| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
East Osceola, Mt. Osceola, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Greeley Ponds Trail, Mt. Osceola Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, April 3, 2019 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Lot is packed, but not plowed. Low clearance 2WD may have an issue getting in/out. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The large crossing on Greeley Ponds Trail is still snowbridged, but decreasingly stable. Looks like water flowed over it at some point recently. I suspect barebooters will break through it soon. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Some stepovers on both trails. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Greeley Ponds Trail was spring snow this afternoon, but set up this evening. Quite a few postholes, some very deep. Snowpack is probably on average 3 feet.
Mt. Osceola Trail up to the base of the steeps also had scattered postholes and plenty of depth. Alongside, across,and above the slide, the trail was very dangerous this evening. Barebooters and buttsliders destroyed the footbed on the initial steep, so the messed up fall line creates a no fall zone. I took a fall due to a frozen posthole, but fortunately just barely caught myself and ended up only with a jammed knee.
Slide crossing was okay with caution, but the top part is tough due to a narrow monorail.
The gully is very dangerous this evening, as the very top has some blue ice...lose your footing here in firm conditions and you'll be accelerating down into the trees.
Snowpack is much deeper as soon as you're on the ridge, probably 5 to 6 feet deep. No evidence of anyone making it this far without snowshoes recently. Good views courtesy the snowpack.
Deep snow between the peaks, probably 5 to 6 feet deep. Bushwhack around the chimney and chimney bypass is what's mostly being used. Did not see much traffic to the highpoint of Osceola (which is beyond the cliffs). Just beyond the high point, no traffic, but worth the trip, as the drifts are still very deep, deep enough to provide 360 degree views (the main reason I returned tonight, as I was staring at fog a few weeks ago).
I wore Tubbs Flex Alps the entire hike. I wouldn't have been comfortable in MSRs for the descent. Microspikes would have been useless and dangerous on the descent. Without Flex Alps, I would have snowshoed everything except the East Osceola descent, for which I would have used crampons. |
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 | Name: |
rocket21 |
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 | E-Mail: |
rocket21@franklinwebpublishing.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-04-03 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.franklinsites.com/hikephotos |
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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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