| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
East Osceola, Mt. Osceola, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Greeley Ponds Trail, Mt. Osceola Trail |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, April 3, 2022 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Able to make it into the summer lot with the AWD subaru |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Black, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes, Slush |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction, Traction, Ice Axe |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Bridges are gone - easily rock hoppable |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
|
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Lots of adventurous pups out today. One woman had two dogs, one was reactive - she did an AMAZING job keeping her pup as calm as could be and had 100% control. I purposefully did not stop to chat as I understand what it's like to have a reactive dog - but if she reads this I want her to know I saw her efforts and hope she keeps taking her pup out to work away the reactivity. |
|
 | Bugs: |
|
|
 | Lost and Found: |
|
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
Well, it's April in the Osceolas. I put my 12 pt black diamond crampons on at the car so I didn't have to do it on the trail (I'm lazy like that). It wasn't too bad until we got just beneath the sketchiest section of the luge (the step section everyone but slides below the large clearing). Ascending this section we went up on the left side of the trail...we descended via a bypass someone created on the other side. The ice was still pretty solid from the overnight freeze and we kicked in on some of the steeper sections. Any time we could have a hand on a tree or step on an exposed root we took full advantage. The large clearing with the view above that wasn't bad and I felt was easier than when there's a lot of soft snow. The last steep section just before view of the kanc had no roots or trees to grab onto and was pretty much a chute of ice heading up to an ice bulge, so we just made sure our footing was solid. I made a mental note to make sure to keep my rope handy for this section on the return trip. The trip from East Peak to the main Osceola summit was largely uneventful. We took the bypass of the bypass. When we finally reached the top of where the chimney route joins the trail, many of the rocks in that small section had no snow and were dry. That quickly returned back to the normal softening ice under some granular sections snow. We spent 30 minutes on the summit waiting for the sun and warmth to soften the ice before embarking on our return trip - it paid off. Not gonna lie, we found ourselves mostly clinging to trees and following small whacks skirting some of the sketchiest sections. I brought rope and my friend brought an ice axe. I did get out the rope at the chute section with no roots or trees to hold on to below East peak but we found that the ice and snow had softened enough that it provided enough traction to safely maneuver down. My friend and I are both experienced traveling in icy/mountaineering conditions, well versed in mountaineering gear and how to use it, and both of us ice climb. While this wasn't anything close to a walk in the park, we did enjoy the challenge. If you don't have experience with this type of terrain, I would recommend waiting until it melts, or if you are gridding, pray for a big snow winter next year and save it for then. We lent some gear to some younger hikers in need on our way up to east peak as they were heading down and not only did they leave the gear hidden under my car but also left the nicest note with some cash and a rare $2 bill! It was nice to not have to worry about them making it down okay knowing they had gear :) |
|
 | Name: |
BubblesTheHiker |
|
 | E-Mail: |
kdoer @ yahoo.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2022-04-03 |
|
 | Link: |
 https:// |
|
|
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. |
|
