Appalachian Trail SOBO Day 29 – Up and over the Kinsmans
24th August 2023
Lonesome Lake Hut (376.2) - Kinsman Notch (389.6)
Daily miles: 13.4
Total miles: 396.5
Lonesome lake is one of the best huts to stay at overnight, the bedrooms and bathrooms are separate to the main room so there are no people walking back and forth to the toilet all night like there are in Lake of the Clouds hut. It was lovely and warm - I didn’t wear my hoody tonight and I didn’t wake up a sweaty mess!
There are some downsides… the fridge is LOUD! There are massive neon red exit signs illuminating the room, and the “Croo” get up at 5am to start making breakfast. But it was a free place to stay.
Sunrise at Lonesome Lake Hut
We had to be packed up and everything moved back to how it was by 06:15 which was good for me because it got me up and out early. It was very fresh outside this morning. I started with my fleece on which I knew would be a mistake and then I hiked the wrong way!
I went down to the lake which was all pretty and misty and then I went back to the junction as I thought the hut was a spur trail. It’s not, so I had to walk back past the hut and find the trail.
Inside Lonesome Lake hut
Sunrise over Lonesome Lake
Morning mist on the lake
A big problem today was the effect of those lentils we had for dinner. My bowels were not happy about that and after being unable to release anything while I had a toilet this morning, it was a constant build up and release of gas throughout the day. It was worst in the morning, it would actually stop my in my tracks and cause a pain in my lower gut before it worked its way out. I’m lucky it was just gas, I guess.
The start of the steep climb up to the Kinsmans
Bog boards
Wooden steps in the rocks
The first part of the day was the long slog up Kinsman and it was tough and slow going. Of course my fleece came off within the first 30 seconds of going uphill. I just went as consistently as I could and although very slow I was managing to keep just above 1 mile and hour. Passed quite a few NOBOs today.
The first summit is in the trees then the next one has some nice views. Clouds sat in the valleys and there were nice blue skies.
Top of the Kinsmans
Sunrise
A beautiful day
360 Views
360 views
It’s me in shadow form
Then came the descent of Kinsman which was brutal and just as slow as the uphill. My knees really hate me. I’m amazed more people don’t have accidents. One slip. One wrong foot placement…
The start of the steep descent
It took ages but I made it down to the creek where I filled up on water. I didn’t have that many snacks for today because I only really had 4 days of food and this is day 5 because I changed my plans. So I was running on less sugar that I was used to!
We had planned to get the shuttle to the Notch hostel at 4:30pm so as I’d moved so slow this morning I had to keep going. No time for breaks!
The rest of the day was kind of uninspiring and it was just a case of grinding out the miles and avoiding the bogs and the mud. A lot of it had dried and hardened enough to walk on but there was still a lot of deep squelchy stuff. Most of it was stuff you could go round as there were already clear paths around.
Clear cuts
With about 2 miles to go to Kinsman Notch I really hit a wall. I hadn’t eaten enough so I stopped and ate a tuna packet and 2 string cheeses. That last 2 miles of downhill really did my knees in and with 0.4 of a mile to go, after being so careful all day, I slipped on the edge of a bog board and my right foot went in the bog. So annoying! At least this is the last day of those shoes, I have new ones waiting for me at the hostel.
One boggy foot
I got to the trail head just before 4pm and there was the holy trinity of picnic bench, trash can and outhouse. With the gas still very much an unwelcome presence in my life the outhouse offered no relief. There was no movement.
I met 3 NOBOs waiting for the shuttle and Cal arrived just in time… I had been expecting him to pass me all day.
A pit toilet is one of my favourite sights
The shuttle came and we got delivered to the Notch, one of the most efficiently run hostels on the trail. Backpacks and shoes stay outside and there is a great system of loaner shoes and clothes and towels and shower stuff and everything a hiker could ever need.
We jumped into a shuttle to town to get some food. There was Mexican food right next to Price Chopper but we weren’t sure that we would have enough time to eat there, so we ended up ordering Chinese to be delivered to the hostel and getting some snacks from Price Chopper - I got a tube of Pringles because salt and crunch, a drink (I wanted chocolate milk but there was none) and that made me buy a tub of Ben and Jerry’s.
Back at the hostel the Chinese was delivered, well, I ordered chicken Pad Thai and it was mediocre, but it was hot and fresh and it didn’t come from my food bag which are all good things, but it wasn’t the best pad Thai I’ve ever had. Anyway. It was huge so I have it in the fridge for tomorrow and I was only able to manage 3 spoons of my ice cream so that’s for tomorrow too.
Cal and I are both zeroing tomorrow. It’s forecast to rain a lot and rain all day and I don’t really fancy doing Mt Moosilauke in the rain. It’s one I have vivid memories of from 2018 and it’s definitely a scramble.
Shower time. This is another one of those times I love having short hair. It’s nice to feel clean, apart from the side of my right foot, that’s not clean. I think the skin has split on the side of my little toe and it very sore.
I picked up my new shoes and immediately tried them on with my boggy sock. Idiot.
