Sunday, August 31, 2014

Cannonball & Sandwich Dome NEHH in NH ( Aug 31 to Sept 8 2014)


9/15/14



This is my first posting since doing the Bonds this past March.  I didn't start hiking again until a few weeks ago. I'm starting to pick away at my NEHH list (see above) until winter starts (Dec 21)  when I can go back to chipping away at my NH4K winter list.

Sunday,  Aug 31, 2014:  Cannonball (NH 3769’) (4.7 miles, 1791 elevation gain, book time 3:13, my time ~ 5:15 hours) .  Up Lonesome Lake trail from Lafayette Campground (NH state park) past Lonesome Lake and up to the Kingsman Ridge. This is a short hike but since I hadn’t hiked since last March the upper part still kicked my butt. I was hiking too fast on the steeps and had to stop frequently to catch my breath. I started late and finished just after sunset. Most of the hike was a drizzle of rain. It was warm enough that I wasn’t uncomfortable even though I ended up pretty drenched. Quite a few people coming down from lonesome lake – probably campers from Lafayette. A few views of Mt Cannon and the Franconia Ridge along the way, but no views at the top. I was lucky to find a 24 hour Laundromat in Lincoln and dried off my wet hiking clothes. I had only one good pair of hiking shorts with me.  I think this place is new and is beside a 24 hr food mart that I think is also new. Good to know, but not sure if they plan on being open 4 hrs all year.

After a few beers and a visit to SubWay©, I spent the night in the back cab of my truck parked at the Lincoln Woods trailhead.  Shhhh! ;)

Monday, Sept 1, 2014:  Sandwich Dome (NH 3980’). (8.6 miles. 3002’ El, Book time: 5:47, my time:  7:40) Sandwich Dome just misses being a 4K peak. In fact standing on the cairn at the top, my GPS read 9004’ at chest height. Sandwich dome is also known as Sandwich Mt. and was once called Black Mt. I did a loop hike up Sandwich Mt Trail then down Drakes Brook trail with a short side spur to Jenkins Peak. It was a perfect weather day and offered more views than Cannonball. Several good views going up and at the peak of Sandwich looking North and East toward the Osceolas and the Tripyramids.  Jenkins Peak had great views South that could not be seen from the rest of the trail and is worth the short but steep side trip.  Coming down Drake you run parallel to a pleasant bubbling brook with a few cascades and an easy rock hopping crossing near the end.  This hike was longer with more elevation gain then Cannonball the day before but seemed much easier. The difference is that I settled back into my slower pace on the steeper sections.

Sandwich dome is the southernmost NEHH under 4k.  A week later I was back up North for a few more NEHH including the furthest northern under 4k peaks in New Hampshire.



Pictures for all four of  these Day hikes:
This is a complete download from my camera i will weed them out later and add captions (maybe):
Cannonball  Aug 31- 2014:








 


Sandwich Dome Sept 01 2014:
 



















I couldn't resist - Sandwich on Sandwich Dome