| 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: |
Sunday, November 3, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The small paved lot has a bumpy surface. There were still 3 empty slots at 8:00 AM. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Ice - Blue, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The crossing of the South Fork of Hancock Branch was easy on dry rocks. The water level is low. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There are some broken, missing, and deteriorated bog bridges on the Greeley Ponds Trail.
There is one tree across the Osceola Trail on the steep section to East Osceola from Greeley Ponds. Hikers are going around one end of this tree. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Some of the steep sections including the chimney and its by-pass may be challenging for some dogs. |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
There were some small areas of ice on the steep section of the Mt Osceola Trail on the east side of East Osceola. There was enough dry surfaces to permit safe passage on the trail without the need to use the by-pass trails in the adjacent woods. I did not use the microspikes but I still recommend carrying them. The ledge section where there is a view down to the Greeley Ponds has mostly dry surfaces. The chimney had a bit of ice so I opted to use the by-pass route in both directions as it was mostly dry. Some other hikers said they were able to find enough dry spots to safely use the chimney.
The leaves were getting shredded in the low elevation section of trail, so I had no problem with the leaf cover.
The usual mud spots between the peaks were frozen.
Great views from many spots (but not the summit of East Osceola) due to the clear cloudless skies.
Many hikers on the trail today from both the Greeley Ponds and the Tripoli Road approaches. Had a nice conversation with an experienced hiker from Ossipee on Osceola. Met a young UNH student that graduated from the same high school as I (50 years later). Met two hikers from East Boston at 2:00PM down low on the Mt Osceola Trail. They had no head lamps, were unaware the sun would set around 4:30PM, and did not know that the trail significantly steepened on the way to East Osceola. They decided to turn around after I informed them. |
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 | Name: |
WAUMBEK |
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 | E-Mail: |
waumbek@roadrunner.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-11-03 |
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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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