On Labor Day weekend, I did a solo trip up to North and South Kinsman, via Lonesome Lake and Fishin' Jimmy. The crowds weren't as bad as I had expected -- I had no problems parking at 10 AM, and though I had a family with two charming kids keeping me company up the Lonesome Lake trail, the rest of the hike up was relatively solitary.
The wheel of the seasons was turning. The wind was cool; my fleece jacket was on half the time. Late-summer Indian pipes were still to be found along the trail, but a few small or sickly trees were just starting to turn colors:
The Fishin' Jimmy trail isn't a great one to take when it's wet or humid, as the trail stays in close woods and has boulders and mud aplenty. I'm just glad the bugs were gone for the season. The rocks weren't exactly wet, but they were slippery. I suspect the trail doesn't get much direct sun at any time of year, judging from the amount of moss in some places:
Both North and South Kinsman were anticlimactic, with typical alpine-zone rounded summits and clouded-in views. I enjoyed reaching them anyway. This one is South Kinsman:
On the way down, I saw a lot more people. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, I thought -- so I ate dinner at Lonesome Lake Hut. (This is apparently not something they condone during weekends when they're at capacity; the croo were generous!) It was a warm, delicious, cheerful, and noisy way to end the hike. As I left the hut for the 45-minute walk down to my car, I saw a spectacular sunset. Fire on the mountain:
