Join us on a VERY cold hike up Cannon Mountain (a NH 4k) which offers wonderful views of Franconia Ridge and a walk by a (Lonesome) winter lake! We will be taking the Lonesome Lake trail up, then bundling up with full face coverings to maybe reach the summit and maybe climb the fire tower. We will descend the same way, making a loop around the lake to the hut on the way down. We will plan to use microspikes and snowshoes.

There is a strong possibility that the cold weather will preclude a summit attempt or even necessitate a pivot closer to Boston. Nonetheless, we will get out in the cold and get some great views!

Route:

The hike will be about 6 mi with 2500' of elevation gain and we expect to be on the trail for no more than 8 hours. The profile overall is moderate with a couple of short steeper sections that can be challenging. Route Here: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-hampshire/cannon-mountain-loop-trail--2

Our first backup plan will be to extend our hike around Lonesome Lake. Our second backup plan will be to pivot to Wachusett Mountain, an hour away from Boston but still with great views!

Logistics:

We will leave Boston at 6:15am, drive 2:15 hours up with breakfast on the way, and be on the trail around 9am. We should be off the trail well before sunset but will bring headlamps in case we don't. We plan to be back in Boston around 7pm. This trip needs another car to run! If you can drive your own car or are willing to drive, please edit the lottery preferences on your profile to show this.

The weather is currently forecasted to be negative single digits F at the base and -15F at the summit with a potential wind chill of -40 F. We will only be fully exposed to the wind for the brief climb up the fire tower to see the views, but the entire hike will be VERY cold so layering and covering all skin will be essential. We will go over this at our pre-trip meeting. For reference, here is the NWS frostbite time chart for different temperatures and wind speeds.

Our mandatory pre-trip meeting will be Thursday at 6pm in the Student Center.

Costs:

Please budget for: $5 trip fee, $30-50 carpooling costs, any personal gear rentals (capped at $15), and any food you buy along the way. We intend to use the MIT car cost calculator and share costs equally among participants.

Prerequisites:

Experience with similar hikes (6 mi with 2500') in any season AND experience exercising outside in under 10 degrees Fahrenheit (e.g. winter hiking, skiing, bike commuting, running).

The cold will be no joke. Physical fitness will be a must on this hike as frequent or long stops will be dangerous. If you do not meet the above requirements but want to join, reach out to us via email. Winning the lottery does not guarantee a place on this trip; we reserve the right to select participants based on experience.