| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
East Osceola (attempt), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Greeley Ponds Trail, Mt. Osceola Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, January 27, 2021 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Lot is unplowed |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction, Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All easy |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
2" of new snow so I had snowshoes on from the start. 3 hikers in front of me, 2 turned around at the boulder cave. Footing OK but higher temps softened the trail underneath the new snow.
The plan was to make quick work of both Osceola peaks but that wasn't in the cards today. Greeley Ponds trail was nice and I made it to the Mt Osceola jct in less than 25 minutes. Mt Osceola trail remained pretty firm even as the new snow deepened to 3" higher up. Soon there was only one set of boot prints in front of me (turned out to be Scubahiker) and the trail got steeper but was not nearly as steep as Cannon via Kinsman Ridge. Then I hit the super-steep crux and the snow turned to sand with no traction at all. There was no bushwhack because of cliffs to the left and thick woods to the right. The sketchy footing combined with the steepness and the awkward angle of that pitch made me turn around. There's also nothing at all to grab onto. I knew it wasn't a super long pitch but I couldn't see around the corner above me. Maybe I could have fought my way up but was NOT looking forward to coming back down later on. It's my first bailout this Winter and I was less than .3 from the summit! But I'm going back up tomorrow because it's supposed to be 10 degrees cooler and the trail should firm up just enough to make the crux pitch more manageable. I'll change to crampons 20 yards sooner this time & just go for it, maybe with an ice-axe in hand. I made the side trip to Upper Greeley Pond which eased the sting of defeat just a little. |
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 | Name: |
Bob H |
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 | E-Mail: |
hynoskyb@aol.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-01-27 |
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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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