Cannon Mountain Hike

by Amy Patenaude
Outdoor/Ski Writer

Charlie put the bike rack on the back of the car and we loaded up our bicycles and drove to the Old Man viewing parking lot just south of the Cannon Mountain Tramway. The lot was surprisingly empty for a sunny late Sunday morning. Our plan was to hike over Cannon Mountain via the Hi-Cannon and Kinsman Ridge Trails.
We shouldered our packs and jumped on our bicycles and pedaled down the Franconia Notch Recreation Path–it isn’t just for bicyclists so watch out for people walking. The two miles down to the Lafayette Place Campground was a fast fun ride. We locked our bicycles in the bike rack in front of the camp’s store and walked through the campground to the Lonesome Lake Trailhead.
The Lonesome Lake Trail is the main route to the AMC Hut located just above the lake’s shore and and we followed it about half a mile to reach the Hi-Cannon Trail. We turned right up the Hi-Cannon Trail and immediately the trail became narrower and was noticeably less traveled as the Lonesome Lake Trail.
The trail switchbacks it way up the mountain but it is still rugged and steep. In fact this notorious trail has sections that are so steep that it is included on The Terrifying 25 list (visit on the web: TheTerrifying25.com for more information).

We climbed steadily and when we reached the first outlook there were a group of six college students resting and enjoying the view down into Franconia Notch. We pushed on and chugged our way up the mountain. We climbed over broken rocks and passed big boulders and scrambled up the trail’s notorious wooden ladder. The near vertical ladder allowed us to make quick work getting up and over a tricky steep ledge. While standing on the ladder’s rungs there was a big view of Mount Lafayette.
Just past the ladder there are some rock outcroppings–the top of some vertical ledges. The first cliff is narrow and slants down but the next one is flatter and wider and feels much safer. We decided to take a break here. After a short while the hikers we had passed earlier joined us. From our ledgy perch we all ooh and ahhed at the view down and over Lonesome Lake. To our left, we could see the Franconia Range and on our right, the Kinsmans.
After the cliffs the trail becomes more moderate and passes through some muddy sections. Here we began to meet people headed down the trail. I’d rather go up this trail but frankly there is no easy way to hike down Cannon Mountain so why not.
When we reached the Kinsman Ridge Trail intersection we turned right and headed up the now gentle ridge to the summit. It’s only 4/10th of a mile but it always seems much longer to me since I am convinced that I am already at the top when I am not.
The observation tower was packed with hikers and riders of the Tramway. The panorama from the top is well worth joining the crowd and we did.
To descend we walked past the Tramway lodge and took the Rim Trail to the Kinsman Ridge Trail. Over big broken rocks and wide open area we worked our way to a scrubby and muddy col between Cannon’s main summit and a bump on its east shoulder. Nearing the top of this wooded bump there is an unsigned path to the south to fine open ledges. This is a favorite place, we enjoyed the full view of Eagle Cliff and the Franconia Range. The path ends here at the open ledges and there is no path to the top of Cannon Cliff far below.

As we made our way down the heavily eroded, gravelly and often slippery trail we didn’t know that a rescue of a pair of rock climbers was occurring on Cannon Cliff.
Once back at the car we then drove down the Notch to retrieve our bicycles. As we drove by we noticed at Boise Rock a New Hampshire Fish and Game officer with binoculars looking up at Cannon Cliff. On our way back from grabbing our bicycles we pulled off at Boise Rock and we walked up the path to the picnic area for the best view of Cannon Cliff.

Charlie pointed out to me the climbers on Moby Grape, a difficult rock climbing route nearly in the center of the mile long cliff. They
were just small dots. Then we heard the helicopter, the New Hampshire National Guard’s Blackhawk. Then we watched them lower a man and litter down to the cliff. Then the helicopter took off.
The helicopter flew by a couple times before it once again lowered a cable and then pulled up the basket and with the men. Maybe less than a half an hour I don’t know. I learned later that one of the climbers had activated an emergency beacon just before noon and the helicopter rescue began just before 4 o’clock. The rescue was an amazing thing to witness.
Be careful out there and have fun.