Kinsmans and Bald Peak via Mt. Kinsman Trail (White Mountain National Forest)

Kinsmans and Bald Peak via Mt. Kinsman Trail (White Mountain National Forest)

Distance: 10.67 miles
Elevation: 3,825 feet

Time: 6 hours, 25 minutes (4 hours, 59 minutes moving)
Hike Type: Out-and-back
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge 2024; New Hampshire 4000 Footers

The Hike

It's been basically a week of stunning weather in the mountains, and I couldn't pass up on one more hike before the pattern shifted! The forecast called for clear skies and winter-warm temperatures (20s-30s), and with no recent snow, I knew the trails would be in good shape. I was feeling good after my trip to Bald Peak last week and Mt. Garfield just a few days before, so I decided on heading back to the Mt. Kinsman Trail, but going all the way up this time! My 3:30am alarm went off, I packed my hot chocolate, and I was on my way!

My stop at Hooksett was MUCH more successful that Sunday's - I DID use the bathroom (an impressive deposit, if I do say so myself) and they DID have breakfast sandwiches! My drive continued up I-93 and I stopped back at the Lincoln 7/11 for bathroom round two, but their bathroom was down, so I hopped next door to Dunkin Donuts for a second deposit. Good to go!

I made it to the trailhead at 6:30am and the air temperature was 9 degrees - colder than I thought, but no problem. I had the exact same items packed as my Mt. Garfield hike, but one liter less Nuun/water (so for liquids, I had 3 Nuun Nalgenes and 1 hot chocolate Yeti, which I think is my perfect amount), so my pack was still around that 30lbs mark. The skies were crystal clear, I loved driving through Franconia Notch during the early morning light, and I was excited to get going! The last thing I had to do was to pee, but someone pulled into the parking lot JUST as I was about to take care of that, so that became a later problem.

I got my hike started at 6:48am on the well-packed trail. I put my spikes on at the packed-snow parking lot just so I didn't have to do it later. A few minutes in, again, my puff came off and I dropped my camera, lens first, into the snow... again. A few minutes later, the fleece came off, and it would stay off for the rest of the hike! I was reminded about the terrifying sound of trekking poles against crusty snow, and I was admiring how familiar yet different the trail looked in this new light, literally (blue skies and less snow) and figuratively (with more experience and confidence). I was able to see North Kinsman through the trees, which was a bit daunting, but I reminded myself I have plenty of time and to enjoy the journey.

I passed the neat old sugarhouse and then I took a quick break at the National Forest boundary, where I dropped my camera in the snow... again. There was some fantastic needle ice through a frozen wetter section, and then the trail began to climb more moderately. This is about where I put my snowshoes on last time, but I anticipated keeping them off for most, if not all, of this hike.

Once higher up, I could see a beautiful golden hour on the mountaintops behind me. I traversed the three frozen water crossings and 1.5 blowdowns (it was two blowdowns last week, but one has since been cleared), and then decided to take the side trip to the Kinsman Flume since there were enough footprints heading in that direction.

The trail to the Flume was choppy and a bit post-holey, but short enough. The flume itself was neat, but I didn't feel comfortable getting too close to the edge in the winter, so it will have to be a re-visit sometime. Either way, it was cool! I enjoyed hearing the water cascading beneath the snow and ice. 

I made it to the junction with the Bald Peak spur at 1 hour and 17 minutes, and I could help but notice how much more confident I felt this time around. I'm sure part of it was becuase I wasn't wearing snowshoes, but I just felt... good!

The grade picked up after this junction, slowly getting more steeper until the terminus. I caught myself needed to slow down a few times as I fought for my breath. The whole trail was really beautiful, and there were a good number of walking breaks through very lovely forest. There was one excellent walking break at the 2.77 mile-area, and I took another break here before a steep section, which made me think would be... interesting on the descent. 

The sun began to hit the tops of the trees and the trees began to transform into giant marshmallows - I was making progress! The walking breaks lessened higher up and at a few points my calves felt like they were truly going to explode. I thought about putting snowshoes on for the televators alone, but I didn't want to deal with 1) the hassle, 2) the televators, and 3) the foot pain from the bar. 

At 3.69 miles/2 hours and 22 minutes, the guy that pulled into the parking lot just as I was about to pee passed me, and I was officially in the final stretch of this trail. The trees were fully Dr. Suess-mode, and I notice they began to get slightly shorter once I entered the Kinsman Pond Campsire Forest Protection Area - I even saw the sun for the first time! I had to pause for a moment to absorb sunlight, and I even noticed there were beginnings of views behind me.

I finally made it to the junction and all I could say was "holy shit." It wasn't listed in the guidebook, but there is an INCREDIBLE view of the Cannon Balls, Cannon Mountain, and the Franconia Ridge from the junction, plus a view into the north country (including the Percy Peaks!). I took a nice break here to drink water, use the bathroom, and most importantly, stare.

The final push to the summit of North Kinsman was a doozy, and I found myself stopping every 40-50 feet to catch my breath, but it was beautiful. Trail was steep, but I would deal with that problme on the descent later. There were some partial views through trees, looking behind, and one great pull-off view near the top. The trees were fully transformed into cauliflower, and it was just amazing to be where I was, even if I was fighting for my life. 

The summit of North Kinsman was unremarkable, but there was a great spur path on the left just after the summit to a view of the Franconia Ridge and Cannon. I took a short break here with my puffy and a snack.

I willed myself away from the view with the reminder I have to pass it again on the way back and conitnued my journey to South Kinsman, which truly wasn't too bad. There were three steep descents into the col, but also some excellent views of the Franconias, South Kinsman (which was a bummer to see how far away it looked), and Mt. Moosilauke. I couldn't stop thinking about how happy I was to have saved this hike for a beautiful day - if I hiked it on the cloudy day I hiked Bald Peak, I would have missed on all of this beauty.

The woods were beautiful down in the col, and I passed the parking lot guy for the final time. My body was definitely tired heading up to South Kinsman, but I was determined. The trail was less steep going up, and it traversed a shoulder which had some beautiful woods. 

The north knob of South Kinsman had some peek-a-boo views, and the south knob had a chair-shaped cairn and views in all directions - just beautiful. I took a nice long break here with a peanut butter tortilla, some hot chocolate with the Vermont Ice Maple Burbon Cream Liquer, and basked in the sun like a lizard. I tried to get a photo of Moosilauke without trees in the foreground, but quickly post-holed onto the trail (apparently people don't usually go past the south knob). My favorite thing to see was all five of the Vermont 4000-Footers, Jay Peak, Willoughby Gap, and Burke Mountain - the Vermont mountains I've been and been getting aquainted with recently. The sun felt so warm (it was now 32 degrees) and I was in absolute bliss - I didn't even need to layer up. 

After a LONG break, it was officially time to make my return trip. My knees had been in a mood all day, but thankfully they worked together - the right knee bothered me going up and the left knee bothered me going down, which I guess was nice of them?

Interestingly enough, since the sun was shining brightly and the temperatures inching above freezing, the snow was beginning to slowly melt off the trees, which made for an INTERESTING return trip. Every few feet I would hear some rustling followed by a blanket of white show. Sometimes it was a soft powder, and sometimes it was a brick of ice. Kept things interesting for sure! 

The descent into the col was nice and easy minus knee pain, I passed my second person of the day, and the climb back up to North Kinsman was mentally fine but my body was definitely tired. I had a short lived, but terrifying tummy sensation that quickly resolved itself (I DO NOT WANT TO POOP IN THE WOODS IN WINTER). The descent back to the KRT/MTK junction was sponsored by a "controlled send" - basically quick-step running with control. I'm not sure if it was smart, but it worked! I don't think this trail got as steep as Garfield's final push, but either way I made it down in one piece!

I took another short break back at the junction. I took a short moment to reflect on the day so far and I was just so happy to be in the mountains and achieving my goals. Bonus points that it was a beautiful day! My knees were hurting, and I wasn't sure if I was going to head over back to Bald Peak, but I was so happy regardless.

Back on the Mt. Kinsman Trail I noticed something was different... The trail was still firm but there was 0.5-2" of new powder on the trail, which I realized was from all the trees! It truly reminded me of the Fire Swamp from the [best] movie [ever], the Princess Bride. You would hear a few clicks, and then suddenly you were being pelted with falling debris, with very little clues if you were in the firing range. 

The return from the Kinsman Ridge Trail junction to the Bald Peak junction was VERY quick - mostly due to the controlled-send strategy - I basically ran the steeps. I DEEPLY appreciated the long walking break from before, and I decided that I would just blast through the Bald Peak junction and not think about it.

On the good side, I did succeed in blasting through! On the bad side, I blasted too hard and nearly died from cardiac arrest (that might be dramatic, but it felt like it!), so I shifted my mindset from blasting to mindfully ascending, which worked well. The last 50 feet of trail were covered in snow fleas! I knew nothing about them (information below) aside for the fact that they existed, but there had to have been thousands of them [EDIT: I can say, a day later, that I am not covered in bites, so that's good??]. 

The second I arrived at the summit I knew I made the right decision. The view was STUNNING from Bald Peak. North Kinsman was the main star of the show, but there was a distant view towards Moosilauke, one of the Cannon Balls, and some neighboring peaks, too. I sat on my favorite sitting rock for another long break.

One thing I've learned during this winter-hiking introduction course is that off-trail footsteps either lead to a view (10% of the time) or a community urinal (90% of the time). This both helped and hurt me during this time. The sun felt truly amazing [EDIT: I am officially sunburnt a day later], and I truly just sat there with my sunglasses on taking it all in. When I was wrapping up my stay, I saw a lone cloud go over North Kinsman, which made me feel just a little schadenfreude. A LITTLE.

The final return was just as quick as the first half, with more walking and less "controlled-sending." I saw a third person once the trail hit the "flats" who looked shockingly like someone I've seen before in my life but I truly cannot figure out who/what/where/when/why. Maybe a celebrity lookalike? It'll come to me in 30 years I'm sure. I also realized there were a bunch of small snow flea patches, plus one other large patch. 

I instinctively started singing "it's the final mi-le" once I hit the WMNF boundary (to the tune of "Final Countdown," of course), slowly started to feel bonked by the end, but made it back to the parking lot in no time! Probably one of my quickest mountain descents ever. I bonked my car in victory and quickly got my chores done so I could begin the return trip... only one issue... I forgot a clean pair of underwear! Not to get too graphic, but that meant I had to let my sweaty body touch the inside of my sweatpants, which is a no for me. I did persevere for the sake of clean clothes, but I was unhappy. I decided to take 116 to 112 back to I-93, and I was astounded at the views of the Kinsmans/Moosilauke from this route - everything was in a cloud last time I drove this way! The rest of my journey home was nice and easy with my usual stops at the Sanbornton rest area and Hooksett. Soon enough I was home, showered, and sound asleep by 7:00pm.

Taking a moment to reflect on my "winter hiking journey" up until this point, I'm very proud of myself, my body, and specifically, my confidence. I love how I started this year with the snowshoe to Bald Peak, then heavy pack to Garfield, and now the Kinsmans with Bald Peak at the end. I'm proud of how much I've learned, too. Looking back on past winter mountain adventures:

- (1/16/22) Mt. Roberts: Taught me that I can, in fact, hike in the winter, and I won't die even if it's -7 degrees out with enough layers.

- (1/16/22) Hedgehog Mountain: Taught me that a base layer and a shell isn't enough, and you WILL get cold once in the shade. If it's not windy, leave the shell in the pack.

- (12/15/22) Mt. Cube: Taught me that a buff is MANDATORY for my asthmatic lungs. 

- (3/19/2023) Black Pond via Lincoln Woods: Taught me that we don't mess around with post-holing.

- (11/10/2023) Middle & South Carter: Taught me that it doesn't need to be winter for it to be winter.

- (1/30/2024) Bald Peak: Taught me how it feels to hike in snowshoes.

- (2/4/2024) Mt. Garfield: Taught me that with enough research, planning, and the correct gear, I can tackle 4000-Footers.

- (2/7/2024) This hike!: Taught me I am strong and confident and I can do it!

Step-By-Step

- Park at Mt. Kinsman Trail trailhead.

- Start hike on blue-blazed Mt. Kinsman Trail.

- At sign for "Flume," turn right onto unblazed spur path to Kinsman Flume.

- At Kinsman Flume, turn around.

- Turn right onto Mt. Kinsman Trail.

- At jct. with spur to Bald Peak, turn left to continue on Mt. Kinsman Trail.

- Follow Mt. Kinsman Trail to terminus.

- At terminus, turn right onto white-blazed Kinsman Ridge Trail.

- Summit North, then South Kinsman.

- At South Kinsman, turn around.

- At Kinsman Ridge Trail/Mt. Kinsman Trail jct., turn left onto Mt. Kinsman Trail.

- At Bald Peak spur jct., continue straight onto yellow-blazed spur trail.

- Summit Bald Peak.

- Turn around.

- At the same jct., turn left onto Mt. Kinsman Trail, return to car.

“Mt. Kinsman Trail” from White Mountain Guide, 31st Ed. (2022)

WMNF This trail climbs from the east side of NH 116 to Kinsman Ridge Trail, 0.4 mi. north of North Kinsman. The trailhead, with a short road leading into a large dirt parking area (usually not plowed in winter, in 2021, the entrance had a small washout to watch for), is 4.7 mi. south of NH 18 in Franconia, just beyond the Tamarack Tennis Camp, and 6.4 mi. north of NH 112 at Bungay Corner; this is 1.7 mi. north of the Easton town hall. Mt. Kinsman Trail climbs at mostly moderate grades.

        The blue-blazed trail leaves the southeast corner of the parking area and in 20 yd. turns sharply left and ascends moderately through a brushy area. At 0.2 mi., the trail enters an attractive hemlock forest, dips to cross a small brook, and ascends generally eastward. At 0.5 mi., the trail swings left and levels off, crossing an unmarked mountain-bike trail, and in another 30 yd. turns right onto a logging road, joining an older route. (In the reverse direction, turn left off the road onto a footpath at a sign.) The trail soon swings left, passes an old sugarhouse on the left at 0.6 mi., and swings right again.

        Mt. Kinsman Trail enters the WMNF at 1.1 mi., turns right off the road (cairn and arrow), and in 30 yd. turns left onto another road. This older, steeper road crosses a brook at 1.5 mi. near the site of the former Kinsman Cabin (up on the left). At 1.8 mi., Mt. Kinsman Trail crosses Mossy Falls Brook, which flows over a mossy ledge to the left of the trail, and then crosses Kendall (Flume) Brook at 2.1 mi. Just over the brook, a side path on the right (sign: “Flume”) descends close to the brook bank for 150 yd. to the top edge of a small, steep-walled Kinsman Flume, a classic eroded dike (use caution here). Mt. Kinsman Trail continues on the road for another 70 yd. and then turns sharply left at the point where a yellow-blazed 0.2-mi. Spur path (sign: “Bald Peak”) diverges sharply right, descends briefly, then makes an easy ascent to Bald Peak, a bare, ledgy dome with fine views that crowns a western spur of Kinsman Mtn.

        Mt. Kinsman Trail now winds up the mountainside at easy to moderate grades, with relatively good footing except for scattered short, steep pitches with rough footing. The trail crosses several small brooks and at 3.2 mi. follows a short relocation to the right. At 3.5 mi. it swings right and angles upward, then swings left and climbs straight up to the ridgetop, where Mt. Kinsman Trail meets Kinsman Ridge Trail. For North and South Kinsman, turn right (south); for Kinsman Pond and Kinsman Junction, turn left (north).

“Kinsman Ridge Trail” from White Mountain Guide, 31st Ed. (2022)

AMC This trail follows the crest of the main ridge from the height-of-land on NH 112 in Kinsman Notch north to the Cannon Mtn. Tramway parking lot, just off Franconia Notch Parkway at Exit 34B. [...].

        [...]. To the bare south knob of South Kinsman’s summit, which is very exposed to weather, at 9.8 mi.; here, there is a large cairn.

        From here, Kinsman Ridge Trail crosses a scrub-filled sag, passes 15 yd. to the west of the north knob of South Kinsman at 9.9 mi., and descends moderately to the col between South and North Kinsman at 10.4 mi. The trail climbs easily at first, then steadily, with some minor ledge scrambling, past two viewpoints to a side path (sign) that leads to the right at 10.8 mi.; this path runs 25 yd. to an outlook with a superb vista of the Franconia Range. From the north side of this broad ledge, the path descends via a steep, rough scramble another 30 yd. to a ledge that looks directly down on Kinsman Pond. The true summit of North Kinsman is a pointed boulder on the right (east) side of the main trail, 30 yd. north of the outlook spur. Kinsman Ridge Trail now descends steeply, with several ledge scrambles, to the jct. with Mt. Kinsman Trail on the left at 11.2 mi. [...].

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