Kinsmans

[kmac]

If you please, I need to know the easiest route to doing the Kinsmans, winter route? A friend of mine is hiking on Sunday, and asked me to look into for him..unfortunately I'm in San Fran and have no guide books/maps with me..
thanks kmac

 

[RollingRock]

I went up using the North Kinsman Trail instead of the usual Lonesome Lake approach from Franconia Notch. The trail was completely broken and I believe it still is. It's a bit longer but the payoff is that it's not all that steep.

 

[--M.]

I believe the conventional route for this hike is the Lonesome Lake Trail to the hut, and then the Fishin' Jimmy Trail to the top.

I offer this because a friend and I decided to descend the Kinsman Pond Trail on our wintry day, and it runs in/along a brook -- and was not broken out. We wouldn't have minded, but had left the snowshoes in the car (LL & FJ were well-packed) and the post-holing into the stream-bed stones was an ankle-twister's delight. We lucked out, but learned our lesson.

Have fun! And maybe a moderator will want to move the thread.

 

[kmac]

i wasn't sure where to post this...oh well..anyway, thanks i'll pass on the suggestions.
kmac

 

[JohnL]

Last Friday we went up Fishin' Jimmy so I know that is broken out. North Kinsman Tr was not recently traveled but when I walked about 20 yards down the trail, the snow was consolidated beneath about three inches of fresh powder. Easier? North Kinsman Tr.

JohnL

 

[Mohamed Ellozy]

I offer this because a friend and I decided to descend the Kinsman Pond Trail on our wintry day, and it runs in/along a brook -- and was not broken out. We wouldn't have minded, but had left the snowshoes in the car (LL & FJ were well-packed) and the post-holing into the stream-bed stones was an ankle-twister's delight.

With snowshoes and adequate snow the Kinsman Pond Trail is an absolute delight.

 

[BobC]

I think that RollingRock and JohnL meant the Mount Kinsman trail, not the North Kinsman trail (there is no such thing as a North Kinsman trail). The Mount Kinsman trail comes in from the west and intersects with the Kinsman Ridge trail less than a half-mile from the North Kinsman summit. In my opinion it's the easiest and most pleasant route to the Kinsmans. There's also an interesting viewpoint area called Bald Peak on the way, which is 2/10 of a mile off the Mount Kinsman trail and provides interesting views to the west.

Note that the Mount Kinsman trailhead has recently been moved about 2/10 of a mile north of the old trailhead, so old map, guidebook or internet info that mentions a trailhead near some stone pillars (with off-road parking) is no longer accurate. The new trailhead has an unpaved parking lot, I'm not sure if it's plowed in winter.

 

[RollingRock]

I think that RollingRock and JohnL meant the Mount Kinsman trail, not the North Kinsman trail (there is no such thing as a North Kinsman trail).

The new trailhead has an unpaved parking lot, I'm not sure if it's plowed in winter.

Thanks for the correction...my mistake. It is indeed called the Mount Kinsman Trail. It does not appear to be plowed in winter when I was last there but there were enough cars/four-wheel drive vehicles to have packed it down for me.

 

[David Metsky]

Thanks for the correction...my mistake. It is indeed called the Mount Kinsman Trail. It does not appear to be plowed in winter when I was last there but there were enough cars/four-wheel drive vehicles to have packed it down for me.

There is now a real trailhead parking area and a slight relo at the start.

 

[Waumbek]

Note that the Mount Kinsman trailhead has recently been moved about 2/10 of a mile north of the old trailhead, so old map, guidebook or internet info that mentions a trailhead near some stone pillars (with off-road parking) is no longer accurate. The new trailhead has an unpaved parking lot, I'm not sure if it's plowed in winter.

That would be 2/10 mile SOUTH of the old trailhead, on the south side of the Tamarack Tennis Camp with the big red barn.

 

[Kevin Judy and Emma]

Mount Kinsman Trail

As of yesterday the parking area was not plowed but 4wd can handle the 6" of snow. The Mount Kinsman Trail is packed to the ridge where the Kinsman Ridge Trail is a concrete highway.

That said, the trees up to about 3500' are covered in powder which was occasionally dropping huge loads. Today's warm temperatures or any wind may have brought a lot of this down and refilled the snowshoe tracks. I don't think it will effect the Kinsman Ridge Trail as the snow cover up there was much more consolidated and less likely to fall off the trees.

KDT

 

[Waumbek]

That said, the trees up to about 3500' are covered in powder which was occasionally dropping huge loads. Today's warm temperatures or any wind may have brought a lot of this down and refilled the snowshoe tracks. I don't think it will effect the Kinsman Ridge Trail as the snow cover up there was much more consolidated and less likely to fall off the trees.

KDT

I bw'd in that area today in the 2000-3000' range and nothing was coming down. It didn't get much above 34, little wind, and no sun.

 

[Waumbek]

40*F in Franconia today with snow turning to cream cheese. You'll do best in a 4WD or AWD to get up the slight incline to the newish unplowed Kinsman parking area on 116. I made it OK in AWD. 2WD vehicles, including a Prius, had parked on the shoulder of 116 with half the car on the road to avoid the snowbanks; no one had clipped them as of about 3 p.m.

 

[kmac]

thanks everyone, much appreciated.
kmac

 

[--M.]

With snowshoes and adequate snow the Kinsman Pond Trail is an absolute delight.

Total agreement, it was awesome. We just made an error and paid in fatigue only (could have been worse with a twisted ankle). That trip had the interesting feature of a bonk within sight of the parking area: I actually had trouble making the last 200 yards. I stopped and ate while my buddy went on and warmed up the car, coming back to escort me out. Good learning experiences there.

I like the idea of the Mount Kinsman Trail: getting away from the Rt.93 noise is key.