| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
East Osceola, Mt. Osceola, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Greeley Ponds Trail, Mt. Osceola Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, December 1, 2013 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
There were two cars in the lot when we got there at 9 AM. No issues. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Black, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction, Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
There are a couple of crossings on the Greely Pond Trail and all were easy to get across if you are careful - the first big one has some solid sections just a bit upstream while the second big one has a frozen log that you can tightrope (poles make it easier). There are a bunch of minor ones. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There are two big blowdowns on the Greely Pond Trail. The first is about 0.25 miles in and while you can bushwhack around it I removed many of the branches so that it can be stepped over (my small folding saw is too small for the trunk). The second one is about 0.75 miles in and you can navigate around it rather easily. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
While we didn't have a dog with us I can't imagine that it would be an easy hike for a dog right now - sections of the trail had treeline to treeline ice that required spikes to ascend and descend. |
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 | Bugs: |
No bugs. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing lost or found. |
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 | Comments: |
Another day with a change in plans - was thinking about Twins (and possibly Galehead) but didn't feel like doing a road walk yet and going over the Twins just to come back the same way (only one car) wasn't appealing either. Not to mention had been told the final crossing on the North Twin Trail is a bit treacherous.
Instead we opted for a leisurely breakfast and a later start to grab the Osceola's. There were two cars in the lot when we got there at 9 AM - three young men who had summiteers yesterday (bare-boot without any traction) and camped out last night and a couple that did an out-and-back too.
Was able to bare-boot the Greely Pond Trail but put on the Hillsound spikes soon after turning on to the Mount Osceola Trail - we kept them on for most of the rest of the day (took them off back at the first river crossing). While the guys coming out managed to summit without any traction it's not recommended - even by them. They admitted they thought they were going to die a couple of times.
There are a few sections before the slide and another section or two between the slide and the summit of East Osceola that were covered treeline to treeline with thick nasty ice. The spikes made going up and coming down pretty simple (a later group from the AMC came through with full mountaineering crampons. I felt very comfortable with the spikes and never thought I needed crampons.
The Chimney is not passable unless you bring your ice climbing tools - the by pass route did have a few sections with snow and ice but if you get that far you have had to navigate worse conditions so you should be all set. Didn't encounter any more ice covered sections after that - just the final few steep snow covered ascents to the summit of Osceola. |
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 | Name: |
Michael & Monica |
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 | E-Mail: |
akafuzzjones@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2013-12-01 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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