Unfortunately ski season was cut short in the spring of 2020 due to COVID-19 so that just left more time for hiking. We took the Kinsman Ridge Trail up Cannon. This was our first "winter" full snow hike. We needed micro spikes right from the base. The trail was very steep but the snow had been packed making it easy to climb with the spikes. Going up there trail there were several spots where we had great views of Echo Lake, Cathedral Ledge, Franconia Notch and Franconia Ridge..\
At 1.5 miles there is an amazing view of Franconia Ridge and the Notch from the Cannon Cliffs. Just below this cliff was where the "Old Man in the Mountain" used to sit. After a brief stop on the cliffs we continued on to the peak. The trail to the peak has some steep drop offs and quickly with more amazing views. Once on the peak you can climb to the top of the summit observation tower for more amazing views. On this day we could see all the way into Vermont. We also took a little jaunt to the top of the ski trails. Given the amount of snow many people had either hiked up with skis or skinned up the trails to ski down. I wish I had thought to bring my skis. I was really bummed with the shortened ski season so I was jealous of all the skiers heading down the mountain.