M
Mtn Runner
Guest
Saturday, March 2nd
Hiked from Basin parking lot on Basin-Cascade Trail to the Cascade Brook Trail, connecting to the Kinsman Pond Trail. The trail was well packed out until the Kinsman Pond Trail. Then the hard work began, especially with 60+ pound packs for our planned overnight stay at the new Kinsman Pond Shelter. The first ~1.5 miles was slow with the deep fluffy snow and getting through low balsam branches covered with snow. Then things got much more difficult as the snow got deeper and the trail steeper. Despite having large Sherpa snowshoes, we would sink 2 feet into the snow and it became increasingly difficult to raise your snowshoe over the top of the snow. Then most of trail blazes disappeared under the snow as there had to be 5-6' of snow on the ground. The trail became extremely difficult to follow with the hard to find blazes and the many blowdowns or bowed-over trees blocking or obscuring the narrow trail. Several times we had to waste 1/2 hour to find the next trail blaze. The snow was swirling around most of the day. We hiked for more than three hours with headlamps at an incredibly slow pace trying to stay on the trail and finally gave up when it became clear the trail was impossible to follow the last 1/2 mile before the shelter. We hiked out back to the car the same evening. We do not recommend this trail at this time due to the enormous amount of snow and poor trail conditions. Lots of spruce traps going around blowdowns and low trees. All three of us in the party are endurance athletes and were quite tired after returning to the car. It was a little frustrating getting so close, but it was the right decision to turn back under the conditions.
Bob
[email protected]
Hiked from Basin parking lot on Basin-Cascade Trail to the Cascade Brook Trail, connecting to the Kinsman Pond Trail. The trail was well packed out until the Kinsman Pond Trail. Then the hard work began, especially with 60+ pound packs for our planned overnight stay at the new Kinsman Pond Shelter. The first ~1.5 miles was slow with the deep fluffy snow and getting through low balsam branches covered with snow. Then things got much more difficult as the snow got deeper and the trail steeper. Despite having large Sherpa snowshoes, we would sink 2 feet into the snow and it became increasingly difficult to raise your snowshoe over the top of the snow. Then most of trail blazes disappeared under the snow as there had to be 5-6' of snow on the ground. The trail became extremely difficult to follow with the hard to find blazes and the many blowdowns or bowed-over trees blocking or obscuring the narrow trail. Several times we had to waste 1/2 hour to find the next trail blaze. The snow was swirling around most of the day. We hiked for more than three hours with headlamps at an incredibly slow pace trying to stay on the trail and finally gave up when it became clear the trail was impossible to follow the last 1/2 mile before the shelter. We hiked out back to the car the same evening. We do not recommend this trail at this time due to the enormous amount of snow and poor trail conditions. Lots of spruce traps going around blowdowns and low trees. All three of us in the party are endurance athletes and were quite tired after returning to the car. It was a little frustrating getting so close, but it was the right decision to turn back under the conditions.
Bob
[email protected]
