Cannon Jan 13, 2008

[MichaelJ]

Date(s) Hiked: January 13, 2008

Trails(s) Hiked: Kinsman Ridge Trail

Total Distance: 8 Miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Conditions: Icy, crusty

Special Required Equipment: Traction devices mandatory, full crampons highly recommended, ice axe recommended.

Trip Report:

It was just an absolutely *gorgeous* day for Una_dogger and I up on Cannon today. Virtually no wind, temps in the upper 20's, clear and sunny ... the trail conditions were tough, though, with an icy crust over a styrofoam-like frozen granular layer. Then again, it was a thousand times easier than the trailbreaking on our last hike, and kind of fun to need crampons and axe for safety. The views went on forever, it was great.

We took the Kinsman Ridge Trail up from the clearing south of the Tram parking lot. It wastes no time heading steeply upward. We used our Microspikes through this section and had no issues at all, but when we reached the Kinsman Glade, with its open areas and exposed slopes, we chose to put on full crampons and have our axes in hand in case a slip required self-arrest.

No such bad luck happened, though, and after a good sweat we came out at the viewpoint overlooking the Notch and Franconia Ridge. It was magnificent. From there it was an easy jaunt through the sag to the main peak. The rocky section on the east face there was a challenge, stepping from exposed boulder to ice-covered boulder and trying not to let the crampons slip, but it didn't take long to pick up the Rim Trail and make our way to the summit tower.

The observation deck was covered with shards of ice, fallen from the tower above. Even the light, so familiar to those of us who've driven the Notch at night for many years, had come down and lay in pieces on the ground. The views were stunning, though, and it was a good opportunity to enjoy a hot thermos of soup.

From there it was an easy jaunt back down, arriving at the car after just over 4-1/2 hours to do this 4-mile, 2100' hike plus our various stops along the way. Actually, let me amend that ... it wasn’t really that easy. Descending a steep, icy slope in crampons is slow, tough work.

I spoke to the ranger at the info center in Lincoln and she said the folks should be coming to repair the electrical system that powers the toilets at the Lincoln Woods bathrooms on the 17th, and hopefully it will just be a battery replacement (the system is solar).

We stopped in Lincoln at Half-Baked and Fully Brewed, and their chicken enchilada soup was as amazing as I remember it from several years ago. Yum. It was the perfect match for our post-hike hunger.

My pix are here!

[cbcbd]

Gorgeous day!!!

Sooo, ya likin' that ice?

[MichaelJ]

Grrrr....

Got my wish, though.

Now please excuse me while I go shovel!

[una_dogger]

Fun day! Its cool tagging peaks like Cannon in winter, hardly seems worth the driving:hike mileage ratio to do 'em in Summer by themselves but in Winter its a whole different experience.

Here's more pics
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...s1bsNU&notag=1

[MichaelJ]

I need to take you back sometime without Terra so you can get the full summit cafeteria experience.

[Mike P.]

My recommendation, go teh last day of the summer/fall tram schedule. I did this when I finished 48 X 2 & had the family take the tram up. Ice cream was ten cents as they had to sell it all before they closed.

At some point, I want to get a group up to do the KRT traverse. Won't be this year though, maybe May or June 2009!

[MichaelJ]

I've done the AT traverse of Kinsman Ridge, from Rte 112 to the Whitehouse parking lot, as a two-day backpack with a night at Eliza Brook. Highly, highly, recommended. Changing day 2 from Fishin Jimmy/Cascade Brook to the Cannonballs and Cannon would have been more elevation but overall not a big difference.