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Stalking Tortoise & Smoking Sox Section Hike #30 - Kinsman Notch to Franconia Notch

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    • Stalking Tortoise & Smoking Sox Section Hike #30 - Kinsman Notch to Franconia Notch

      Background

      Sox and I have been itching to get into the Whites and knock off some of the tougher sections of the remaining portions of the AT. Our original plan was to head north from NH Route 25A but Sox's youngest son wanted to join us and do an overnight. Completing a notch-to-notch hike seemed like more of a challenge than day-hiking Moosilauke. So I jumped in the car, drove 8 hours north, and met up with Sox and his son Adam on a Thursday afternoon.

      Day 1: Friday July 22nd

      We drove over to Franconia Notch and left a car in The Basin parking area about 0,5 miles north of the AT crossing. Sox's wife was kind enough to follow us over and shuttle us down to the parking area in Kinsman Notch. We crossed the Kancamagus Highway at 08:30 and started the steep ascent out of the notch.

      [IMG:https://photos.smugmug.com/Hiking/AT-Section-Hike-30/i-NWHrbxT/0/M/P1030205-M.jpg]

      As far as 7.5-mile short hikes go, this one was a bitch. The initial 800 feet of ascent left me soaked in sweat. One thing was for sure - we were going to get very familiar with rock steps in this section.

      [IMG:https://photos.smugmug.com/Hiking/AT-Section-Hike-30/i-2SkXSJW/0/M/RIMG0444-M.jpg]

      [IMG:https://photos.smugmug.com/Hiking/AT-Section-Hike-30/i-XjqxChP/0/M/RIMG0449-M.jpg]

      There weren't many views today from the green tunnel. This one let me know that I only had 0.5 miles remaining to the Eliza Brook Shelter.

      [IMG:https://photos.smugmug.com/Hiking/AT-Section-Hike-30/i-ptW2XF3/0/M/RIMG0450-M.jpg]

      We only ran into a few hikers during the day. SOBO thru Snacks shared a lunch spot with us and NOBO thru Braveheart blew past me like I was standing still. Actually, I probably was stopped to catch my breath. :D As usual, Sox and Adam arrived well before me at the shelter and chose to set up their tent above the shelter. I dropped my pack in the shelter and decided to share it with Braveheart.

      Sox & Adam in the Eliza Brook Shelter
      [IMG:https://photos.smugmug.com/Hiking/AT-Section-Hike-30/i-qSWP5dz/0/M/RIMG0451-M.jpg]

      It was a quiet evening in camp. Once water was filtered and dinner prepared & consumed, we pretty much turned in for the evening. Two more NOBO thrus eventually joined us in the shelter and another pair tented nearby. I was very happy with my decision to sleep in the shelter as a strong thunderstorm swept through after midnight and gave Sox a soggy night's sleep.
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

      The post was edited 1 time, last by StalkingTortoise ().

    • CoachLou wrote:



      This moose is standing behind where you took that powerline photo!!!!!

      I heard him clip clop clip clop as I was getting to the clearcut.........as he came into view....'Hey that's a moose!!!
      Now didn't I tell you that you need to start carrying a garand when you hike?
      Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
    • Day 2: Saturday July 23rd

      Last April, I met a NOBO thru in Tennessee named North Star. He spent a night with me as he passed through PA and completed his hike on Sunday July 24th. When he hiked this section, he reported that the climb up to South Kinsman was one of the toughest miles on the AT. I knew it wouldn't be easy, and I hoped that a good night's sleep and a short day yesterday would make it a bit more tolerable.

      The overnight storms left the roots and rocks wet & slippery, but they also fueled the cascades of Eliza Brook.

      [IMG:https://photos.smugmug.com/Hiking/AT-Section-Hike-30/i-N25wwcQ/0/L/RIMG0452-L.jpg]

      I have to take a moment to talk about Adam. Back in 2009, he joined us for a day hike from Dalton to Cheshire MA. At the end of the hike, he complained of hip pain and ended up undergoing reconstructive surgery on his hip due to a lack of blood flow to the socket. I won't go into the details of the surgery but the rehab was difficult and painful. To have him back out on the trail with us was pretty damn cool.

      [IMG:https://photos.smugmug.com/Hiking/AT-Section-Hike-14/i-5ZWfh57/0/M/DSCN2411%5B1%5D-M.jpg]

      [IMG:https://photos.smugmug.com/Hiking/AT-Section-Hike-30/i-fFDfpCz/0/M/P1030209-M.jpg]

      Now back to the hiking... The climb didn't disappoint. I only wish I would have stopped to take more pictures of the near-vertical sections.

      [IMG:https://photos.smugmug.com/Hiking/AT-Section-Hike-30/i-CZz2FZQ/0/M/RIMG0456-M.jpg]

      I certainly won't downplay the effort it took to reach the summit, but doing it on fresh legs and after a hearty breakfast made it tolerable. The only downside was the lack of views due to the low cloud cover.

      [IMG:https://photos.smugmug.com/Hiking/AT-Section-Hike-30/i-wLtvSNV/0/M/P1030230-M.jpg]

      North Kinsman didn't offer any better views, but I did meet a new best friend.

      [IMG:https://photos.smugmug.com/Hiking/AT-Section-Hike-30/i-PQDkKNq/0/M/P1030238-M.jpg]

      At this point of the hike, most of the climbing was done and another storm was rumbling to the west. We pretty much put it in overdrive and ground out the miles to the Lonesome Lake Hut.

      [IMG:https://photos.smugmug.com/Hiking/AT-Section-Hike-30/i-JPRpVbw/0/M/RIMG0464-M.jpg]
      [IMG:https://photos.smugmug.com/Hiking/AT-Section-Hike-30/i-TCwN82b/0/M/RIMG0467-M.jpg]

      I would have loved to take a quick dip but the sound of thunder gave me motivation to keep moving. What I found amazing was that day hikers were heading up to the lake without water, snacks or raingear. Within 30 minutes, we were in the middle of the storm and the trail became a river. The rain drowned out the sounds of traffic on I-93 until we were almost in the bottom of Franconia Notch.

      The smart move to get back to the car would have been to cross under I-93 and walk up the paved Recreation Trail to the Basin parking lot. The adventurous route was to take the flooded Pemi Trail north, cross the swollen Whitehouse Brook on rocks, and eventually find a footbridge across the roaring Pemigewasset River to the parking area. Can you guess which choice we made?

      It borders on crazy to drive 1000 miles just to hike 16.3 miles of the AT. So next time, we'll hike the 20 miles from Route 25A to Kinsman Notch. :P
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

      The post was edited 1 time, last by StalkingTortoise ().

    • Nice pic, Coach Lou! I did hear something crashing through the woods on Friday but couldn't see any fur.
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard
    • TrafficJam wrote:

      1000 mi drive to hike 16.3. That's awesome! I wonder what the record is?
      warren doyle claims one of the more dubious "speed records". i'll cut and paste from a 2011 backpacker article rather than write it out myself. backpacker says it more concisely than i ever could.

      And just last fall, he and a friend set another “speed record” that entailed hiking up Springer, then jumping in a car and speeding north to the foot of Mt. Katahdin, and trekking to the summit. (Totals: 30 hours; 4.7 miles of hiking; about 1,500 miles of driving).
      2,000 miler
    • max.patch wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      1000 mi drive to hike 16.3. That's awesome! I wonder what the record is?
      warren doyle claims one of the more dubious "speed records". i'll cut and paste from a 2011 backpacker article rather than write it out myself. backpacker says it more concisely than i ever could.
      And just last fall, he and a friend set another “speed record” that entailed hiking up Springer, then jumping in a car and speeding north to the foot of Mt. Katahdin, and trekking to the summit. (Totals: 30 hours; 4.7 miles of hiking; about 1,500 miles of driving).
      I could do that. Would be easier SOBO.
    • max.patch wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      1000 mi drive to hike 16.3. That's awesome! I wonder what the record is?
      warren doyle claims one of the more dubious "speed records". i'll cut and paste from a 2011 backpacker article rather than write it out myself. backpacker says it more concisely than i ever could.
      And just last fall, he and a friend set another “speed record” that entailed hiking up Springer, then jumping in a car and speeding north to the foot of Mt. Katahdin, and trekking to the summit. (Totals: 30 hours; 4.7 miles of hiking; about 1,500 miles of driving).
      I suppose there are also the people who travel a long way intending to thru hike and drop out after a few days.
      Lost in the right direction.
    • "What I found amazing was that day hikers were heading up to the lake without water, snacks or raingear." - Stalking T

      Just last month, a SAR friend told me of a fatality (most likely due to dehydration) on a trail within sight of the Salt Lake City metro area.

      On this same trail during trail maintenance/building outings, we'll see most hikers without support gear. Usually upon their return, we'll get water requests from them.

      Lest we forget.....



      SSgt Ray Rangel - USAF
      SrA Elizabeth Loncki - USAF
      PFC Adam Harris - USA
      MSgt Eden Pearl - USMC