| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mittersill Peak, Cannon Mountain, Northeast Cannonball, North Kinsman, South Kinsman, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Road walk, Coppermine Trail, abandoned Coppermine Ski Trail, Tuckerbrook ski trail, Taft ski trail, Kinsman Ridge Trail, Mt. Kinsman Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, September 2, 2021 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I parked at the Mt Kinsman trailhead around 9am I think and was the second car there. Not many more when I returned shortly before 5:30pm. Coppermine Rd has lots of signs telling you where not to park (alongside the road) lol. There is a small lot a short ways down the road where it seems like you should park. No one there when I walked by. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All were easily rock hopable. Note that the abandoned Coppermine Ski Trail crosses Coppermine Brook once. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The only blowdowns I recall were on the abandoned Coppermine Ski Trail. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
I don’t think I saw any. Long route for some dogs and not much water for a period. A bit of scrambling at a few points along Kinsman Ridge Trail. |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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 | Comments: |
The only blowdowns I recall were on the abandoned Coppermine Ski Trail. I believe there were a few but not bad at all. It’s in good shape for an abandoned trail. No blaze/markings other than surveyors tape beginning in a difficult to follow section (more on that under comments). Tuckerbrook and Taft trails are easy to follow to the summit. Kinsman Ridge Trail is easy to follow with the occasional white blaze for the AT. Mt Kinsman Trail is blazed in blue and better than most trails in the whites. Lots of little herd paths presumably from private property down low on that one but it’s well marked/signed to keep you off them.
My first three grid peaks of the month out of 26 needed. A very cool and windy day in the woods with some periods of bright sunshine and other periods of very dark and gloomy woods (it looked eery at times on the Kinsman Ridge Trail over the Cannonballs). Very few people seen all day.
After parking at the Mt Kinsman trailhead, I walked up the road to Coppermine Rd and walked down that to the start of Coppermine Trail. Nice to hike that again as I had only done it once years ago while redlining. Got the spur that I couldn’t see the first time I was there ;) Did the quick out-and-back to the falls before starting up the abandoned Coppermine Ski Trail. When you cross over the bridge, and the trail immediately turns left, the abandoned trail goes straight/left. It’s actually not as obvious at this point as it is elsewhere but an experienced hiker will certainly be able to see the old trail there.
The abandoned trail climbs steeply up maybe 100-200ft before leveling it and more or less contouring with some minor ups and downs. The trail is narrow but followable and had occasional wet/muddy, but not terribly so, footing. It then drops slightly into a flatter area, getting ready to cross the brook. But don’t cross it yet! Keep going (if anything, look to your right) and cross through this area where the trail just seems to disappear. Look for surveyors tape. There were a few diffferent colors throughout the trail but I think the first color is pink (or orange...there’s orange and yellow later on for sure). It’s not placed too often at first but follow your nose through this tough to follow section before finally coming to the brook. One hint is that you don’t drop down a steep bank to cross it; it comes to it in a very natural spot. There’s lots of surveyors tape around the crossing so if you really can’t find the trail through here you could just drop down to the brook and walk in it until find the surveyors tape further along.
Once on the other side, there is a nasty, wet section. Stay straight/left. Again, look for occasional surveyors tape. They use it less sparingly on this side than they did on the other side even though this side is easier to follow. Soon enough you come to some open, cut areas. At the first one, the trail is not obvious so I just went right up the swath. The trail actually was to my right in the woods. There was tape I didn’t see. The trail stays by and does sometimes go up these deaths though. This section is steep at times! Before long you level out and contour over to the Tuckerbrook which you intersect at 2800ft. From there it’s a pretty straight shot to the summit albeit with some very steep trail and wet, slippery vegetation footing.
Only saw two groups on Cannon; neither were hikers. Slipped and fell twice descending steeply from Cannon. Some very wet and muddy, gross footing along the ridge. Made sure I actually hit the high point on NE Cannonball for my 500 highest. Is it in agreement that it’s where the very small cairn in just off trail via a teeny tiny herd path? I’d only done this ridge in its entirety once before while redlining so it was nice to revisit. Going in this direction, it felt like the hard part was going from Cannon to NE Cannonball. From there on it’s not so bad. Had waterproof gloves on for awhile over the ridge.
Met some thru hikers and a day hiker or two around the Kinsmans. Also went to the viewpoint (and the view ledge beneath that viewpoint) on North Kinsman which I haven’t done for some time. The ledge beneath the viewpoint really is one of my favorite spots; I love looking down on Kinsman Pond like that. On my way down, I ran into another person or two and also took the side path down to the flume which I think I may have never done before! May not want to bring young children there as there are some drop offs and spots to use some caution but it was worth the side trip :) |
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 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-09-05 |
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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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