Rhody Seth
Active member
I hiked a few days to start Memorial Day weekend and the weather could not have been better. I drove up Thursday night but I dillydallied so I didn't get up there until 11 PM or so. I had been fighting a head cold and was dawdling around the house - my wife made sure to get me out the door as she knew I'd be impossible to live with if I bailed. So I made the drive up, later than I wanted and feeling mediocre. But the promise of a day in the mountains gave me some morning pep (as did the copious amounts of caffeine) and I was on the trail by 5:20 AM. It was 38° at the start but it would climb into the upper 50s up high by midday.
Hi-Cannon Trail woke me up and as I climbed the wind cooled me off. Blustery but clear at the top of Cannon and I only had the summit to myself for a moment before a lady and her pup arrived, having come up Kinsman Ridge from the base of Cannon. She would be the only person I'd see for awhile as I descended the bouldery route towards the Cannonballs. I had braced myself for bugs and monorail remnants but neither made an appearance and while there was plenty of water on the Cannonballs most of it was easily avoided. I picked up a couple pair of Salomon Speedcross 6 this winter and they worked great on this one - grippy on the rock and mud. Sadly one of my gaiters broke by the end - they aren't that durable.
I spent a good amount of time at the North Kinsman lookout on both the out and back as the view was great. Other hikers began to make an appearance at this point and with the sun beating down I was beginning to regret my choice of pants, though they seemed appropriate in the chill of the morning. I stowed my poles to move faster on the descent down Fishin' Jimmy, which wasn't too wet, but lack of sleep and sickness began to take its toll. A quick stop at the hut for water and then I descended as quick as I could to wrap up the hike.
Because my day wasn't done! My plan was to then drive over to Ripley Falls and hike up to Ethan Pond campsite for the night. But I was feeling pretty spent after this one so I wasn't sure how that was going to play out. Just staying awake to drive over there felt like effort. Would I make it back into the woods? That's a tale for another post...
Hi-Cannon Trail woke me up and as I climbed the wind cooled me off. Blustery but clear at the top of Cannon and I only had the summit to myself for a moment before a lady and her pup arrived, having come up Kinsman Ridge from the base of Cannon. She would be the only person I'd see for awhile as I descended the bouldery route towards the Cannonballs. I had braced myself for bugs and monorail remnants but neither made an appearance and while there was plenty of water on the Cannonballs most of it was easily avoided. I picked up a couple pair of Salomon Speedcross 6 this winter and they worked great on this one - grippy on the rock and mud. Sadly one of my gaiters broke by the end - they aren't that durable.
I spent a good amount of time at the North Kinsman lookout on both the out and back as the view was great. Other hikers began to make an appearance at this point and with the sun beating down I was beginning to regret my choice of pants, though they seemed appropriate in the chill of the morning. I stowed my poles to move faster on the descent down Fishin' Jimmy, which wasn't too wet, but lack of sleep and sickness began to take its toll. A quick stop at the hut for water and then I descended as quick as I could to wrap up the hike.
Because my day wasn't done! My plan was to then drive over to Ripley Falls and hike up to Ethan Pond campsite for the night. But I was feeling pretty spent after this one so I wasn't sure how that was going to play out. Just staying awake to drive over there felt like effort. Would I make it back into the woods? That's a tale for another post...
