| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
East Osceola, Mt. Osceola, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Greeley Ponds Trail, Mt. Osceola Trail |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, March 10, 2022 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking on the shoulder of the Kanc by the hiking trailhead is tight but doable. Parking at a bump out for the XC ski trail is much roomier, but requires a brief hike up the road if you respect the hiking prohibition on the ski trail. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Wet/Sticky |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction, Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Snow bridges near the Kanc were still intact, but may not be much longer. Unbridged crossings required only a step or two on rocks. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Generally in good shape, no significant blowdowns |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
None observed |
|
 | Bugs: |
N/A |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
The lone XL red Katoolah microspike is still at the trailhead |
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|
 | Comments: |
Beautiful day with glorious views. There was only a dusting of new snow, and the base was still solid in the morning after cold overnight temperatures. Barebooted to the Osceola trail, where I put on microspikes, which sufficed for the climb. The climb was icy, but with bailouts on the softer snow on the edges, with helpful assists from the trees. Near the East Osceola summit, we encountered a couple who had turned around after getting discouraged by ice on the way to Mt. Osceola. We pressed on, and conditions were no worse than they had been on the climb up the East Peak.
The chimney would have made a fun ice climb, but we took the first bypass, which was getting a lot of sun as the day warmed up to the high 30's on the summits around noon. There was plenty of bare rock and soft snow to work with on the bypass.
We switched to crampons for the descent, which gave me a lot more confidence than the microspikes did. Gotta give that couple, who'd hadn't brought crampons, credit for getting down with a greater degree of difficulty than what we endured. The descent was definitely challenging for someone with my limited skill and experience (winter peaks 7&8/48). One slip in the middle of the trail would have meant a quickly accelerating slide into the trees. Again, there was mercifully softer snow to work with on the edges and plenty of help from the trees. |
|
 | Name: |
Vane |
|
 | E-Mail: |
cables617@gmail.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2022-03-10 |
|
 | 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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