AT Hiking: Lonesome Lake and Kinsman Ridge Trail

Now that I'm back East and away from my beloved vistas of Colorado my goal is to expose myself to the beauties that exist here and paint my mental map of Northeast. Heck, we have the Appalachian Trail that runs through the Berkshires of Western Mass through the Green Mountains of Vermont to New Hampshire's White Mountains and onward to Mount Katahdin in Maine. People travel from all corners of the world to check out what I've got in my backyard.

With help from some friends, Sam Moulton and Kendall Chun, I got hooked up with the AMC maps for the White Mountains and some ideas on where to go with Zion. Sam suggested doing the Old Bridle Path loop up to Mount Lafayette and hiking along Franconia Ridge; or doing a loop just south of that spot up to Mt Liberty. Of the two, the Mt Liberty loop looks more do-able for a day hike, but steep. Since this is early season still I knew there could be ice and snow still on the trail, less now than in other years due to our lack of snowfall this year, but even so I decided to avoid that one. After inspecting the map a little closer I spotted a loop just south of Cannon Mountain Resort that would take me past an AMC hut with some options to hike longer.

I never calculated the whole distance out because I figured I would just hike up to the hut and decide from there where to go based on how much energy I had. It all worked out, after all I am writing to tell about it, but gosh it ended up being a strenuous day.

Two miles into the hike I arrived at the intersection of Lonesome Lake Trail and Kinsman Ridge. I could hike 1 mi up to Cannon Mountain, or hike 2.4 mi along Kinsman Ridge...still leaving me with a decent distance to cover to complete the loop. With too much energy left to turn around, I looked up the Kinsman Ridge Trail which was fairly steep and sparsely covered with melting ice. Hoping it wouldn't get too much worse in other sections, I decided to take my chances and do the whole loop. 

In addition to the 2 mi I had already covered, the loop would take me along Kinsman Ridge Trail (2.4 mi) down Fishin' Jimmy Trail (1.9 mi) past the hut then back to the car (1.6 mi). I was a little nervous to take this on alone especially with the spring conditions and I knew I would be pushing it to complete the mileage and before dark - but I went for it anyway.

Needless to say, the conditions did get icier and steeper. But, I got into a groove of using the rocks and trees as hand holds and stepping from side to side on the trail to find exposed rock or moss for footing. I usually don't put my hands on trees or rocks for fear of touching a bug, but I got a little more fearless as the hike went on. Plus, I passed a family while descending which gave me a little more confidence knowing that I wasn't out there totally on my own. Despite the little boost, my legs were getting pretty close to giving out.

Altogether, I covered just over 8 mi. The hike was completely wooded with only a couple of views along the way and there was nothing above tree line. For all but the path up to Lonesome Lake it was tough hiking with each step requiring a huge step up or down a rock.

The AMC Lonesome Lake hut was beautifully situated overlooking the lake with a deck and docks by the water. It looks like a popular place to go with kids because it's so easy to access.

All in all, it was a great and very tiring day. Now, 2 days later my legs are still totally cooked and I'm walking one step at a time when going down the stairs. 

To do this hike:

• Park at Lafayette Campground parking lot 2 mi South of exit 34B for Cannon tramway. There are tent camping sites here but it's right next to the highway. It would be a good spot to drive to and camp overnight if you want to get an early start but not a scenic or private camping ground.
• Lonesome Lake Trail to lake (you can see hut from here) and continue on Lonesome Lake Trail to Kinsman Ridge Trail
• Kinsman Ridge Trail to Fishin' Jimmy Trail
• Fishin' Jimmy Trail to AMC Lonesome Lake Hut
• Lonesome Lake Trail to parking lot
• 8 mi and challenging