| 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, March 9, 2014 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
We were the first car in the lot, soon joined by others. Lot was overflowing and street lined with cars when we came out. Lot was plowed, no access issues. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable) |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction, Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Bridged, one hop across. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Some duck unders, nothing all tricky. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw one very sweet black dog who was having a great time. I swear I heard him say "Happy, happy, happy" when he bounced past us. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
N/A |
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|
 | Comments: |
Trails are packed solid. The steeps are challenging. Think vertical and slick. There's exposed ice under the snow pack in several spots, most of it avoidable but hard to see until you're pretty much on it. Hikers have been carving steps beside the snowshoe track on the steepest sections and these are a help if you have traction on rather than snowshoes. We kept regular Hillsounds on for the entire hike but came across others who were struggling in light traction, including one guy who slipped and then slid right back down a steep section after almost getting to the top. (He wasn't hurt and made it on the second attempt.) We were passed by a couple of guys who were hiking at warp speed. We met them at the summit and were very happy to learn they were gridders we've been reading about, Andrew and Jason (with the cape!) who shared some pretty cool stories and a few laughs with us. We gave them a story for their next hike when Joe proposed during our summit photo!
We thought about using crampons for the descent, and decided instead to slide it -- too steep for a sled, used the seat of our pants and kept it in low gear! This worked really well and the descent was fast and fun. |
|
 | Name: |
Marisa and Joe |
|
 | E-Mail: |
marisa.coppage@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2014-03-09 |
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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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