[at-l] Trip Report

[ARTCLOUTMN at aol.com (ARTCLOUTMN@xxxxxxx)]

Got an email from MrsGorp asking if I would be interested in doing an 
overnight hike through the Kinsman Range.  Of course I said yes.

I met Cindy and her son Kyle on Monday morning in the parking lot for the 
Liberty Springs trail just north of The Flume Visitors Center in Franconia Notch. 
 It was 8:30 AM.  We decided to use my truck to drive to the trail head in 
Kinsman Notch on rt 112 because I had a White Mountains National Forrest Parking 
Permit sticker on my vehicle.  She would have to pay to park in that lot.
    We started hiking about 9 AM.  If you have hiked in this area you know 
that the Kinsmans go above treeline and require some hand over hand climbing.  
We walked across the highway and headed up the steep banking and into the 
woods.  It is pretty much a steady climb from Kinsman Notch with a few downs.  It 
was hot on Monday, about 80 derees.  The bugs were very active.   Kyle got a 
blackfly bite through his long sleeve shirt on the back of his arm the bled 
profusely.   We took several breaks for water and snacks then finaly took a break 
for some lunch about 11:30.  
    While we were eating a group of through hikers lead by "Sugar High" came 
up the trail.  There were 3 guys and two girls in this group.  "Sugar" 
andswered a lot of our questions about his hike.  He started his hike with Turbo on 
February 21st.  Hiked with Turbo as far as Erwin and has not seen him since.  
They were hoping to push on to Woodstock for a town visit.  They stayed a 
BeaverBrook Shelter last night on the north side of Mt. Moosilauke.  They were 
planning on hiking 20+ miles today.
    Maybe 5 minutes after the thru hikes passed by 3 girls that started in PA 
walked up the trail.  One of them was only hiking in the Whites, the other 
two were headed to Katahdin.  We talked with them briefly.  Then a young guy 
with a light pack and no shirt came up the trail.  He said he was Turbo.  He was 
all excited about reuniting with Sugar High.  They were about 10 minutes apart 
at this point.  The had not seen each other for over two months.
    We camped at Eliza Brook Shelter after 8 miles.  I was sweating profusely 
and a bit dehydrated dispite using my platypus and nalgene water supply 
frequently.  It was just very hot and we have seen no signs of summer in New 
England until today.  We owned the campsite so spread out.  Mrs Gorp took the 
shelter.  Kyle set up a tent and I put up my Hennesy Hammock.  we had a leisure 
dinner.  Talked until 8:30 PM then went to bed.
    Woke up on Tuesday morning at 4:07 AM.  It was already light enough to 
see without a flashlight and the birds were singing their good mornings.  I took 
a little wiz and went back to bed for about an hour.  Cindy woke Kyle at 5:30 
am, much to his annoyance.  We had breakfast and was back on the trail before 
6:30 AM.  The temperature at 6:30 was 75 degrees.  It was going to be a very 
hot day.  And the blackflies, mosquitoes and deerflys were all in great 
abundance.
    The next three hours were a steady climb up South Kinsman.  It was a long 
haul with no letup until the summit.  We stopped at the summit for the views, 
water, some snacks and to feed the bugs.  The blackflies just swarmed all 
over our faces.  We had to wear long sleeves and long pants dispite the heat.  
The temperature was now about 85 degrees at the top of South Kinsman.  Kyle was 
hiking way ahead of us.  Youth.  Cindy ended up about 15minutes to 1/2 hour 
ahead of me.  I gues we were hiking in reverse chronological order.  The old guy 
was last as usual.  My shirt was covered with salt from sweat.  And the 
sholderstraps on my pack were rubbing my shoulders raw.  That has never happend to 
me before.  I think it must be because of the salt in my shirt.
    We stopped at Kinsman Pond shelter for a break and to resupply with 
water.  I drank about a quart of water there.  But I was still over heating.  The 
AT follows the "Fish'n Jimmy" Trail from Kinsman Pond to Lonesome Lake.  There 
are several sets of wooden steps that have been spiked into the steep ledge 
the trail follows.  The first time I walked down these steps was very 
intimidating.  They looked old and rotted.  I was not sure that all the steps would hold 
my weight.  They now look to be in good repair.  I had no problems going down 
the steps other than the usual pain in my left knee and hip.  It seemed like 
a long 2.5 miles from Kinsman Pond to Lonesome Lake but it was a nice hike.  
    We took another break at Lonesome Lake Hut.  This is the first of the AMC 
hut system that a Thru Hiker  would encounter on his north bound journey.  We 
asked one of the girls working there if she enjoyed the trhough hikes that 
most likely stopped in yesterday.  She said it was great because they ate all of 
the leftover food that had been taking up space in the refrigerators.  Now 
the croo would not have to haul that down to the road as garbage.
    Another 2.7 miles from Lonesome Lake back to the parking lot in Franconia 
Notch.  It was much hotter down here.  Must have been in the 90 degree range. 
 These two days of summer weather are nice but us New Englanders have been 
living in cold rainy weather since winter broke in April.  The only good thing 
is it was now too hot for the insects.  We made it back to the car by 4:00 PM.  
My feet were sore, my knees and hips throbbed.  Any I can hardly waite to get 
back on the trail again.
    Tha ks again MrsGorp and Kyle for inviting me to hike with you.

                                        Art