Jonni
Member
Date Hiked: 8/2/2007
Trail(s) Hiked: Mt. Tecumseh Trail, Sosman Trail
Distance Traveled: About 6.6 miles
Special Equipment Required: iPod for return trip down Tecumseh trail (for increased speed)
Report: Finding myself with another day off very similar to the situation I usually get (where I have the day off, but I have to work from 4-8pm in the afternoon), I wanted to scratch another 4000er off of my list. Looking for something that would reasonably fill my time up without forcing me to adhere to a strict time schedule I opted for a lower, shorter trail to satisfy my needs. I was originally thinking the Osceolas, but on the way to the trailhead I decided that Tecumseh might be a better decision.
Despite not being the most interesting summit in the world to attack it was still a fun hike. Arriving at the trailhead at around 9:30 I was off on my way to my 5th 4000er in a matter of 15 minutes. Following the well beaten path I found that the trail gained distance very quickly all the way to the final brook crossing in about 40 minutes. From there the relentless climb up the moderate grade of the Tecumseh trail made the next mile of the trail go by very slowly. Following a near straight path diagonally up the slope of Mt. Tecumseh this rocky path was interesting but became tiring. The leveling of the path at the ridgeline was a welcome site.
Reaching the summit in about an hour and 35 minutes I spent about 15 minutes resting and eating some lunch before continuing on back to the Sosman trail to head for the top of Waterville Valley Ski Area. The Sosman trail was quite a bit easier than I had orginally thought and I was able to get to the ski slopes in a little under 20 minutes (0.8 miles). Being hot in the sun, as well as a popular spot for hikers that already up at the summit, I realized that my time was getting short and that I needed to head down. As a new idea in order to give me more stamina to hit the hike down the trail with a vengeance I put my iPod on and proceeded at a fast pace down the trail with some high paced music. Surprisingly I was down at the last brook crossing in very nearly 50 minutes, and finally back at my car in another 20 minutes. Originally I was opposed to using my iPod on the trail as it might spoil the experience, but after it making the trip down quick and damn near painless, I may consider it more often now.
Overall a great hike that only took about 3 hours and 40 minutes. I kind of wished that I started a little earlier to get it done earlier, but either way it was still worth it all the same.
Trail(s) Hiked: Mt. Tecumseh Trail, Sosman Trail
Distance Traveled: About 6.6 miles
Special Equipment Required: iPod for return trip down Tecumseh trail (for increased speed)
Report: Finding myself with another day off very similar to the situation I usually get (where I have the day off, but I have to work from 4-8pm in the afternoon), I wanted to scratch another 4000er off of my list. Looking for something that would reasonably fill my time up without forcing me to adhere to a strict time schedule I opted for a lower, shorter trail to satisfy my needs. I was originally thinking the Osceolas, but on the way to the trailhead I decided that Tecumseh might be a better decision.
Despite not being the most interesting summit in the world to attack it was still a fun hike. Arriving at the trailhead at around 9:30 I was off on my way to my 5th 4000er in a matter of 15 minutes. Following the well beaten path I found that the trail gained distance very quickly all the way to the final brook crossing in about 40 minutes. From there the relentless climb up the moderate grade of the Tecumseh trail made the next mile of the trail go by very slowly. Following a near straight path diagonally up the slope of Mt. Tecumseh this rocky path was interesting but became tiring. The leveling of the path at the ridgeline was a welcome site.
Reaching the summit in about an hour and 35 minutes I spent about 15 minutes resting and eating some lunch before continuing on back to the Sosman trail to head for the top of Waterville Valley Ski Area. The Sosman trail was quite a bit easier than I had orginally thought and I was able to get to the ski slopes in a little under 20 minutes (0.8 miles). Being hot in the sun, as well as a popular spot for hikers that already up at the summit, I realized that my time was getting short and that I needed to head down. As a new idea in order to give me more stamina to hit the hike down the trail with a vengeance I put my iPod on and proceeded at a fast pace down the trail with some high paced music. Surprisingly I was down at the last brook crossing in very nearly 50 minutes, and finally back at my car in another 20 minutes. Originally I was opposed to using my iPod on the trail as it might spoil the experience, but after it making the trip down quick and damn near painless, I may consider it more often now.
Overall a great hike that only took about 3 hours and 40 minutes. I kind of wished that I started a little earlier to get it done earlier, but either way it was still worth it all the same.
