| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Cannon Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Lonesome Lake Trail, Hi-Cannon Trail, Kinsman Ridge Trail, Rim Trail, Around Lonesome Lake Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, December 16, 2019 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Lafayette Campground is plowed and salted. Can hold about 20 cars. The lot in front of Lonesome Lake/Pemi trail trailheads is NOT plowed, though you can brave the sheet of ice and park there. I’d rather park on the pavement... |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Black, Ice - Blue |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Traction, Ice Axe |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
What few there are were all walk thrus in crampons. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A few blow downs. The most pesky one was on Kinsman Ridge just before the Rim Trail junction. Had to slither under (snowshoes on the pack kept getting caught). The few remaining pose no issue and do not have to be walked around. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Hi-Cannon is inappropriate for dogs above the junction with Dodge Cutoff. There is a ladder with a narrow, though short, ledge traverse. Today, Kinsman Ridge would be a bad choice for dogs between Hi-Cannon and the jct with Lonesome Lake Trail. See trail notes below. Otherwise, Lonesome Lake is an excellent trail for dogs. |
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 | Bugs: |
Nope |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Red beanie on post at start of bike path in the parking lot. |
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 | Comments: |
Trail sequence:
Lonesome Lake > Hi-Cannon > Kinsman Ridge > Rim Trail > Kinsman Ridge > Lonesome Lake > Around Lonesome Lake > Lonesome Lake > end.
Surfaces: ice. Pure ice. Everywhere. Donned full crampons at jct with Lonesome Lake and Hi-Cannon 0.4 mi from trailhead and never took them off. Hi-Cannon was very icy, but ascending was less of an issue as the crampons could gain purchase going uphill. See “fear notes†below. Really struggled with VERY steep descent on Kinsman Ridge heading down from Cannon summit to upper jct with Lonesome Lake. Two young men were ahead of me in microspikes having the same issue. It took us 30 mins to do 0.5 miles. I had to hike down backwards to keep traction and not go careening into protruding rocks or impaling my legs with the crampons. Stow the poles, they only make things worse in this ice.
Markings: Lonesome Lake is well blazed in yellow. It is also well travelled, wide, and packed out (or iced out today). Blind people could follow this trail (and I did it with no glasses on!). Hi-Cannon had 5 faded blue blazes in total. 2 were near the lower jct with Lonesome Lake, 2 were near the jct with Kinsman Ridge. You get the picture... I was able to follow the trail, even with microspikes prints to follow. If you are accustomed to trails in the Whites, you should have no issue focusing and following the trail. Rim trail had no markings or sign, but the observation tower was visible through the trees. So I followed a path that went that way... Kinsman Ridge is blazed in blue. These blazes are well placed, less frequent (but adequate for staying on trail), and bright. The corridor is obvious, and pure ice. Did I mention the ice today? Around Lonesome Lake is blazed in blue, is well travelled with bog bridges visible under the ice and water.
Fear Notes: Hi-Cannon gets very steep above the jct with Dodge Cutoff. Then there’s 3 small sections of exposure (4-5 feet max length where there is a break in the trees and it looks like the edge of a cliff, but really it’s not) that you walk past before... the ladders... Oh I so do not like ladders, especially those covered in ice. And really the 2 ladders, which are connected to each other, are not such a huge fear factor. It’s when I see the teensy tiny 4 foot section of rock ledge at the top of the ladder that I have to cross. Big feet? This section may be unnerving. And it’s not even the narrow foot path that such an issue as much as the fact that a large bolder perfectly parallels this narrow path at an awkward height. So I ended up folding my upper body over the top bolder and scooting my big feet across the narrow bolder/ledge below while trying not to think about the thick layer of ice on both these boulders. Obviously I made it, though I think I left my soul on that short traverse... |
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 | Name: |
Remington34 |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-12-16 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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