Mt. Osceola 6/9/2004

[SilentCal]

Date(s) Hiked: 6/9/2004

Trails(s) Hiked: Mt. Osceola trail from Tripoli road

Total Distance: 6.4 miles round trip

Difficulty: easy to moderate

Conditions: hazy sunshine with a brief downpour

Special Required Equipment: raingear

Trip Report: Met up with MtnMagic for a hike up this fine mountain. Brought my friend Jason along to see how much he'd enjoy hiking.
We started upwards around 9:30 and encountered a very rocky trail to begin with. Not much water on this trail as it snakes it's way up to Breadtray Ridge by a series of switchbacks through some nice woods. We arrived at the summit to hazy views and warm sunshine. After finding the summit marker was surely not at the true summit we poked around looking for maybe another marker. As we headed down MtnMagic spied a grouse that was watching us from a nearby tree. At the first left hand turn switchback coming down, there is a faint herdpath that we followed briefly that goes to West Osceola. There was some old thick wire strewn about this herdpath so be careful not to trip like I did. After deciding the bushwack would not be good for a newbie, we headed down and were greeted by a downpour about a mile from the car. Overall a great hike with great companions!

 

[MtnMagic]

Great day, hike and report.

___________________
Great hiking with you!

 

[MichaelJ]

Ayuh - that's the old phone line that went up to the tower. If you scoot over to Topozone you can see that herd path actually marked on the old topo map.

Sounds like a great hike - having just done it last weekend I am fully enamored with Osceola (and the chimney was a blast!)

 

[MtnMagic]

Yes Michael, it's the old phone line. And one rugged one too. That trail was opened in 1915 and was abandoned in the late 50's - early 60's. Another lost trail from Rte 112 to the tower on Osceola. I believe it was called Breadtray Trail or close to that.

Please contribute if you know more.

 

[MichaelJ]

Unfortunately, I know very little. You can see here on TopoZone that the phone trail is visible going back up north, towards West Peak, then it turns south. When it hits the seam to the next topo map, it's not there anymore.

I know from Googling that the route to West Peak is to follow that trail then when it turns south, just keep going on a bearing, mostly following the ridge line. But that's about it.

I was definitely tempted to try it right then and there, but we had people waiting for us...

 

[MichaelJ]

Hah! Found it. It goes down towards Tripoli Mill.

Head over to the 1928 Plymouth USGS quadrangle here.

Scroll all the way to the top right. Right above where it says "Breadtray Ridge" you see a trail come on to the map then loop back north off the top, then just west it comes back down again. By coordinating with the Franconia Quadrangle, I determined that's the route.

As you can see, it comes down the ridge then right at the bottom, a tiny spur goes back north onto the other map to a building marker (old cabin?). A little further south, it splits again ... one leg goes west to meet up with what is now the East Pond Trail just north of Tripoli Mill, the other leg follows an unnamed brook to Tripoli Road and though not shown on the old topo, that comes out right by the northern end of the Mt. Tecumseh Trail.

I'm definitely heading back up there next summer!

 

[MtnMagic]

We were hiking North on the wire trail. Well now this is turning into a puzzle! Visited the MtnWanderer after hiking the upper section of the trail and I believe he said the trail ended on Kanc. Have to re-ask him.

Also looked at the Waterville Valley section of the lost trails website and breadtray trail was not listed. Time will tell.

Thanks for the links!

 

[SilentCal]

I smell a return trip in the near future! I'm all for it!