Copy/Repost Hike

It was a day of missing turns, sketchy trail conditions but above all, excellent camaraderie with nine kinsmen!

Today we hiked to North Kinsman [4293 feet] and Bald Peak [2,470 feet]. We planned on South Kinsman however given the time we reached North Kinsman; it was best to save it for another day. Overall mileage was 8.2 miles with 3,300 feet gain.

The “first” missing turn was for the trailhead parking for the Mount Kinsman Trail [MKT]. There is not a hiker sign anymore. First Kevin missed it but quickly realized it however it took Russ about 10 minutes continuing down the road before he realized it. I think we got going around 8:30AM.

The conditions and the fact that we were carrying the kitchen sink for gear [snowshoes, etc.] made for slow going. I'll gladly trade 50-degree days with rain for 0 degrees and a foot of powder to break!

We started on bare dry ground with a few icy stretches so we did not put on our Microspikes until the third water crossing. Sharp Hillsounds Microspikes and caution was the way to go however some guys did fine with newer Kahtoola Microspikes. 

Three crossings on MKT were all flowing strong and whatever sections of ice/snow bridging that remained could not be trusted. The water was so high it was running on top of much of the ice! The first crossing we used a log to cross. Next crossing we used rocks with a couple of steps and a decaying snow bridge. The higher crossing just below Bald Peak Spur had significant ice where the trail crosses so we went upstream about 15 ft where it was narrower and found some supportive ice on the sides and pole vaulted the short distance to the other side.

After the Bald Peak junction, MKT was well packed as we meandered upward at varying easy to moderate grades, with occasional steeper pitches. When we reached Kinsman Ridge Trail, we were greeted with views of Cannon Mtn and the Cannonballs. We could see the subtle ghost of Mt. Lafayette shielded by the clouds in the distance!

The snow was soft but not enough for snowshoes with the ledge scrambles having some serious ice making the final push challenging. By the time we reached North Kinsman, the clouds disappeared and we were able to enjoy views of Franconia Ridge, Loon Mountain ski trails, and Mts. Liberty and Flume! We stopped here for lunch and then made our return.

The ‘second’ missing turn was when Rob, Russ and Kevin missed the turn to MKT and continued down Kinsman Ridge Trail. They were ahead of us and we thought it was odd they did not wait for us at the intersection. We continued down the MKT and began to think they missed the turn since we had not seen them. Luckily, they had the sense when they reached the Fishin’ Jimmy Trail that they made a wrong turn and reversed course. They caught up to us on the descent.

We made a quick stop at Bald Peak during our descent, which was just a 0.2 mile detour off of Mt. Kinsman Trail. I was hesitant because we were all pretty tired after the long hike, but the short addition was so worth it! We had gorgeous views to the east. The rest of the descent was pretty straightforward except for being careful with the water crossings once more and lots of mud! By the time we got to our vehicles we were all exhausted.

Upon on our return, we hung out by the fireplace with an assortment of appetizers and soaked our tired muscles in the hot tub. Jon cooked up a delicious herb crusted Prime Rib with Beef Au Jus/ horseradish sauce! The meal was accompanied with roasted potatoes and asparagus with warm bread from the oven. We then had warm molted lava cake topped with whipped cream for dessert. Yum! What a treat for New Year’s Eve! We then opened up some Prosecco Champagne to toast the New Year. Happy New Year everyone! 

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