| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
East Osceola, Mount Osceola , NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Greeley Ponds Trail, Mt. Osceola Trail, Tripoli Road |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, January 17, 2026 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking lot was not the plowed , but with all the traffic the snow was beaten down, making it easy for cars to pull in and out |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Traction, Ice Axe |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
First major water crossing has a bridged “path”, other water crossings are still open but plenty of rocks to step on for easy crossing |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Heading up to East O has minimal blowdowns and step unders. The bypass to the bypass has some weird limbo-twister combo that was best executed on your knees. The blowdowns on Osceola Trail heading to Tripoli Road were so numerous we lost count! |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
One gorgeous Goldie, who couldn’t understand why my 4PawDrive was so much less effective than his on the steeps |
|
 | Bugs: |
|
|
 | Lost and Found: |
|
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
Our group’s arrival made 5 pairs of snowshoes on Greely Pond Trail today, but we were soon joined by no less than 23 more hikers (was someone giving away gold on the summits and I missed the memo?!) Folks were outfitted in everything from snowshoes to 12pt crampons with mountaineering boots, but with the 6+ inches of snow the past few days and our additional 4+ inches of powder today, it felt like we all brought a knife to a gunfight. A lot of slipping, sliding, tree-grabbing and at one point me yelling “push my butt!” as I hung on to two trees and straddled an icy spot a good 4 feet above my husband’s head. The slide was the only tame section of the hike—it’s nicely broken out and is quite direct. The icy chute just below East O has so much loose snow it was a Herculean feat to make it up, but that’s a better option than it being ice-filled. The chimney was broken out by a group of 6 who brought ice climbing gear and had a lot of fun. The bypass has seen some use, but the bypass to the bypass saw the most traffic. As stated above, there are a few blowdowns on this section that really affect mobility. We ascended in snowshoes, which seemed the right choice with the loose, deep snow. The trail between East O and O is wicked soft, even with all the traffic on it, so snowshoes are needed.
We made it to expansive views of white on Osceola, took our obligatory summit selfie, then headed towards Tripoli Rd. Based on the conditions of Greely Pond Trail, we decided to go for a full traverse (thank goodness for wonderful hiker friends who agreed to pick us up and take us back to our car!) Turned out to be a perfect decision, as there was evidence someone had broken out the trail from Osceola to Tripoli fairly recently, so we had a faint trench to follow and break out. It. Was. STUNNING. We made good time to the trailhead, then our 3 mile road walk/snowshoe to Livermore Parking Lot. Remember, if you aren’t skiiing, snowshoe to the far left or right of Tripoli Rd!
This puts us at 40/W48 and 207/576! |
|
 | Name: |
Islandgirl |
|
 | E-Mail: |
joannhall4@aol.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2026-01-17 |
|
 | 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. |
|
