| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Cannon Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Kinsman Ridge Trail, bushwhack, Vista Way Ski Trail, Short Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, March 5, 2026 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Wide open at the Cannon Tramway lot. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Wet/Sticky |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There is some tree damage higher up but it seems to be from the heavy snow load. No significant blowdowns. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
I haven't hiked this route since 2016 and yup, it's still steep. As of today, I couldn't imagine doing this climb in anything else but snowshoes (heel lifts for the win!). Snow was soft and loose the whole way. Later in the day, large snow blobs were also falling from trees into the trail. Out of the other folks I saw, only one was in snowshoes and a small group was skinning up. Others were in bare boots or spikes and that was churning up the trail surface.
As mentioned in the last report here, the top of the currently broken out route is a bit funky. From the saddle between the east peak and the summit, it skips the upper bit of the hiking trail, travels through spruce trap territory, and dumps hikers out onto the Vista Way ski trail. From there I snowshoed well off to the side and out of the way to the top of the lift, then took Short Trail to the summit. The observation tower steps are currently icy.
The descent was slippy-slidey with warming snow and frequent balling under the snowshoes. These conditions will of course change with the incoming storm and rain (yuk).
Great views today as the sun stayed out longer than I thought. |
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 | Name: |
KenM |
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 | E-Mail: |
kmacgray@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-03-05 |
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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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