Cannon with Alex and friends, Dec. 31, 2009

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TrishandAlex

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Location
White Mountains, NH
Cut and pasted from http://trishandalex.blogspot.com
Accompanying pictures and one very short video can be found there.
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Kinsman Ridge Trail, 4.4 miles roundtrip.

A few days ago, Alex turned seven. She had the traditional kid party with her friends in Massachusetts, but she also wanted to mark the event on top of our family's favorite mountain: Cannon. I put the word out, hoping a few people would be able to swing by and help us eat whoopie pies.

Alex and I were excited to embark on our first winter hike of this season. She and I both favor winter hiking over three-season hiking, especially when the trail is firmly packed down. [As she grows, I'll take her on hikes where we both have to break a good portion of the trail ourselves...but right now, that's too much for her to handle.]

We ascended slowly but steadily. Eventually, we seemed about level with the top of Sage's favorite peak, Bald Mountain (the peak in the center of the photograph).

Onward we climbed, enjoying the lovely view through the leafless trees.

What this trail lacks in distance, it makes up for in grade. The Kinsman Ridge Trail is a relentlessly steep climb with precious few flat bits during its first 1.5 miles. We both needed to stop frequently to rest and eat.

We were about halfway up the mountain when a friendly and familiar duo caught up with us -- Ed n' Lauky! Lauky was adorable and obviously thrilled to be out there. Alex and I were happy to have their company.

The trail finally flattened out. It was nice to be finished with the most difficult part of the hike! We moved forward into a peaceful winter wonderland.

Just before reaching the exposed, final two tenths of a mile, Bill and Sheep arrived. Sheep also looked happy to be out and about -- the two dogs together were the epitome of Joy, they were so obviously glad to be tromping about in the snow.

We layered up and stepped out into -- the wind! My goodness, what a difference the lack of trees make! The cold air hit us hard, but it didn't seem to bother Alex much. We've been in this type of arctic blast before, and, since she was well dressed and warm, she wasn't fazed in the slightest. Since we only had a very short distance to hike, I wasn't concerned either -- that being said, this kind of distance is my limit when it comes to taking her above treeline in windy, frigid conditions.

It took us perhaps fifteen minutes to get through the exposed section, and then we were back in the protection of the trees, very close to the summit. Alex scampered along and joyously climbed the tower. Here she is with Ed.

Snow was heading toward us...visibility was less than perfect.

Before going into the summit building, Alex sat on the official high point (a large rock directly underneath the tower).

Ed n' Lauky followed suit (Lauky was distracted by Sheep)...

We had to bid the dogs and their owners goodbye before entering the summit building, since animals aren't allowed inside. Thanks, Ed and Bill, for your company. It was great to see you both!

Bob, Geri and LawnSale were right behind us. They accompanied us inside, then Alex passed out the whoopie pies. Hugh and Sage were already there, having arrived earlier by tram.

Bob played with the kids for a while...

...then MadRiver and his friend Mynetta arrived. This was Mynetta's first winter 4K -- congrats to her!

I took many more pictures inside the summit building, but I'm afraid they didn't turn out. My camera kept fogging up, then I had water on it from my dripping gloves...arg.

I met MtnPa and a few other folks in the summit building as well. It's always good to chat with other hikers and put a few trailnames with faces.

After we were all properly infused with a ton of sugar, Alex and I bid our farewells to Hugh and Sage and thanked the others for their presence and well-wishes. Geri descended with us past the exposed portion of the trail, then she stopped to wait for MadRiver and Mynetta. Alex and I continued onward, Alex point-blank running and glissading her way down the mountain, and me rushing to keep up with her.

We had the pleasure of crossing paths with Paradox, Ishmael, and a friendly black dog during our gleeful descent. Good to see you folks!

As Alex's energy was extremely high and her spirits were soaring, we reached the bottom in a very short amount of time.

'Twas another great day in the woods! Happy winter hiking, everyone!
 
Sounds like a perfect day out on the moun tain and a birthday wish came true! Again, sorry I missed your birthday hike Alex! And now that you have glissaded down Kinsman Ridge, which would you say is better, that or Liberty Spring? ;)
 
One day, when that little prodigy is a grown up prodigy and she's climbed Mt. Everest, I'll be able say "Once, back when, Lauky and I hiked with her.:)

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DaveBear -- thanks for the well wishes! Alex likes Liberty Springs trail best for glissade purposes, though she did have a lot of fun on the KRT. LS has this one section, not far from the intersection with FRT, where it's kind of straight and continuous...we had a lot of fun on that last year, let me tell you. :D

Unstrung Harp -- sure, I'll adopt you, as long as I don't have to pay for your college expenses. ;) Would love to hike with you some time, come join us!

Ed -- always a pleasure to see you out there. That photo is great -- I think you snapped it when she was deciding whether or not she liked that flavor Larabar (she decided it wasn't all that yummy). Also...Everest...who knows what Alex will hike when she's older (assuming she carries her love of the mountains into adulthood), but I don't want her tackling anything that requires extra oxygen. Even if she's in her 20s or 30s, if I hear she wants to do something like that, I will find her and sit on her and not let her up until she changes her mind! That really freaks me out, the whole lack-of-oxygen/huge-falling-ice-chunks/ a zillion hours above treeline in arctic temps scenario. :eek:
 
I always love your reports...they keep me going now that I'm in DC. Actually, it looks like I'll be moving back to NH soon, so perhaps I'll be able to hike again.

I attempted Cannon via KRT in July of 2008 and found it to be an eroded mess. Alex's enthusiasm is contagious, you can see it in the pics. Maybe I will see the both of you on the trails someday!

grouseking
 
Grouseking, thanks...and excellent -- good to know you'll be moving back! I do hope to run into you out there sometime!

The first time Alex and I did Cannon was July 2008 -- same month you did! It was much more difficult without all the snow on it. This is one of those hikes that is much easier in the winter (under the right conditions!) than it is in the summer.
 
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Nice to stumble into a mountaintop party! Thanks for the Whoopie Pie.
 
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Want To Do This Hike

My wife and I have this hike on our list for our next trip to NH near the end of February.

There's an Amish market near us that makes some of the best whoopie pies. We will have to bring some whoopie pies for our reward.:D

Mike
 
Hi Mike,

There's a little grocery store near our place in Campton that sells whoopie pies. I have also seen them sold atop of Cannon at times, though they weren't there on Dec. 31st.

I've noticed them in many places around the Whites -- you shouldn't have any trouble finding them while you're here.

Trish
 
Nice report. Good to see you're getting out. We've been flapping around a lot on skis up here, but no hikes of note in a while. Someday soon ...

I wanted to commend you for the warning/disclaimer re: winter hiking with kids on you blog. It's no joke. This recent spruce trap conversation only reinforces that.
 
I wanted to commend you for the warning/disclaimer re: winter hiking with kids on you blog. It's no joke. This recent spruce trap conversation only reinforces that.

Thanks -- that warning came after someone contacted me about wanting to start their two young children on the 4Ks -- now, during the winter.

This caused me to re-examine my blog...I worried that I might have made winter 4K hiking look easy. Well, it CAN be, if the circumstances are right...but of course, there's a lot one must be prepared for and a lot of research goes into each and every hike (weather, trail conditions, who will be out there on the same trails that day and when, etc.). And of course Alex isn't the typical kid, she's a lot like your daughter -- strong and enthusiastic. And, like your daughter, she's been grilled on how to get out the bag and bivy, how to use the PLB, etc.

I may take some time and write a couple of paragraphs describing exactly what we do to prep for each winter hike....if that's on the blog, then perhaps the reading novice will more fully realize how much work and awareness goes into each little expedition.
 
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I may take some time and write a couple of paragraphs describing exactly what we do to prep for each winter hike....if that's on the blog, then perhaps the reading novice will more fully realize how much work and awareness goes into each little expedition.

This is a very thoughtful idea, Trish. I think the information would be both useful and well-read (and used.)
 
Thanks, FH. It won't be a how-to, though. More of a warning. As in, we take this very seriously and this is all the stuff we bring and this is what we do beforehand. I'd like the beginner to read it and go, "that's WAY too much work and worry, we'll just wait and go hiking in the summer." ;)

I've a million things to do today, so I'll try to get to it tomorrow.
 
Hi, It was nice to meet you and everyone else on Cannon New Years Eve day! MtnPa, Gail, and I had a great time, Happy New year and thanks for the whoopie pie... that was Gail's 1st experience w them, lol. :)
 
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