Cannon Mountain

Submitted by Pat

Stats
Mountain: Cannon Mountain (4,081)
Date: December 2, 2017
Miles: 3.6
Weather: Sunny, windless, temps in 20s
Elevation Gain: 2,073
Time: 4.5 hours
Trail: Kinsman Ridge Trail

Nancy and I climb Cannon via the Kinsman Ridge Trail. Nancy suggests the hike – it doesn’t count for anything; it’s a chance for us to get outside and be together on a perfect, windless December day.

We drive through an unpaved parking area near the trailhead. There’s maybe 2″ of fresh powder on the ground. I feel a tiny bit anxious about my lack of fitness (so what else is new?), but feel I should be able to climb 1.8 steep miles. I wasn’t very organized the night before so I bring a bag of miscellaneous winter gear and food, and pack at the trailhead.

We both wear our lighter, 3-season boots. As it turns out, we should have worn our winter boots. Our toes are cold for most of the day. Other than cold toes, we are dressed perfectly for the conditions. Oh, and we also bring our water in insulated Camelbacks, hoping the temps will allow it to remain unfrozen. It works for me because I always blow the water back into the hydration sack so the tube doesn’t freeze. Nancy’s water freezes on the hike down so I share mine. It’s just what hiking partners do.

A tall man arrives at the parking area, nice guy, has just finished his 48, and he sets out first on virgin snow. We follow a bit later and start up the steep trail. Everything is covered in a coating of snow and glistens in the intermittent moments of sun. There is something amazingly special about climbing in snow conditions. It’s like the sensory details that envelop me on a winter hike are muted – fewer colors, blanketed ground, no leaves. It’s a simple, peaceful vision of a hiking trail and I love taking it all in. I love snow tracks on a path, snow on branches and trail.

This trail starts out steep and stays steep for a long time. I keep slugging upward, feeling emotionally alive and happy, breathing hard, sweating and keeping Nancy close. Temps in the 20s allow Nancy to stop and drink and take pictures as we begin to see first views. Two minutes or less but long enough to let me catch my breath and calm my heart rate. I recover quickly which is a blessing.

The snow deepens as we edge up to 6-8” around the 3,500-foot elevation mark. I can’t love it more. We are challenged to pick good spots for our boots as we clamber through boulder fields and large rocks strewn across the trail.  My poles aren’t working well – they keep collapsing so I have to wait and test the poles before putting weight on them.

We finally reach the top of a false summit and follow a trail leading to a view point. The Franconia Ridge stands across from us in all its amazing glory. Occasional clouds that move slowly without the aid of a strong wind become an awesome undercast. We meet another hiker and the three of us  enjoy the view with as much open joy as we can muster before moving on.

The trail comes to a point where it leads downward while above the tower marks Cannon’s summit. Rime ice and snow cover every branch, feathers leaning away from the direction of the wind. A thrill to see the sculptures wind and snow can make.

We hike down, not a direction either of us wants to take, before hiking back up again. Shortly thereafter we arrive at tree line and walk through a boulder field similar to Monadnock’s but not as steep and the boulders aren’t as large. It’s a strain to use my “up” muscles again as they have pretty much run out of gas. We finally arrive at a trail intersection that leads us around the side of the summit cone to the tower.

The lookout tower at the summit is covered in rime ice which makes a relatively unappealing structure look magical. We climb to the top and take pictures. I take out some nuts and a couple of apples as I’m hungry at 11:00 am. We munch for a while before I become aware that Nancy is struggling with the cold. She climbed the steep section wearing three layers and they are basically soaked at this point. She gets very cold very fast. We throw on our packs and hike down to a place where she can change. She strips her upper layers to bare skin, puts on dry layers, and stands there huddled in on herself while her body and hands rewarm enough to bring on a smile.

It’s at this point, as we start hiking back down, that we begin seeing hikers climbing up the trail. Nancy and I have been climbing the 52 with a View list where seeing people on the trail doesn’t always happen, or if it does, it’s one or two hikers, not a parade. Three dogs and maybe ten hikers later we reach the parking lot. Now it’s my turn to strip and put on warm dry clothes.

Great exercise, some challenge thrown in, with awe inspiring views. A solid friendship and a perfect day. I love days like this…