Saturday, February 04, 2017

#26, #27 Kinsmans solo

Saturday, 2/4/17, 9:59:40AM

Fun, fast hike. I purposely started late hoping it would warm up and the wind calm down. The forecast was for 3F and 35mph with a windchill of -30. Several people on FB decided not to hike. Too bad, because there was no wind at all on Kinsman Ridge (though I met Dave at the Notch Hostel and he said it was howling on Franconia Ridge).

Microspikes all the way. Trail was very firm with no ice. Even the snow off the trail could hold my weight when I took a bio break. After overpacking for last week's hike to Owl's Head, I went lighter today. Left the snowshoes and crampons in the car and carried 2 Nalgenes instead of the Klean Kanteen insulated bottle. I still carried my down bag cuz of the windchill forecast.

Stats:

  • Peaks: North Kinsman, South Kinsman 
  • Weather: cloudy, cold, and calm. ~3F but none of the 35mph wind as forecasted 
  • Parked: trailhead near Tamarack Tennis Camps on NH116. Drive and lot totally plowed 
  • Trails: Mt Kinsman Tr, Kinsman Ridge Tr to both peaks, and back the same way 
  • Time: 3h47m 
  • Distance: 9.5mi 
  • Track: GaiaGps

An overview of my Single Season Winter 48 with links to all the trip reports is here.


Before I got rime covered


A maple sugar house near the start of the hike. Not far after the sugar house there was a boundary sign that said I was entering the national forest. Who owns the first half mile of the trail?


No views today, but the woods were lovely.


The sky was blue at the start of the hike but clouded over by the time I got to N Kinsman. You could see Lonesome Lake, but not Franconia Ridge across the valley.


Summit selfie on N Kinsman.


Looking along the ridge towards S Kinsman.


I got to what I thought was the summit of S Kinsman and snapped this selfie. Even confirmed I was at the summit with GaiaGps. I started back down but paused to attempt an artistic shot (judge my success below). While I knelt for the photo, another hiker passed. I asked where he was coming from. He said S Kinsman. I said, "I thought this was S Kinsman." "No, S Kinsman is down the trail another 200 yards." Yikes! I would hate to hike all this way and miss the summit by a couple hundred yards.

John Sobetzer commented, "The latest LIDAR data suggests that the South Kinsman north bump, which is a short distance East of the trail, is actually a couple feet higher than the south bump with the "chair" cairn. So sometime in the future it may be recognized as the official high point." Interesting. Whatever they decide, I was on both bumps, so I'm covered. Ha!


My artsy shot that saved me from failing to summit. (See story above.)


The real summit. Yay! I met Joel and Justin on the summit and took a photo of them on Joel's awesome DSLR camera. Then Joel took a photo of me with the ridge to N Kinsman in the background. He is going to email it to me. Can't wait to see it. While we were getting positioned for the photos we each broke through the crust and got momentarily caught in a spruce trap.


Joel's photo of me on S Kinsman with his DSLR camera. The colors really pop, and I love seeing the ridge back to N Kinsman behind me. Also... My, what big gloves you have.


I booked back down the trail. The snow made a nice cushion so it was easier to jog down the steeper sections than it was to walk.


I was ready for 35mph and -30F windchill as forecast. It was cold, but dead calm, so I didn't need my goggles.


After the hike, I drove up to Schillings in Littleton.


Pretzel with beer cheese. Yum!


Post hike beer is the best.

Back at the Notch Hostel, I enjoyed this excellent offering from Trillium Brewing, then went to bed at 9pm. Big day tomorrow. I go for #28, then Brady and the Patriots go for #5.

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