Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Northeast Cannonball, NH |
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| Trails: |
Lonesome Lake Trail, Kinsman Ridge Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Friday, January 27, 2017 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking in winter is limited to the lot behind the hiker information building which does not offer many spots. Note the parking lot is also a pass-thru for snowmobilers so keep in mind when parking your vehicle and walking to the trailhead. You can always park across RT 93 at the trailheads for Falling Waters and Old Bridle Path. |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Unpacked Powder |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Traction |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
Snowbridges in the marshy area from Lonesome Lake pond are easily passable. |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Two blowdowns both along Lonesome Lake trail, easily stepped over. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
Steep climb up North Cannonball, would not recommend this trail for dogs. Lonesome Lake trail is very dog friendly, we saw paw prints on our descent. |
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| Bugs: |
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| Lost and Found: |
Blue fleece glove on trailhead sign at summer parking lot. |
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| Comments: |
We were the first to arrive at the trailhead; fresh 2-3" of powder atop a packed trail made for an easy bare-boot ascent until steep sections just 0.3 miles from Lonesome Lake forced us to put our Hillsounds on. The trek up Kindsman Ridge trail was steeper in sections and it would have been ideal if we had brought our full crampons to dig our toes into the hard packed slope. Carried snowshoes, but they were not necessary.
Had lunch at a spot overlooking the Kinsmans, a beautifully snowy day. After tagging North Cannonball we decided to return the way we came instead of the loop down Fishin' Jimmy trail; the day was closing in on us and we decided it was best. Some of the rather steep sections we climbed up seemed steeper as we were going down! Since I was wearing my down skirt (over my winter pants of course) I decided to glissade down the trail. The skirt gave me some great speed and I made it down to the Lonesome Lake trailhead in no time!
As we descended past the lake there were many more footprints and we crossed paths with a handful of folks, most likely heading to Lonesome Lake Hut. We kept our Hillsounds on for extra traction but once we got below decent elevation the temperatures warmed up and the snow was balling up in our spikes so we took them off (didn't really need them at this point anyway). Back to the parking lot (which was now full) at 2:30pm and a cluster of snow machines hanging out near the road. Headed to our usual spot for a beverage - Woodstock Inn & Brewery. A wonderful day in the woods. |
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| Name: |
Shayla Greene |
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| E-Mail: |
shayla.greene@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2017-01-28 |
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| Link: |
https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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