If you’re tackling the 4000-footers or just looking for a big mountain to climb in New Hampshire, Cannon is a good one. It has beautiful views and interesting pitstops along the way, regardless of which route you take. From one approach you can go by Lonesome Lake—a quintessential New Hampshire hiking destination—and pay a visit to the Lonesome Lake Hut. From another you can climb the ladder on the Hi-Cannon Trail before reaching the Cannon Lookout Tower. And if you opt to hike up the ski resort side of the mountain, you’ll get great views of Artist’s Bluff and Echo Lake.
Cannon Mountain as seen from Lonesome Lake
Hi-Cannon and Lonesome Lake Loop
This past weekend, a group of us tackled Cannon Mountain in what was supposed to be the first of many spring adventures. Instead, we got another round of winter. When we parked at the Lafayette Campground, there wasn’t a hint of snow on the ground, but within less than a mile in, the landscape dramatically changed.
Our chosen route was a loop of the Hi-Cannon and the Lonesome Lake trails. In our group was my daughter, my brother-in-law, and one of my daughter’s classmates who asked me to be his mentor for his Independent Senior Project. He is tackling as many 4000-footers as he can and is learning about what the experience is like during the month of May. This weekend was certainly a good introduction. Cannon was a big wake-up call that things are still pretty sketchy on the trail right now!
The younger half of our crew made a little snowman on the Hi-Cannon Trail while waiting for us “old” guys.
Shorter Doesn’t Mean Easier
But regardless of weather, what always occurs to me when I’m climbing Cannon (which always seems to be when there is snow on the ground) is that despite being one of the shorter 4000-footers mileage-wise, Cannon is not an easy one. Tecumseh is relatively easy. Hale, yes. Osceola by itself is pretty manageable. But Cannon plays steep and you can really feel the burn. If you haven’t been hitting the gym and working on your lunges and squats, prepare to cook through your muscles pretty quick!
Aided with microspikes, our crew made good work of Cannon. The full hike took us about six hours and that includes a couple snack rests—one of which was at the Lonesome Lake Hut where a fellow hiker bought me a piece of chocolate cake. He didn’t have any small bills to leave with the hut crew and he really wanted a piece for himself, so his options were to either overpay for one slice or pay for two and find someone who would want the second piece. Lucky for me, I was in the room where it happened.
On the shores of Lonesome Lake, NH
Bumps, Bruises, and Smiles
The only bumps we had along the way were on the descent of the Lonesome Lake Trail, which is pretty steep. I fell on my keester once, right on a stump with a little branch popping out of it that bruised the right side of my derriere. My brother-in-law had a couple slips as well, and my mentee slipped off a rock at one point, causing him to lose his balance and step in a creek about a half mile away from the hut. We all got a good laugh out of that. Only my daughter survived the hike unscathed.
Sharing those moments—not just the beautiful views, but the little missteps—make a great hike even better. Years from now, we may not remember much about the trail, but we’ll remember the falls. We’ll remember the surprise at finding so much snow on the trails (three to five inches I’d say on much of them). We’ll remember the random kindness of a stranger at the hut, and the wet sock that needed to be changed after taking a dip in the river. Those moments enhance the memory of a place, and are worth enjoying, no matter how difficult the trail, or how sore the body might be the next day.
Each time I climb Cannon I seem to be coming back with more and more people, and each time I enjoy the climb a little more. As such, there’s only one logical conclusion we can draw from this: if we can go, we should always choose to climb the mountain, and it’s even better if we can take good company to tackle it with.
From L-R, Counter-clockwise: Lonesome Lake Trail Descent, Lookout Telescope, Descent, Lookout Tower
Cannon Mountain Ascent Details
Trailhead: Lafayette Campground, Franconia Notch State Park, Franconia, NH
Route: Lonesome Lake Trail → Hi-Cannon Trail → Kinsman Ridge Trail → Summit → Kinsman Ridge Trail → Lonesome Lake Trail (loop)
Distance: Approximately 5 miles. Maybe 5.2.
Elevation Gain: Approximately 2,300 feet
Summit Elevation: 4,083 feet
Difficulty: Challenging
Boardwalk around Lonesome Lake leading us to the hut.