4000 Foot Dads: Winter in October

We returned to Franconia Notch on October 25th for a weekend stay at the Lonesome Lake Hut. The goal was North and South Kinsman and Cannon on Saturday, then Flume and Liberty on Sunday. Back in August, the October trip we envisioned was a crisp autumn excursion. Instead, we arrived to winter conditions, cold, snow, low/no visibility, and icy trails. Yowsers.

Heading up the Lonesome Lake trail on Friday night.

We arrived at the trailhead around 5:30, so got a late start. We headed up Lonesome Lake trail to the hut around 6:05, just as it got dark. Got to the hut just after 7pm. We had packed sandwiches for Friday for easy clean up. G. Love made a brief appearance while we drank boxed wine and chowed grinders in the main lodge before hitting the sack on Friday night. It ended up being pretty damn cold. Down in the teens at night.

In the bunkhouse at Lonesome Lake Hut.

Waking up Saturday morning, we made some oatmeal and made our plan. Kinsmans and Cannon.

Our planned route was the Fishin' Jimmy Trail up to Kinsman Ridge, bang a left and hit first North Kinsman and then South Kinsman, turn around and go back on Kinsman Ridge to Cannon. That was our plan, but the weather had other plans.

Up on the Kinsman Ridge trail, it was full blown winter. The snow had accumulated, there was no view, and it was cold, about 20 degrees F. Then it started spitting even more snow.

South Kinsman, The "S" gang sign is for South Kinsman since the view wouldn't confirm it.

South Kinsman

We rolled right past North Kinsman without even realizing it. So made it to South Kinsman in 2 hours 40 minutes. Snapped the photo and turned around. We had lunch just off South Kinsman, in the woods. The cold really set in when we stopped. I had all the clothes I packed on my body: wool base layer, T-shirt (poly), longsleeve, thicker longsleeve, wool sweater, down jacket and shell, not to mention wool hat, balaclava over that and mittens. I was cold until we started climbing back up North Kinsman.

Arctic gear on top of North Kinsman on the way back.

We made it back to North Kinsman. There was a crew of college age kids. One girl had on a pair of jeans, another a pair of tights. It's winter up here kids! We snapped this shot at the lookout which is just off the summit of North Kinsman. Beautiful view. At this point it was decision time. The weather wasn't improving and conditions had slowed us down. There was no view to reward us for the effort. We made the call: booze and food time, not Cannon. We headed back down Fishin' Jimmy. That made for some dicey descending as it was. But we made it back to the hut at 3pm (we had left at 8:40). So for Saturday, October 26 2013, two peaks bagged: North Kinsman and South Kinsman.

It was nice to get back to the hut and into dry clothes. The weather had actually cleared up enough to look across at Franconia Ridge.

My family joined us for Saturday night. It was good to have them there. Steve throttled us in UNO all night.

Panorama shot of the interior of Lonesome Lake Hut

Annie and Steve pause for the view.

On the way to Cannon Mountain on Sunday, October 27, 2013

On Sunday, it was time for Cannon. We decided to take the Lonesome Lake trail up to Kinsman Ridge over to Cannon summit.

The conditions were a tad bit snowier, but at least we expected it. The views were a tad bit better though. We could see into the northwest valley going up the ridge trail up Cannon. There were some sections on Cannon which were scrambles. One section in particular feels like it's hanging over you. The photo doesn't quite do it justice.

The top of Cannon provide the same spectacular views as the Kinsmans: gray fog and whipping wind. We actually climbed the weather tower for our summit pic. Cannon Mountain bagged on October 27, 2013.