It’s Saturday morning and we have been greeted by more gray sky. It is not snowing but I hear it will this afternoon. But by the time the snow comes I expect us to be off the Kinsmans. We’ll start off at 9:00 and be down by 4:00 at the latest. It will feel good to be out there again, climbing mountains again after four rather stale days.The snow depth is pretty amazing right now. Three fellows broke out the Kinsmans yesterday and talked of knee-deep snow up high. Yesterday while scouting for broken out trails Atticus and I drove half-way across the Kancamagus. The plows had done a fine job but left banks on either side of this beautiful ribbon of road higher than my car in most places. We stopped at the Pine Bend Brook trailhead when we saw a car there. The sign was buried and to get on the trail I had to get on my hands and knees and hoist myself up.
We need this hike for our minds, our bodies and for our winter totals. We need a good streak of days but weather will not be cooperating. Instead the forecast on Accuweather.com calls for more than 21 inches of snow over the next five days. In the next 36 hours we are supposed to get at least six inches and tomorrow’s high winds (predicted to be up to 45 mph down low) will certainly cause some drifting.
The plan is to do the Kinsmans today and then get up early tomorrow and beat the wind. Not sure what we will hike yet but there are some candidates: Moriah, Twins/Galehead, Hancocks, Osceolas…. We shall see what else is broken out today.
Okay, it’s time for tea and a bagel. Enjoy your day. I’ll post upon our return.