North and South Kinsman

Date of Hike: 12/14/12

Basin-Cascades Trail: 1.0 miles	Cascade Brook Trail: 0.5 miles	Kinsman Pond Trail: 2.5 miles
Kinsman Ridge: Trail 3.0 miles	Fishin' Jimmy Trail: 2.0 miles	Lonesome Lake Trail: 1.6 miles
Bike Path: 1.4 miles	Total Miles 12.0	3,700 feet elevation gain

 

Basin Trailhead

 Basin-Cascade Trail Junction

 Cascade Brook

 One big dead tree!

 Kinsman Falls

 Kinsman Falls

 Cascade Brook Cascade/Pool

 Rocky Glen Falls

 Box Canyon

Cascade Brook 

Hikers playing puppy toss!

 North Kinsman

 Kinsman Pond

 North Kinsman

 Kinsman Pond Trail

 Kinsman Pond Shelter

 Franconia Ridge from South Kinsman

 Mount Lafayette and Lincoln

 Cannon Mountain (lower left), Lafayette and Lincoln on the right 

 South Kinsman Summit

 Appalachian Trail north bound

 South Kinsman false summit

 Kinsman Ridge Trail

 Kinsman Pond and the Franconia Ridge

 South Kinsman

 Kinsman Ridge Trail

 Iced over trail

 Glaze Ice

 Rust Ice

 Wood Ice

 Fn' Jimmy Trail

 Fn' Jimmy Trail

 Lonesome Lake Hut

 Lonesome Lake with North and South Kinsman

North and South Kinsman (#5 & #6)

Date of Hike: 12/31/09

Lonesome Lake & Around Lonesome Lake Trail: 1.5 miles
Fishin' Jimmy Trail: 2.0 miles
Kinsman Ridge Trail: 3.0 miles
Fishin' Jimmy Trail: 2.0 miles
Lonesome Lake Trail & Around Lonesome Lake: 1.5 miles
Total Miles: around 10 miles (elevation gain 3,800 feet)

Trip Report:
- Left RI at 5am, stopped at the Old Bridle Path trailhead to see if the pole I left behind was still there but it wasn't, hopefully it found a nice home!
- When I pulled into the Lafayette Campground parking lot I accidently tried pulling into the left side of the lot, not so smart, eventhough I have 4 wheel drive my car sunk into the packed snow and got jammed and stuck.  Dug out around my tires with my Ice Axe, put in reverse, drive, reverse, drive, slammed it one last time in reverse and got the hell out of there and parked where I was supposed to be!
- On Trail at 8:15am finished around 1:15pm, Temperature 15-20 degrees, no wind!  Decent views of Franconia Ridge, Mount Moosilauke, and into Vermont
- Stopped in at Lonesome Lake Shelter to change into warm clothes.  A few of the Hut caretakers were there along with a family with two kids
- Wore snowshoes the whole day on a very well packed trail, the Tubbs Flex Alp 24's are money, so far they haven't come loose and take a beating and keep on getting better!
- Ran into two people at South Kinsman summit, I changed into dry clothes again and took a bunch of pictures, froze my fingers up pretty good until I put my mitts on and I warmed up in a few minutes!
- Started to snow as soon as I descended, ran into two ladies and their cool dogs who were very happy to be hiking and playing in the snowy trail
- Lots of people hiking up to spend New Year's at Lonesome Lake hut
- On way back down Lonesome Lake trail I spotted an old snowshoe bushwack and decided to re-break it.  Tons of fun sliding down through two feet of snow until my glove got caught on a tree branck and sent me 360 into a white-wash!
- Back down at the trailhead there were another 2 cars stuck in the snow for a few minutes...WMNF really should put up a large sign saying DO NOT ENTER NO CARS! Not a little florescent pink laminated 8.5 by 11 sign that says "no highway vehicles"

Pictures: Click here to view all pictures

South Kinsman Summit Looking back toward North Kinsman

South Kinsman Summit with Franconia Ridge to the East

Mount Liberty and Mount Flume

Franconia Ridge (Lafayette, Truman, Lincoln, Little Haystack)

Kinsman Ridge Trail (AT)

Lonesome Lake Hut

North Kinsman (4,293 feet)

North Kinsman and Kinsman Pond as seen from South Kinsman Summit

South and North Kinsman are located on the Kinsman Ridge Trail  high above Franconia Notch.  North Kinsman Summit is viewless but there is a great outlook near the summit with fantastic views down to Franconia Notch and across to the Franconia Ridge.  South Kinsman Summit is an open summit with excellent 360 degree views. From the west (Route 116) the summits can be reached by taking the Mount Kinsman Trail then heading south on the Kinsman Ridge Trail.  From the east (Franconia Notch) the summits can be reached by taking the Lonesome Lake Trail, Fishin' Jimmy Trail, then heading south on the Kinsman Ridge Trail, or by taking the Cascade Brook Trail, Kinsman Pond Trail, then heading south on the Kinsman Ridge Trail.  The Kinsman Ridge Trail approaching the summit of South Kinsman is exposed and can be difficult and dangerous in bad conditions.

Trails I've Hiked

-Lonesome Lake, Fishin' Jimmy, Kinsman Ridge Trail: 4.9 miles, 3,500 elevation gain.  Lonesome Lake Trail head is located at the Lafayette Campground and has very good footing with easy grades and is a great beginners hike that takes you around Lonesome Lake and to the Lonesome Lake Hut.  Fishin' Jimmy Trail starts out with decent footing and moderate grades but soon becomes steep with rough and rugged footing with some pretty interesting wooden steps to help negotiate through the steepest sections.  The Kinsman Ridge Trail over to North and South Kinsman is well marked, has decent footing, with moderate grades.

Trip Reports:

October 18th, 2015: Up and down Mount Kinsman Trail and Kinsman Ridge Trail

September 20th, 2015: Up and down Mount Kinsman Trail and Kinsman Ridge Trail (RUN NH48)

August 8th, 2015: MMD 50K - Up Falling Waters Trail, across Franconia Ridge Trail, down Flume Slide Trail, up Liberty Spring Trail, across Franconia Ridge Trail, down Greenleaf Trail, up Kinsman Ridge Trail, down Lonesome Lake Trail, up Fishin' Jimmy Trail, up and down Kinsman Ridge Trail, out via Hi-Cannon and Lonesome Lake Trail

August 6th, 2015: Up and down Lonesome Lake, Fishin' Jimmy, and Kinsman Ridge Trail

March 6th, 2015:  Up and down Mount Kinsman and Kinsman Ridge trails

November 28th, 2014: Up Basin-Cascade, Cascade Brook, Kinsman Pond, and Kinsman Ridge trails, down Fishin' Jimmy, Lonesome Lake, and Pemi Bike Path

April 6th, 2013: Kinsman Ridge Trail to South Kinsman, down Fishin' Jimmy, Dodge Cutoff, Hi-Cannon, Lonesome Lake Trail, Dodge Cutoff, Franconia Notch Recreational Bike Path

December 14th, 2012: Up Basin-Cascades and Kinsman Pond Trail, across Kinsman Ridge Trail, down Fishin' Jimmy, Lonesome Lake Trail, Pemi Recreational Bike Path

February 18th, 2012: Up and down Lonesome Lake, Fishin' Jimmy, and Kinsman Ridge Trail

January 8th, 2012: Up and down Lonesome Lake, Fishin' Jimmy, and Kinsman Ridge Trail

May 29th, 2011: Up Lonesome Lake and Fishin' Jimmy Trail, across Kinsman Ridge Trail, down Lonesome Lake Trail

June 26th, 2010: Franconia Notch Traverse: Up Flume Slide, across Franconia Ridge, down Greenleaf Trail and Old Bridle Path, Up Hi-Cannon Trail, across Kinsman Ridge Trail, down Kinsman Pond and Cascade Brook trail

December 31st, 2009: Up and down Lonesome Lake, Fishin' Jimmy, and Kinsman Ridge Trail

July 19th, 2009: Up Lonesome Lake and Fishin' Jimmy Trail, up and down Kinsman Ridge Trail through Cannon Mountain

South Kinsman (4,358 feet)

Lonesome Lake with South Kinsman (left) and North Kinsman (right) as seen from the Old Bridle Path

South and North Kinsman are located on the Kinsman Ridge Trail  high above Franconia Notch.  North Kinsman Summit is viewless but there is a great outlook near the summit with fantastic views down to Franconia Notch and across to the Franconia Ridge.  South Kinsman Summit is an open summit with excellent 360 degree views. From the west (Route 116) the summits can be reached by taking the Mount Kinsman Trail then heading south on the Kinsman Ridge Trail.  From the east (Franconia Notch) the summits can be reached by taking the Lonesome Lake Trail, Fishin' Jimmy Trail, then heading south on the Kinsman Ridge Trail, or by taking the Cascade Brook Trail, Kinsman Pond Trail, then heading south on the Kinsman Ridge Trail.  The Kinsman Ridge Trail approaching the summit of South Kinsman is exposed and can be difficult and dangerous in bad conditions.

Trails I've Hiked

-Lonesome Lake, Fishin' Jimmy, Kinsman Ridge Trail: 4.9 miles, 3,500 elevation gain.  Lonesome Lake Trail head is located at the Lafayette Campground and has very good footing with easy grades and is a great beginners hike that takes you around Lonesome Lake and to the Lonesome Lake Hut.  Fishin' Jimmy Trail starts out with decent footing and moderate grades but soon becomes steep with rough and rugged footing with some pretty interesting wooden steps to help negotiate through the steepest sections.  The Kinsman Ridge Trail over to North and South Kinsman is well marked, has decent footing, with moderate grades.

Trip Reports:

October 18th, 2015: Up and down Mount Kinsman Trail and Kinsman Ridge Trail

September 20th, 2015: Up and down Mount Kinsman Trail and Kinsman Ridge Trail (RUN NH48)

August 6th, 2015: Up and down Lonesome Lake, Fishin' Jimmy, and Kinsman Ridge Trail

March 6th, 2015:  Up and down Mount Kinsman and Kinsman Ridge trails

November 28th, 2014: Up Basin-Cascade, Cascade Brook, Kinsman Pond, and Kinsman Ridge trails, down Fishin' Jimmy, Lonesome Lake, and Pemi Bike Path

April 6th, 2013: Kinsman Ridge Trail to South Kinsman, down Fishin' Jimmy, Dodge Cutoff, Hi-Cannon, Lonesome Lake Trail, Dodge Cutoff, Franconia Notch Recreational Bike Path

December 14th, 2012: Up Basin-Cascades and Kinsman Pond Trail, across Kinsman Ridge Trail, down Fishin' Jimmy, Lonesome Lake Trail, Pemi Recreational Bike Path

February 18th, 2012: Up and down Lonesome Lake, Fishin' Jimmy, and Kinsman Ridge Trail

January 8th, 2012: Up and down Lonesome Lake, Fishin' Jimmy, and Kinsman Ridge Trail

May 29th, 2011: Up Lonesome Lake and Fishin' Jimmy Trail, across Kinsman Ridge Trail, down Lonesome Lake Trail

June 26th, 2010: Franconia Notch Traverse: Up Flume Slide, across Franconia Ridge, down Greenleaf Trail and Old Bridle Path, Up Hi-Cannon Trail, across Kinsman Ridge Trail, down Kinsman Pond and Cascade Brook trail

December 31st, 2009: Up and down Lonesome Lake, Fishin' Jimmy, and Kinsman Ridge Trail 

July 19th, 2009: Up Lonesome Lake and Fishin' Jimmy Trail, up and down Kinsman Ridge Trail through Cannon Mountain