“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
Henry David Thoreau
North Kinsman (4293, 4358)
Trail: Mt. Kinsman trail, Kinsman Ridge Trail,
Date: September 5 & 6 2009
Attending: Shawn White, Simone, John
Miles: (day 1) 2 miles to Bald Peak shelter, : (day 2) 2 miles round trip to North Kinsman, 3.4 miles back to Rt.116
AMC huts, / shelters / camping site: Kinsman Pond Shelter
Weather: Day 1 sunny, 70ish, very light winds. Day 2 sunny, 70ish, no wind.
Back to our favorite over night camping spot in the Whites, Bald Peak. It was nice to see that as of this year, Bald Peak/the Mt. Kinsman trail now has it’s own trail head parking lot, (located just 2 tenth’s of a mile from the old entrance of the trail head.).
Day one: We knew we had low mileage and lots of time to get to the intended tent site, so we didn’t get to the trail until 1:30ish. This was Shawn’s first time on this trail and as usual he hardly broke a sweat keeping a slow pace for Simone and I. This was Simone’s and my first backpacking trip in a year, come to think of it, this was our first 4K in a year. (We just aren’t doing this enough anymore!). Even with our packs relatively light, (Mid 30Lb’s), and considering the weather was perfect for hiking, we seemed to just slog along at a snail’s pace. Shawn on the other hand had spent a couple of weeks hiking the 100-mile wilderness on the Maine AT earlier this summer and was in great shape. Shawn had lots of light new gear, (his pack was under 30Lb’s) so that has to explain why he had such an easy time.
It took us just a little over 2 hours to get to Bald Peak. We got there about an hour before a spectacular sun set over the western mountains of New Hampshire and Vermont. At just about 2500 feet, Bald Peak is one of the nicest open exposure summits I would even consider setting up a tent for an overnighter. The views are wonderful and when the sun goes down, the sparse lights in the houses and towns below are a pleasant treat. Another pleasant treat was the evening Fireworks in one of the townships just within viewing range. But that was only act two of our wonderful evening. When the full moon rose through the clear cool mountain air over North Kinsman peak!!! That was wicked cool. Within minutes the place light up with moonlight bright enough to play cards by the moonlight. Really! Simone brought some cards!
The rock face of Bald Peak retained the heat of the previously sunny day for several hours, and Shawn couldn’t resist sleeping out beneath the stars in just his sleeping bag. (Remember the new gear thing,,, his 15 degree bag still keeps him warm down to 15 degrees. (Although we’re quite sure it didn’t get down much less than the mid 30’s.) Simone and I were just right in our bags in our tent.
Day two: Sunday morning was as nice a morning as anyone could ask for. From the clear mountain air, we watched as the thick mist in the valley below began to swirl upwards and burn off from the warmth of the morning sun. We cooked a pot of hot water for tea and oatmeal as we let the dry air dry due off of our tent and shawn’s sleeping bag.
Simone and I opted to ditch our full packs into the woods and complete the morning hike up North Kinsman with just a few snacks and a couple of liters of Gatorade in a day pack. Shawn hiked with his full pack. (Show off!) Even though Bald Peak is half way up the Kinsman trail, that second half on Sunday morning was still quite a serious haul for us old folk. Simone and I just didn’t expect that these last 2 miles up to North Kinsman would be such a tough slog. (The last and only time we did this hike the trail it was covered in several feet of snow, and we were 10 years younger.) I have to say, it was well worth the effort. The last time we hiked the Kinsmans the fog was so thick you could hardly see the person walking in front of you; This time the air was cool and crisp and the views were spectacular. We didn’t even know there was a view spot on North Kinsman, but what a nice spot, and what a great view of the Lafayette ridge. We must have spent at least an hour enjoying the view, and the company. It was a popular spot! We must have had 30 or more hikers join us in just that 1 hour.
The hike down to the car took us a solid 3 hours with just a short break to fill the water bottles. Both times we’ve spent a night there we’ve done so without guests. But, this really is a popular trail and Bald Peak is a top attraction for people on the Franconia side of the range. We will be doing this again; maybe next time we’ll see you up there.
Shawn taught us about his latest water treatment kit. He’s using AquaMira, a two part water treatment (replacement for the old iodine pills) that really doesn’t taste that bad. I’m sold! It’s a lot lighter and smaller than the full filter pump and a lot less hassle in sub freezing conditions.