| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
North Kinsman, South Kinsman, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Mt. Kinsman Trail, Bald Peak Spur, Kinsman Pond Trail, Cascade Brook Trail, Basin Cascades Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, February 21, 2021 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Dropped the outback at the Basin lot and there weren't many other cars there yet. When we pulled into the Mount Kinsman lot around 7:35ish there were 3 other cars and another pulled in before we left. Upon return there were additional cars about 10 more with one car parked on the street. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Everything we crossed over on the way down was frozen! |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Only a few blow downs coming up the Mount Kinsman trail that were easily navigated around. One duck under on the cascade brook trail. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
The dog we saw looked content to be out. |
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 | Bugs: |
None :) |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
Saw a hat on a tree on the way up Mount Kinsman trail. |
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 | Comments: |
In general, most of the people we saw today were wearing snowshoes. After leaving trailhead, it was a straight forward climb up the Mt. Kinsman trail with a few divots from either bare boots but no major post-holing sections. On the way up Katie and I stopped by bald for some views early in the day and the trail was nice and neat for the most part. After linking up with Kinsman ridge the quality of the trail was great and largely due to the heavy snowshoe traffic. Those without were able to use light traction on the trail, but we noticed plenty of deep steps and holes off trail in the event people were letting one another pass. Aside from drifting snow, the conditions at the summits and between were straightforward. We decided to opt out of the f’in jimmy trail and took Kinsman pond. To get started on the hike down Kinsman pond, we followed a set of tracks along the pond until we met up with the trail which was mainly soft powder. About 5 snowshoers have gone over the Kinsman pond trail at this point, but it was still fairly soft and unconsolidated – would recommend snowshoes for this section at least. After linking up with Cascade Brook, the trail was more packed out and smooth moving, but occasional soft spots one may want to be mindful of. |
|
 | Name: |
Will Condon |
|
 | E-Mail: |
wcondonhikes@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-02-21 |
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 | Link: |
 https://wcondon.com/kinsmans-february-21-2021/ |
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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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