JohnL
New member
I had originally planned to go up Garfield alone for my first hike after tearing up my leg on the Tripyramids a month ago but Giff sent me an email late in the week asking if I was off the DL yet. Indeed I was, having gotten clearance from the Doctor and I was anxious to get out again. He indicated that he had done Garfield three times recently so we settled on the Kinsmans. I wanted to do a different route than the standard trade route up Fishin’ Jimmy.
I picked Giff up at 7:00 in Thornton and we headed north. Giff suggested we park at the Basin and head up the Basin-Cascades Trail. From there we would take the Cascades Brook Trail to the Kinsman Pond Trail. Then we would ascend the peaks and descend by way of Fishin’ Jimmy to the Hut and pick up the Cascades Brook Trail there.
We started out at 7:40 in slight rainfall which was caused by the compression of the moist air in the Notch. That soon dissipated and we walked through the deserted tourist area of the Basin to the trailhead. The lower part of the trail is a mangle of roots, presumably a result of the heavy tourist traffic. Further on, the trail is actually very scenic with a number of quiet pools and waterfalls where we stopped to explore and photograph. This is quite a nice trail and this was my first time on it.
The Cascades Brook Trail from here is a nice quiet trial in deep woods thick with all manner of greenery. The feeling we got along this section was that of being “out there”, even though we knew we were not. Perhaps it is because we were on a less familiar trail. The Kinsman Pond Trail runs along and in a streambed that is covered with large rocks plastered with thick Kelly green moss. Some of the rocks were so thick with the moss that they looked like soft pillows but one slip along these seemingly comfy cushions would put you in a world of hurt. While coming down this trail alone in the rain seven years ago I lost my footing and somehow managed to grab a handy tree branch to save myself from a good bruising. It was near here that we met a group of eight young people with large packs heading down from the shelter at Kinsman Pond. We did not envy their descent. Aah, the joys of a small pack!
The moss and thick vegetation along the trail before we got to the Pond lent an arboreal air of timelessness and calm. It is a beautiful section of trail. At least it was today.
We passed by the empty camping area, only seeing the caretaker sitting quietly at the edge of the Pond. The shelter itself is in fine shape, I’m sure as a result of the nearby caretaker. The Bear Box next to the shelter told us of hungry nighttime neighbors. We passed by the caretaker’s tent and were immediately at Kinsman Junction. I was astounded as I did not remember the shelter to be so close to the junction even though I had been to the shelter only seven years ago and I have walked through the Junction numerous times. Amazing how your memory can play such games with your mind.
The pleasant walk up to the summits was familiar and pleasant today while the thick haze covered the distractions of the distant pretty vistas. My eyes were more focused on the nearby sights, the distinctive red moss along the trail, the numerous shapes and colors of the mushrooms, and the rough texture of the yellow granite on the ledges which are so fun to scramble up.
At ten minutes before 10:00 we topped out on North Kinsman and with the upper ledges being occupied by several other hikers, we opted to keep going and stop by here on the way back from South Kinsman. We passed a few thru-hikers along the way and I took a few more photos. I knew that summit area photos would be washed out due to the haze so I concentrated on the things in front of me.
We arrived at the deserted South summit and stopped for a quick snack. We were soon joined by three thru-hikers. I asked them when they started and two of them started on March 20th and 23rd and the third guy started from Virginia in June. We finished up our snack and headed back, looking out on the nearby ridges which were mere silhouettes in the haze. We were back at the North peak soon enough but the upper ledge looked like a convention center at this point. We decided to forego the crowd and head down.
We were back at Kinsman Junction at ten minutes before Noon and we headed down Fishin’ Jimmy. What appeared to be new (at least to me) ladders and bog bridges were all over the trail. Did I walk on these in July of last year when I was here last? I certainly don’t remember them but again, it could be my memory playing tricks on me.
The walk out was pleasant and certainly warmer than the walk in. The sun broke through the haze down here and brightened up the forest. The lower trails were more congested with the pools and water slides crowded with people. We worked our way through the crowds and were back at the car at 12:40. The hike along an unfamiliar and pleasant trail added a new feeling to hiking up a couple of favorite peaks. It was a most pleasant morning in the woods.
Photos are here.
JohnL
I picked Giff up at 7:00 in Thornton and we headed north. Giff suggested we park at the Basin and head up the Basin-Cascades Trail. From there we would take the Cascades Brook Trail to the Kinsman Pond Trail. Then we would ascend the peaks and descend by way of Fishin’ Jimmy to the Hut and pick up the Cascades Brook Trail there.
We started out at 7:40 in slight rainfall which was caused by the compression of the moist air in the Notch. That soon dissipated and we walked through the deserted tourist area of the Basin to the trailhead. The lower part of the trail is a mangle of roots, presumably a result of the heavy tourist traffic. Further on, the trail is actually very scenic with a number of quiet pools and waterfalls where we stopped to explore and photograph. This is quite a nice trail and this was my first time on it.
The Cascades Brook Trail from here is a nice quiet trial in deep woods thick with all manner of greenery. The feeling we got along this section was that of being “out there”, even though we knew we were not. Perhaps it is because we were on a less familiar trail. The Kinsman Pond Trail runs along and in a streambed that is covered with large rocks plastered with thick Kelly green moss. Some of the rocks were so thick with the moss that they looked like soft pillows but one slip along these seemingly comfy cushions would put you in a world of hurt. While coming down this trail alone in the rain seven years ago I lost my footing and somehow managed to grab a handy tree branch to save myself from a good bruising. It was near here that we met a group of eight young people with large packs heading down from the shelter at Kinsman Pond. We did not envy their descent. Aah, the joys of a small pack!
The moss and thick vegetation along the trail before we got to the Pond lent an arboreal air of timelessness and calm. It is a beautiful section of trail. At least it was today.
We passed by the empty camping area, only seeing the caretaker sitting quietly at the edge of the Pond. The shelter itself is in fine shape, I’m sure as a result of the nearby caretaker. The Bear Box next to the shelter told us of hungry nighttime neighbors. We passed by the caretaker’s tent and were immediately at Kinsman Junction. I was astounded as I did not remember the shelter to be so close to the junction even though I had been to the shelter only seven years ago and I have walked through the Junction numerous times. Amazing how your memory can play such games with your mind.
The pleasant walk up to the summits was familiar and pleasant today while the thick haze covered the distractions of the distant pretty vistas. My eyes were more focused on the nearby sights, the distinctive red moss along the trail, the numerous shapes and colors of the mushrooms, and the rough texture of the yellow granite on the ledges which are so fun to scramble up.
At ten minutes before 10:00 we topped out on North Kinsman and with the upper ledges being occupied by several other hikers, we opted to keep going and stop by here on the way back from South Kinsman. We passed a few thru-hikers along the way and I took a few more photos. I knew that summit area photos would be washed out due to the haze so I concentrated on the things in front of me.
We arrived at the deserted South summit and stopped for a quick snack. We were soon joined by three thru-hikers. I asked them when they started and two of them started on March 20th and 23rd and the third guy started from Virginia in June. We finished up our snack and headed back, looking out on the nearby ridges which were mere silhouettes in the haze. We were back at the North peak soon enough but the upper ledge looked like a convention center at this point. We decided to forego the crowd and head down.
We were back at Kinsman Junction at ten minutes before Noon and we headed down Fishin’ Jimmy. What appeared to be new (at least to me) ladders and bog bridges were all over the trail. Did I walk on these in July of last year when I was here last? I certainly don’t remember them but again, it could be my memory playing tricks on me.
The walk out was pleasant and certainly warmer than the walk in. The sun broke through the haze down here and brightened up the forest. The lower trails were more congested with the pools and water slides crowded with people. We worked our way through the crowds and were back at the car at 12:40. The hike along an unfamiliar and pleasant trail added a new feeling to hiking up a couple of favorite peaks. It was a most pleasant morning in the woods.
Photos are here.
JohnL
