Hike #25: North and South
Kinsman
Elevation: 4,293 (North
Kinsman); 4,358 (South Kinsman);
Date: August 10, 2015
Location: Lincoln, NH
Distance: 10.0 miles
Time: 8:34 (51:24/mile)
We
had a long-planned vacation week in mid-August, but no plans until the last
minute. As part of filling out the week’s itinerary, we booked one of the final
available rooms at the Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery, in North Woodstock,
New Hampshire. We stayed here a couple years earlier, after an unexpected
Memorial Weekend snowstorm and flooding left us cold and tired from hikes we
tackled when our original plans were cancelled. We also experienced a recent teaser
when we stopped here in late June for delicious pulled pork nachos after hiking
nearby Mount Moosilauke. This place is great for accommodations, food, and
award-winning craft beers, and is near several hikes on the list of New England
4,000-footers. So, somewhat spontaneously, we booked and headed up on a Sunday
evening.
The
night before our first hike, we settled in with camaraderie and good cheer at
the bar. I resisted the desire to stuff my face with great food, reasoning that
I could do so the next day and chalk it up as “refueling” after a tough hike.
But the next morning, with the full breakfast included, it was easy to chow
down before heading off.
 |
| Last time I was here was half a lifetime ago, with friends and family. Now I'm back with someone who's both. |
The
hike up the Kinsmans started out easy, walking through a campground. I camped
there many times as a kid, stayed a couple times in college with friends, and
found it weird to walk through twenty years later. Memories resurfaced, and
allowed a little sharing with Sara about scattered bits of my childhood, and a
couple of memorable trips late in high school and college. Even the most recent
trip was over half of a lifetime ago, but still feels as if it were only a year
ago. But those thoughts were pushed aside because the first mile toward
Lonesome Lake was the hardest in terms of incline and cardio effort, leaving me
sweating like a stuck pig by the time we glimpsed the lake through the trees. We
bypassed the AMC hut beyond the lake, not needing to resupply water this early
in the hike.
 |
| The stillness of Lonesome Lake served as a mirror to a picturesque sky. |
On the other side, the trail devolved into a rougher, rockier, less worn trail, with some steps bolted into the rocks, until we emerged on the summit of North Kinsman. It’s wooded, so we weren’t sure we were even there at first. But with a short spur out to a rocky ledge, we found some incredible views. It was a great stop for some food and rest, and hard to leave. The walk up involved ongoing conversation, meandering between topics, but the view was breathtaking and we were silent for much of the break.
 |
| Stunning views on a secluded granite ledge provided a perfect spot for a lunch date. |
Heading
onward to South Kinsman, we resumed conversation until we reached the summit. We’ve
both been so busy with work, so the opportunity to drift among topics also
offered the chance to reconnect and share the less important stories and
thoughts that didn’t get airtime before but allowed us to bond more fully. A
cairn marked the high point, and was formed in the shape of a throne, allowing
you to sit and take in a 360-degree view of the mountains over the intermittent
scrub pines dotting the mountaintop. We would have lingered longer, had the
flies not driven us off.
 |
| This is a picture of Sara sitting on "the throne". What? Why are you giggling? |
The
rest of the hike involved retracing our steps. As we passed through the North
Kinsman summit and began an ongoing descent, I realized my chronically hurting
feet were holding up well. But my knee, occasionally gimpy, was beginning to
flare up. I ignored it, as I had no choice. But as we continued dropping
elevation, it continued worsening. This sort of straight ahead stepping down is
the worst thing when it acts up, and eight miles into the hike I began having
trouble walking.
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| The AMC "croo" improve these trails through backbreaking labor... while wearing a vest and tie! |
We
passed an Appalachian Mountain Club “croo” who were breaking rocks, cutting
logs, and creating some amazing trail improvements. The amount of effort these
guys put into that work, and the energy it takes to improve each successive
foot of the trail, is nuts. These guys clearly love what they do, and smiled
appreciatively as we hiked by and expressed our appreciation for their work. I
was limping before we ran across them but then felt obligated to do the man
thing where I walk normally as pass them, not acknowledging the pain. But once
out of sight I resumed my worsening limp, and by the time we hit the AMC hut I
was out of water and struggling heavily.
 |
| Why do my kids think they're so cool when they strike this pose, but Sara and Ted aren't? |
I
refilled my water bladder and rested as Sara tended to her broken blister. She
and I reluctantly set out one last time to finish the hike out. We stopped
chatting and bonding, as I began using my poles more as crutches, limping badly
but persevering since no other option existed. For all the beauty, the
conversations, and the adventure that bonded us over a challenging day, I ended
the hike lost in my own bad space.
I
recovered a little bit over a refreshing raspberry wheat beer and an unusual
and deliciously salty Cubano sandwich. But I was nervous; my feet failed me for
a year, were still affecting my choice of hikes for a second year, and now
having the knee screaming in pain after our first day of hiking wasn’t good. Sara
has been an avid hiker for years, and I chose to immerse myself in it a few
years back partly as a way to bond with her and learn from her, not to become
the anchor dragging down her ability to enjoy this activity. Frankly, this
sucks. The big question for me was how I would rebound after some much-needed
sleep. But I guess without a challenge, it wouldn’t be much of an adventure.
See
you on the trail,
Jay Bell, AKA Rock Hopper
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