Summits: East Osceola (4,156'), Mount Osceola (4,340')
Trail route: From the Kancamagus Highway via Greeley Ponds Trail, Mount Osceola Trail
Trail conditions: Firm base with soft top layer
Weather: Comfortably cold with sunshine and blue sky and increasing clouds
Total miles: 7.6
Total time: 5:45
Today was looking favorable for a grid hike so I decided to do the Osceolas from the Kancamagus Highway. Weather conditions would be changing considerably this week so I wanted to take advantage of the cool temps and sunshine today.
The trailhead parking is not plowed out in the winter so I parked beside the road and was the first one there. I was not sure what I would need for traction so I brought snowshoes, microspikes and trail crampons, a nice variety for any conditions I might find along the way.
I started out just barebooting which was no problem with a firm trail and occasional soft snow on top but no postholing. The larger water crossings were well bridged with low water below. When I reached the Mount Osceola Trail I put on the trail crampons knowing I was about to ascend the toughest section of this hike.
When I reached the steep section of the trail there was some smooth areas from previous buttsliders, the trail crampons worked well. For me it was a grueling grind to the ridge line and once there I knew the tough part was behind me. The snow was a bit softer up here but not a problem all the way to the summit of East Osceola. When I arrived at the summit there was a deep snowpack and the cairn was nowhere to be found buried under several feet of snow.
I only spent a moment at the summit before moving on to Mount Osceola. The trail was still in good shape between the summits. When I reached the chimney I took the bypass around the bypass which went out a little further than usual because of the snow depth. No one had been up or down the chimney. When I reached the ridge line just below the summit there was an incredible amount of snow depth that I was walking on and there were views that are not normally seen from this section of trail.
I reached the summit of Mount Osceola and was met by a cold wind. This was my turn around point and I was soon on my way back to the trailhead. I met a couple in snowshoes coming up Osceola as I was going down and this would be the only hikers I would see today. It was a good hike back and I made it down the steep section without mishap. I find the steep section on East Osceola some of the toughest hiking in the winter.
This is two more summits that I am glad to have gridded out having now hiked them in every month of the year. My grid count now stands at 566/576 which puts me at 98.3% complete. I have one more hike this month for two more summits. I'll then have four hikes and eight summits to complete the grid next year!
Enjoy the photos!
The hike starts here
Well bridged water crossing
Arriving at the Mount Osceola Trail
Crossing the slide
Leaving the steep and arriving at the ridge
East Osceola and Mount Osceola
View from an outlook
Outlook on East Osceola
At the summit of East Osceola buried under a lot of snow
Mount Osceola
View of Franconia Ridge in the distance
Looking up the chimney
Lots of snow on the Osceola ridge provided views not normally seen from the trail
Arriving at the summit of Mount Osceola
Enjoying the views from Mount Osceola
Mount Chocorua in the distance
Mount Washington
East Osceola
All downhill from here
Seriously downhill from here
Descending the slide
View of Greeley Ponds from the slide
Very steep section with deep snow
This tree is holding onto the snow
Back at the trail junction
Log bridge
Arriving at the trailhead and parking lot buried in snow
Having Fun in the Great Outdoors!
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