March Madness at Lonesome Lake

[askus3]

I just got back to my house last night (safely - 11 PM, Friday, 3/26) from a wonderful & successful Lonesome Lake Birthday week outing. We did plenty of hiking, snowshoeing, icy butt sliding, peakbagging and experienced great companionship, spectacular clear views, frigid temperatures, snowy conditions, mild foggy conditions, freezing bunk conditions and we huddled next to a heated hut furnace. Our group consisted of Dean Gletsos (the AT section hiker filling in the gaps), Eileen Berch (peakbagging the Whites, halfways there), Chris Connolly (trailbreaker, speedster, sleeper and reader), Tom Sweeney (who hooked up with our group being a regular on this VFTT board and our spaghetti cook), and yours truly, Aaron Schoenberg (organizer, photographer, leader and reporter).

 

[askus3]

Day 1 - Monday, March 22

After my 7 hour car trip from Warwick, NY, including a one hour brunch stop at Bickfords in Brattleboro, our group of 5 met up at 2 PM at the northbound Basin parking lot. Immediately we split into two groups. Dean came with an agenda to complete two small gaps of the AT as he is in the process of section hiking the trail. So he needed the AT from Liberty Spring trailhead to the junction with the Basin-Cascade Trail. So Dean & I plodded down the bike path. Then we started up the Cascade Brook Trail which was unused. We had to break trail for the 1.5 miles. The rest of the route was broken in. The stream crossing over Cascade Brook was of inconsequence as it was frozen solid. During that stretch we met one hiker coming down from the hut. We both wore snowshoes which were needed. The other three members of the party continued driving up to Lafayette Campground (southbound lot, thus drove beyond and back) and hiked up the Lonesome Lake Trail to the hut. The trail was hardened solid and barebooting was OK but some drifting snow from the Sunday snowstorm made snowshoes of great value for the final push across the lake to the hut. At the beginning of our hike both groups were wondering what was going on as we kept hearing a helicopter flying low overhead thru Franconia Notch. We learned later about the incident of the couple on Lafayette that were found the next morning (Tuesday). How sad. The weather this day was cold and clear, the views spectacular. The temp at North Woodstock when we drove thru at 1:30 PM was 22. When we were in the open on Lonesome Lake the wind blew at us and we knew although it was officially spring, we were still in the grip of winter. But the reason why I came up there was to experience the Whites in their winter beauty. Within minutes on the trail I knew in my five days out I would accomplish my mission. The temp. at the hut when we retired at 9 PM was 2. The wind died down to a wind chill of -3. It does not surprise me that spending 2 nights out unprepared in those conditions on Lafayette a fatality could take place.

We all now were together at the hut. Tom Sweeney was the cook for the evening and he put together a tasty spaghetti dinner that we devoured. We also met Tom (the caretaker). He had the fire going in the hut woodstove and the place was warmed to a balmy 53. He was a busy resourceful fellow shoveling, stoking the fire, taking care of our needs and showing us the ins and outs of obtaining water and dumping waste water. He was an integral member of our group and contributed greatly to the enjoyble and successful trip.

0.0 1520 2:00 The Basin - Northbound lot
0.8 1400 2:20 Jct. Liberty Spring Trail
1.0 1430 2:35 Jct. Pemi Trail
1.2 1580 2:45 Cross Whithouse Brook
2.3 2090 3:45-3:55 Jct. Basin-Cascades Trail
2.8 2320 4:20-4:30 Jct. Kinsman Pond Trail
3.7 2750 5:15 Lonesome Lake Hut

Total elevation gain: 1350 feet.

 

[askus3]

Day 2 - Tuesday, March 23, 2004 - The Kinsmans

Today we awakened to 11 degrees outside and 37 degrees inside the kitchen of the hut. Bright blue sunny skies with a forecast of light snow later in the day. Now our packs were lighter as we donned daypacks and set out for the Kinsmans. Chris talked of returning to the hut via Kinsman Pond Trail & Cascade Brook Trail. Eileen & Chris needed to summit the Kinsmans and for the others it was a repeat performance but the first time under winter conditions. The hike went smoothly with Chris & Tom leading and most of the time on their own. Everyone but me was wearing their snowshoes but I got by OK barebooting it. The Fishin Jimmy Trail was slippery in places and in a couple of places you had to go around thru the trees on one side as the rocks the trail went up on were sheer icy. The trail was broken in by a father/son we met coming down from Kinsman Pond. It was hard to believe they spent the night there considering how bitterly cold it was. This was the day they found the missing couple on Mt. Lafayette (the woman a fatality due to hypothermia). On our return to the hut, a light snow had started to fall and as a result Chris scrapped his plan of following the Kinsman Pond Trail. The big flakes added up and resulted in a three inch snowfall.

0.0 2750 8:50 Lonesome Lake Hut
1.9 3770 10:45-10:50 Kinsman Junction
2.1 3860 11:00 Jct. Mt. Kinsman Trail
2.5 4293 11:30-11:50 North Kinsman
3.4 4358 12:45-1:20 South Kinsman
4.3 4293 2:00 North Kinsman
4.7 3860 2:15 Jct. Mt. Kinsman Trail
5.0 3800 2:20 Kinsman Junction
5.1 3790 2:25-2:50 Kinsman Pond Shelter
7.0 2750 4:15 Lonesome Lake Hut

Total elevation gain: 2930 feet

 

[askus3]

Day 3 - Wednesday, March 24 - Cannon Mountain

This is the day that I dream about when I want winter hiking. The fresh three inches of snow left everything coated with a new layer of white powder. The trees were covered with snowballs which as the sun melted them they fell down onto the forest floor and us from time to time without warning. The sun was shining brightly without virtually a breeze. The temperature was 19 with a high predicted in the upper 30s with plenty of sunshine all day. The perfect winter hiking day.

Tom Sweeney, our VFTT board member departed our company after breakfast due to personal plans that conflicted with our trip. We watched from the hutside of Lonesome Lake as he disappeared into the trees across the lake on the east side. Eileen who already bagged Cannon took a zero day, but on her own went down to Lafayette CG and back up. Then started the fire in the hut wood stove while Tom, the caretaker, did his own mid-day journey on this picture postcard day to the summit of Lafayette. It was on this day we learned of the Cox's misfortune there.

Our plan was to go up the Fishin Jimmy Trail, across the Cannonballs and up Cannon Mtn on the Kinsman Ridge Trail. Our return from Cannon would be via the Kinsman Ridge & Lonesome Lake Trails. After discussion we decided the Fishin Jimmy would be better to descend at the end of our hike so we changed our plan to hike this in reverse. Dean & Chris snowshoed up while I wore crampons without snowshoes. My recollection from my previous ascents of Cannon were that the Kinsman Ridge Trail from Coppermine col was that the trail would be very steep and I felt there was a chance the trail would be very icy and the snowshoes would be a nuisance for the rocky ascent. As we started climbing, I was exceptionally slow, postholed some and fell off a log bridge at one point into hip deep snow, but slowly trudged up. Chris broke trail the whole way as there was no trace of previous trail usage with Sunday evenings major foot plus snow and the three inches of last night.

All this snow covered the slick ice. At a point which registered 3860 on my altimeter (only 200 feet short of the summit) we came upon a spot on the Kinsman Ridge Trail which was downright scary. If you are ascending Cannon from Lonesome Lake over the next month DO NOT use the Kinsman Ridge Trail. Take the Dodge Cut-off & Hi-Cannon Trails. This location offered an ominous traverse of an ice slide on a 40 foot cliff. This is 70 feet below the junction with the Hi-Cannon Trail. Dean foolhardedly made it across using tree branches, trunks and his sprawled out body. He wiped away the little bit of snow cover exposing the smooth ice that covered the rock cliff at this location. Chris & I opted for a literal crawl which was barely manageable thru some dense spruce up and above, otherwise we probably would have been thwarted in our summit climb of Cannon. After that experience we changed our return route and just descended Cannon via the Hi-Cannon & Dodge Cut-off. The Cannonballs were to be seen from the trail but never climbed by us and for that matter from what I can tell nobody else for a long time. (No trace going south from Coppermine col or north from Kinsman Junction). We then went on to the summit with its spectacular views on this great day, numerous skiers at the summit ski lodge and lunch inside. The temp at the ski trail map registed 35 degrees.

By the way, across the trail from the summit tower (on the right facing north) was a contraption that looked like it had a weight on one end and a measuring device of some sort on the other. It also rotates. Does anyone know what that is and what function it serves?

For the return, I joined the others in wearing my snowshoes. Going down offered beautiful views but no major icy stretches or problems. The stepladder on the Hi-Cannon Trail had to be descended backwards with care but posed no trouble. The trail was steadily steep in a deep powdery snow. There was one particular splendid view of Lonesome Lake which was a treat as there was this lone cross country skier on the lake making his way east. The views were inspiring.

In the evening it was starting to cloudy up and there was talk of rain tomorrow for our hike out.

0.0 2750 8:40 Lonesome Lake Hut
1.2 3440 10:30-10:40 Coppermine col
1.6 3930 11:55 Jct. Hi-Cannon Trail
2.0 4040 12:15-12:20 Reach summit trails
--- 4077 12:30-12:40 Cannon Mountain summit tower
2.2 4040 12:50-1:50 Tramway station & cafeteria
2.4 4040 2:00 Jct. Kinsman Ridge Trail for south descent
2.8 3930 2:10 Jct. Hi-Cannon Trail
4.0 2810 3:30 Jct. Dodge Cut-off
4.5 2750 3:55 Lonesome Lake Hut

Total elevation gain: 1780 feet

 

[askus3]

Day 4 - Thursday, March 25

Woke up to an overcast sky with the summits going in and out of the clouds. The weather forecast was for rain mid-day. The temp was 32 degrees, so even up here it probably would rain this day. So we decided to postpone our Mt. Liberty hike as we couldn't see hiking in the rain and seeing nothing when the forecast for Friday was to be partly cloudy. So we took our time packed our junk out and left Lonesome Lake to Tom the caretaker. He had no guests signed up for the next two days. We then relaxed the day away.

I scouted out motels, campgrounds and restaurants down in Campton for my annual summer White Mountain Trip XV ("South of the Kan"). In a way I am glad I did as an important criteria for the campground was showers and I was all set to stay at Campton Natl Forest CG but there are only two showers for the whole CG. That just doesn't cut it. So I am choosing to stay at Pemi River CG at exit 29 on INT 93. Anybody have any comments about this private campground (negative or favorable) please send me a private message. Would like to know.

We stayed at the Cascde Lodge which was reasonable enough. I don't need much to be content and so it was OK for me. But the place is permeated with cigarette smoke. The place appears to be run down as the old man who is proprietor just is not up to running the place. Also, in my room there were no electric outlets to charge up my cell phone. The lamp did not work. But the place is tolerable for me.

Then in the evening we dined well and enjoyed my birthday at the Woodstock Station Restaurant across the street. But we retired early as tomorrow we planned on climbing Liberty and then driving 6 to 7 hours home. So we have a long day ahead of us.

0.0 2750 9:30 AM Lonesome Lake Hut
1.6 1770 10:30 Lafayette Campground

 

[askus3]

Day 5 - Friday, March 26, 2004 - Mt. Liberty

This last day of the trip had us split up with Eileen intent on bagging Liberty & Flume, while Dean needed the segment of the AT from Little Haystack (Fallingwater Trail Junction) to the Liberty Spring Trail Junction with Chris joining him. I was with Eileen.

This day was a mild, cloudy and higher up foggy day. The temp at the start of the hike was in the mid 30s. Eileen was bare booting, while I donned my snowshoes for this climb. We started out from the Basin Parking area using the same bike path stretch that Dean & I hiked at the start of the trip. There was considerably less snow on the path and much more usage than when we originally walked it. The trail was traversed before us, so we did not have to break trail. When we got close to the summit of Liberty there was dense fog and we could not see more than ten feet in front of us. The rocks were icy and bare of snow, so for the last hundred yards to the summit I had to take the snowshoes off. Since there was no view and we had to make a seven hour car trip to go home, we decided it wasn't worth the trek over to Mt. Flume.

While we were eating lunch at the junction of the Liberty Spring & Franconia Range Trails, Chris & Dean met up with us. Since Dean already had climbed Liberty he chose not to ascend it again. So he descended with us, while Chris went up on his own. By being a bit later, he was rewarded with some hazy views as the sky was starting to clear and the sun was breaking through the clouds. Our descent was uneventful. Chris caught up with us and bushwacked a shortcut which we followed towards the Basin parking lot from where the Liberty Spring Trail turned direction near the bottom. This saved us about 1/2 mile. When we were finished with the hike the temperature was 50 degrees.

So when all was said and done, Dean completed his two AT segments, Eileen & Chris bagged 3 and 4 peaks respectively and I played in the snow for five days and another successful hiking trip in the mountains has come to an end.

0.0 1520 8:00 Basin Parking Area
0.8 1380 8:15 Liberty Spring Trailhead
1.4 1800 8:50 Jct. Flume Slide Trail
3.4 3850 11:05-11:15 Liberty Spring Campsite
3.7 4250 11:35-11:50 Jct. Franconia Ridge Trail
4.0 4459 12:15-12:20 Mt. Liberty
4.3 4250 12:45-1:00 Jct. Liberty Spring Trail
4.6 3850 1:10-1:15 Liberty Spring Campsite
---- 2500 1:50-2:00 Rest stop
6.6 1800 2:30 Jct. Flume Slide Trail
6.8 1640 2:35 Start of Bushwack
7.7 1520 3:00 Basin Parking Area

Total elevation gain: 3000 feet