continuing up into the woods. There was 3-4 inches of snow on the ground, through which the occupants of the other cars had packed down a path. My microspikes ensured a good grip. The route made a sharp turn, where a cabin (long gone) once stood, and began to climb more steeply.
Eventually the old road transitioned to a narrower foot path, still climbing moderately but steadily. I looked for two more spots from the last trip... The Kinsman Flume - a small ravine, and then a side path to Bald Peak, a "bare eminence" with views. I noted a number of streams that I thought might feed into the Flume, but no sign or trail was evident pointing the way. Then I came to the sign for Bald Peak. What happened to the Flume? I thought perhaps I'd missed it, and figured I could look on the return trip.
I also reserved Bald Peak for a possible return trip visit, but for now I just wanted to focus on getting to South Kinsman. I'd been walking for a little over an hour and had covered 2.1 miles. A sign at the Bald Peak junction indicated it was 1.6 miles further to the Kinsman Ridge trail. I looked up the trail, and continued the walk.
All I can say about the next bit of hiking is ugh. Steep, tough, and seemingly endless. I kept looking up for signs of the top, but all I saw was more climbing to do. I don't know if it was the snow, or my physical condition, or the winter gear I was wearing/carrying, but this ascent just sucked the life out of me. I alternated between considering turning around and quitting, and telling myself to just get to the ridge. Adding to the fun, the warm temps caused the snow in the trees overhead to melt and fall. At one point I was convinced it was raining.
In the end, I just kept putting one foot in front of the other, and eventually I found myself in front of a Forest Protection Area Boundary sign, indicating I was within 1/4 mile of the Kinsman Pond shelter. Examining the map on the sign, I realized I was quite close to the Ridge. And sure enough, a few steps later I was there. It was 10:40AM, about 2.25 hours after I'd started. I'd walked 3.7 miles and ascended 2800 feet.
[Note: Using the standard estimates for hiking times (2 mph + 30 minutes for each 1000 feet of climbing), it should have taken me 3.25 hours to reach the ridge. An hour more. After my quick and tiring ascent of North Twin, I'd purposefully tried to go at a slower, more deliberate pace this time. Or so I thought. No wonder I found the going to be tough.]
There was a view across the valley at the junction, or at least there would have been except for the thick fog that blanketed the area. Pretty, but no views. I took a few pictures anyway, then began the climb to North Kinsman's summit. I thought I'd been there once, or perhaps twice before, but a review of my write-ups found this would be my FIFTH visit. The climbing was steep and rugged, but fairly quickly it leveled off and I was looking at a now-clear view of Franconia Ridge across the valley.
There was no summit sign or marker, but the trail began descending almost immediately, so I figured I'd summited (again). I'd looked over at South Kinsman and was a bit disheartened. It looked far away, and kind of big (it is taller than North Kinsman, but only 65 feet more), and again I considered bailing out. Instead, I just kept walking, following the trail down into the col between the two peaks, and lamenting the prospect of having to climb back up later.
The descent was over quickly, with the path leveling off and then beginning to climb, gradually at first, then more steeply. I began seeing sunlight and what looked like a summit, and couldn't believe my luck. Then the climbing began again. Oh well. Soon after, the trail broke out into the open and I heard voices. I rounded a corner and two things happened: I met a group of 5-6 older folks (the first people I'd seen all day) walking toward me, and about 100 yards behind them I saw the South Kinsman summit cairn. A huge smile came on my face.
I chatted briefly with the folks in the group, then made my way to the cairn. I had the summit to myself, so I took a few pictures and just enjoyed the experience. I also dug out some Fig Newtons and wolfed them down. The additional fuel did wonders for my energy and mood.
As I ate, I saw another hiker about where I'd met the group. He was adding layers (it was cold and windy on the summit). I took a final look around before beginning my return journey. I chatted with the other hiker as we passed, and talked with a couple of other folks I met as I made my way back toward North Kinsman. One was a young woman with a sleeping pad roll on her pack. She asked if the trail continued beyond the South Kinsman peak. I told her it was the Appalachian Trail, so yes, it continued. But the next road crossing was quite a ways away in that direction. I didn't mention that it's a rarely travelled section, and she'd likely be breaking trail. I hadn't noticed any tracks continuing on.
Down from South Kinsman I went, and into the col, and then the climb back up North Kinsman. It wasn't nearly as bad as I'd feared, and I topped out quickly, meeting with one of the members of the large group I'd met earlier. We talked a bit, until he departed and I went down a side trail to a ledge overlooking the valley. I took a picture that referenced a photo Chip took of me on the 1995 trip, then made my way back up to the trail.
From here on, it was all downhill all the way back to the car. I was psyched! I developed a technique that was sort of like downhill skiing, planting a pole and using it to balance myself as I hopped/stepped/slid down the trail. Certainly faster and much more fun than the climb up!
I made a quick stop at the junction of the Kinsman Ridge and Mount Kinsman trails before heading down the section that had nearly done me in earlier. Wee! I was practically running down the trail. I quickly caught up with and passed members from the large group, leaving them far behind me. I made it back to the Bald Peak junction, considered & rejected checking it out (I saw it in 1995), and kept going, hoping to spot the Flume.
[Note: The Kinsman Flume was right there, 100 feet from the Bald Peak junction. But it didn't have a marker of any sort, and the trail to it was hidden under the snow. If I'd known/remembered its location, I might have gone to explore.]
The trail began to flatten out, and widen, turning back into an old woods road. My legs and right ankle were starting to complain, but some solid chugging got me back to the sugar house, the trail relocation, and eventually, the parking lot. The walk down had taken more than an hour less than the climb up. I was soaked (sweat & tree drippings), but happy to have completed another hike.
Totals
Distance: 10.0 miles
Elevation: 3900 feet
Time: 6 hours
More pictures
Previous visits: 1986, 1987, 1995, 2002
When: 26 November 2019
With: Solo
This was the finale of my Loose Ends hiking trips, getting peaks I should have summited on previous hikes. Most folks get both peaks in one trip (they're close to each other), but I managed to get only one of each. I tied up two loose ends (South Hancock and North Twin) previously this year, and today it was time to summit South Kinsman.
I'd been planning this hike for a while, but hadn't been able to pull it together. It was actually almost a last-minute call. I got some chores out of the way the day before, then noted that the weather was looking good and my calendar was clear, so I pulled a pack together and set the alarm for 5AM.
I pulled into the parking lot at 8AM after an uneventful ride north, finding four cars already there. The lot didn't look familiar...I figured it had been updated since my last visit in 1995. I pulled my gear together and started up the trail.
I kept a lookout for a quirky modern house I'd seen on the previous trip, but didn't see it. And the path wound through a woodsy area that seemed different. After a bit, the trail came to a junction and I had my answer. The trail had been relocated, with the original lower section (an old road) now blocked off.
Now following the old road again, the walking was easy, passing an old sugar house and continuing up into the woods. There was 3-4 inches of snow on the ground, through which the occupants of the other cars had packed down a path. My microspikes ensured a good grip. The route made a sharp turn, where a cabin (long gone) once stood, and began to climb more steeply.
Eventually the old road transitioned to a narrower foot path, still climbing moderately but steadily. I looked for two more spots from the last trip... The Kinsman Flume - a small ravine, and then a side path to Bald Peak, a "bare eminence" with views. I noted a number of streams that I thought might feed into the Flume, but no sign or trail was evident pointing the way. Then I came to the sign for Bald Peak. What happened to the Flume? I thought perhaps I'd missed it, and figured I could look on the return trip.
I also reserved Bald Peak for a possible return trip visit, but for now I just wanted to focus on getting to South Kinsman. I'd been walking for a little over an hour and had covered 2.1 miles. A sign at the Bald Peak junction indicated it was 1.6 miles further to the Kinsman Ridge trail. I looked up the trail, and continued the walk.
All I can say about the next bit of hiking is ugh. Steep, tough, and seemingly endless. I kept looking up for signs of the top, but all I saw was more climbing to do. I don't know if it was the snow, or my physical condition, or the winter gear I was wearing/carrying, but this ascent just sucked the life out of me. I alternated between considering turning around and quitting, and telling myself to just get to the ridge. Adding to the fun, the warm temps caused the snow in the trees overhead to melt and fall. At one point I was convinced it was raining.
In the end, I just kept putting one foot in front of the other, and eventually I found myself in front of a Forest Protection Area Boundary sign, indicating I was within 1/4 mile of the Kinsman Pond shelter. Examining the map on the sign, I realized I was quite close to the Ridge. And sure enough, a few steps later I was there. It was 10:40AM, about 2.25 hours after I'd started. I'd walked 3.7 miles and ascended 2800 feet.
[Note: Using the standard estimates for hiking times (2 mph + 30 minutes for each 1000 feet of climbing), it should have taken me 3.25 hours to reach the ridge. An hour more. After my quick and tiring ascent of North Twin, I'd purposefully tried to go at a slower, more deliberate pace this time. Or so I thought. No wonder I found the going to be tough.]
There was a view across the valley at the junction, or at least there would have been except for the thick fog that blanketed the area. Pretty, but no views. I took a few pictures anyway, then began the climb to North Kinsman's summit. I thought I'd been there once, or perhaps twice before, but a review of my write-ups found this would be my FIFTH visit. The climbing was steep and rugged, but fairly quickly it leveled off and I was looking at a now-clear view of Franconia Ridge across the valley.
There was no summit sign or marker, but the trail began descending almost immediately, so I figured I'd summited (again). I'd looked over at South Kinsman and was a bit disheartened. It looked far away, and kind of big (it is taller than North Kinsman, but only 65 feet more), and again I considered bailing out. Instead, I just kept walking, following the trail down into the col between the two peaks, and lamenting the prospect of having to climb back up later.
The descent was over quickly, with the path leveling off and then beginning to climb, gradually at first, then more steeply. I began seeing sunlight and what looked like a summit, and couldn't believe my luck. Then the climbing began again. Oh well. Soon after, the trail broke out into the open and I heard voices. I rounded a corner and two things happened: I met a group of 5-6 older folks (the first people I'd seen all day) walking toward me, and about 100 yards behind them I saw the South Kinsman summit cairn. A huge smile came on my face.
I chatted briefly with the folks in the group, then made my way to the cairn. I had the summit to myself, so I took a few pictures and just enjoyed the experience. I also dug out some Fig Newtons and wolfed them down. The additional fuel did wonders for my energy and mood.
As I ate, I saw another hiker about where I'd met the group. He was adding layers (it was cold and windy on the summit). I took a final look around before beginning my return journey. I chatted with the other hiker as we passed, and talked with a couple of other folks I met as I made my way back toward North Kinsman. One was a young woman with a sleeping pad roll on her pack. She asked if the trail continued beyond the South Kinsman peak. I told her it was the Appalachian Trail, so yes, it continued. But the next road crossing was quite a ways away in that direction. I didn't mention that it's a rarely travelled section, and she'd likely be breaking trail. I hadn't noticed any tracks continuing on.
Down from South Kinsman I went, and into the col, and then the climb back up North Kinsman. It wasn't nearly as bad as I'd feared, and I topped out quickly, meeting with one of the members of the large group I'd met earlier. We talked a bit, until he departed and I went down a side trail to a ledge overlooking the valley. I took a picture that referenced a photo Chip took of me on the 1995 trip, then made my way back up to the trail.
From here on, it was all downhill all the way back to the car. I was psyched! I developed a technique that was sort of like downhill skiing, planting a pole and using it to balance myself as I hopped/stepped/slid down the trail. Certainly faster and much more fun than the climb up!
I made a quick stop at the junction of the Kinsman Ridge and Mount Kinsman trails before heading down the section that had nearly done me in earlier. Wee! I was practically running down the trail. I quickly caught up with and passed members from the large group, leaving them far behind me. I made it back to the Bald Peak junction, considered & rejected checking it out (I saw it in 1995), and kept going, hoping to spot the Flume.
[Note: The Kinsman Flume was right there, 100 feet from the Bald Peak junction. But it didn't have a marker of any sort, and the trail to it was hidden under the snow. If I'd known/remembered its location, I might have gone to explore.]
The trail began to flatten out, and widen, turning back into an old woods road. My legs and right ankle were starting to complain, but some solid chugging got me back to the sugar house, the trail relocation, and eventually, the parking lot. The walk down had taken more than an hour less than the climb up. I was soaked (sweat & tree drippings), but happy to have completed another hike.
Totals
Distance: 10.0 miles
Elevation: 3900 feet
Time: 6 hours
More pictures
Previous visits: 1986, 1987, 1995, 2002
