A returning guest reached out looking to get some help taking on the last four peaks on his 4000-footers list: Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Cannon. On this trip Adams was going to be taken down but thanks to the forecast the team decided Cannon Mountain would be better so that’s what they did doing an out-and-back on the Kinsman Ridge Trail. Leading this adventure was Redline Guide Tim Jones. The following content and media is his.
146 + 4.6 + 2150 = 45. You may not think my math adds up, but bear with me: 146 = the combined age of guide and guest, 4.6 (miles) = the approximate round-trip length of the hike, and 2150 (feet) = the elevation gained (and lost) on the round trip. Together they all add up to a successful summiting of Cannon Mountain along the Kinsman Ridge Trail, #45 of 48 for our returning guest
Cannon wasn’t our original plan. We had originally looked at Mounts Adams and Jefferson. But when the higher summits forecast predicted high winds, heavy cloud cover and afternoon rain for the Presidentials, we pivoted to Cannon to stay out of the wind and clouds. The new plan worked and we had a great time scrambling up the some-times eroded, often rough and rocky Kinsman Ridge Trail from the tramway parking lot. We took our time, arriving at the summit 2.5 hours after stepping onto the trail, enjoying a lunch break in the shelter of the trees just below the summit, along with some view-admiring from the observation platform on the summit itself. A few sprinkles sent us downward and we arrived back at the base just as it started raining in earnest. Total time for the round trip was 5.5 hours — not bad for a couple of guys both on the north side of 70. —Tim
