| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
East Osceola, Mt. Osceola, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Greeley Ponds Trail, Mt. Osceola Trail, Greeley Ponds XC ski trail, NH 112 |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, January 15, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Greely Ponds TH lot doesn't look like it's been very well plowed recently, but I had no problems with my AWD car. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Traction, Ice Axe |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The crossings on the Greely Ponds trail coming in were totally frozen. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The bypass to the bypass of the Chimney is a mess. So many low-hanging branches. I know, it isn't a trail. But everyone is going that way, and it could be better. One branch snagged my foam z-fold pad, pulling it off of my pack - I only noticed later it was missing, and picked it up on the way down. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
n/a |
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 | Bugs: |
n/a |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Glasses: prob prescription, down in the first part of the Greely Ponds tr. I picked the up, will post over on the facebook group for "Lost and Found in the White Mountains."
Gloves: I met a gent, then after he passed me, I found a pair of his gloves. I have them. I'll post that on fb as well. |
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 | Comments: |
Wonderful day on the Osceolas. A hard hike, with very steep sections, a bit of wind, and cold temps - it was 14ºF in the parking lot at start and finish, and definitely colder up at elevation, in the 0-10 deg range. No other cars in the lot.
'Spikes, crampons and ax all went for a ride in my bag today. I barebooted it up to the junction about mile and a half in, then donned my snowshoes. So nice to have televators for the up. Kept them on til I hit the pavement at the end. Down low, there was packed snow with very little new snow on top; then slippery powder in the steep bits; and drifts up top - in some places near the summits and between, there was a foot of drifted snow. I made a track through it all, though if it gets any wind up there, it will drift over again quickly.
Only saw one person, who was ascending as I descended East peak. He ran up to the view point then descended. We chatted briefly at the junction sign near the ponds, then he departed. I had stopped to dig out my headlamp and turn it on, then I followed him (finding first one, then the other of his gloves). After a while I realized I wasn't on the Greely Pond tr, but rather the ski tail. Oops! This only added a little bit of mileage, and resulted in a 1/4 mi road walk on the Kanc at the end. It was nice to gaze up at the clear night sky, in the open area of the road - saw a meteorite! |
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 | Name: |
Joseph (Ear Drum) |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-01-15 |
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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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