Snowshoeing the Kinsmans

On Saturday, January 14, Andrew, Kevin and I met up at the White Mountain Visitor Center in Lincoln / North Woodstock at 7:30AM, so we could all carpool up to the trailhead in Easton.  We got to the small parking lot off of Route 116 and got prepared.  Surprisingly there was just a dusting of snow here...nothing like the 8+ inches, which I had thought there would be.  We pretty much figured that microspikes would do, but Andrew used his snowshoes.  Anyway, at about 8:15 we set out.  The air was chilly but not overly cold with mostly overcast skies...and at times a few flurries in the air.  The Kinsman Trail was well-marked and it followed old logging roads for the initial portion of the hike.  The trail was relatively easy going as it was mostly moderate in grade all the way up to the ridge.  It did become slightly more steep as we approached the ridgeline, which we made by 11AM.  Andrew had gone ahead and we caught up with him on the ridge just before the first peak.  For his first time on snowshoes, he took to it like a fish in water!  He also helped compact the trail for Kevin and I, since the snow depth had progressively increased to about 4-6 inches as we got to the ridgeline.  We definitely felt the cold on the ridge as it was a little more exposed to the wind.  We all proceeded to the summit of North Kinsman (4293'), but there was only a very limited view periodically through the clouds of the Franconia Ridge peaks.  We continued on to the south peak.  Luckily this was mostly protected from the wind until we once again emerged for the final leg of the trail over to the cairn on South Kinsman (4358').  We arrived here at 12:30PM.  This was very exposed and we were feeling the chill (it was probably less than 10 degrees up there).  Once again there were limited views.  We headed back along the ridge, stopping briefly for a snack.  By this time the sun had started to poke through.  We once again summited the north peak at 1:30 and went out on the ledge for the partial views (there was also a group of guys out there who took our picture).  After a short time talking, we started back to the Kinsman Trail junction and headed back down.  On the way back Andrew and I also decided to check out Bald Knob, since it was starting to clear and it supposedly had nice views.  It didn't disappoint!  There were fine views westward and back to the Kinsman Ridge.  On the way back we caught up with Kevin, who wanted to start down, while we checked out the views, and we reached the parking lot again at about 4:15PM.

Despite the cold and limited views, it was an awesome hike...the Kinsman Trail is a nice, easier alternative to the route from Lafayette Place.  The 10.8-miles took us only 8 hours.  After the hike we went back to the Woodstock Inn for dinner before calling it a day.  Thanks to Andrew and Kevin for sharing this hike with me!  It was great to have some other guys willing to do a "big boys" hike in the winter, as Kevin put it!

Join me for this 10.4 mile snowshoe up to the summits of the two Kinsmans...North and South (4293' and 4358', respectively).  We will ascend by way of the Mount Kinsman Trail, which approaches the ridge from the west.  The ridge is only 3.7 miles from this trailhead.  Both of these peaks offer spectacular views.  From North Kinsman there is a ledge which looks northward along the ridge as well eastward over Lonesome Lake and over to the Franconia Ridge.  The more open South Kinsman provides nice views in all directions.  There is an optional 0.4 mile addition on the descent to take in the view on Bald Peak (if timing permits).  For the most part the trail is less streep than the ascent from the east, but there will be a few short steep stretches of trail.  The distance is approximately the same as the eastern ascent and the elevation gain is about 3350-ft.  This snowshoe trip will take about 8 to 8.5 hours. 

What to wear/bring:  Snowshoes are required and should be adequate for most of the hike.  You may also want to pack additional traction (microspikes, crampons, etc.).  Wear warm clothing suitable for the exposed ledge and summit(s)...no cotton or blue jeans.  You should also have insulated boots suitable for the season.  Additionally, consider bringing goggles, face protection and a headlamp/flashlight.  Bring along plenty of water (at least 2 liters), lunch, snacks and anything else you may require for a day hike.

Afterwards:  We will head back to Lincoln/North Woodstock for drinks and dinner, if there is sufficient interest.