Date(s) Hiked: July 1, 2007
Trails(s) Hiked: Mount Osceola Trail
Total Distance: 6.4 miles RT
Difficulty: Easy to moderate.
Conditions: Trail conditions were good; weather was nice for hiking, not nice for views or sitting on the top.
Weather: Mostly cloudy, some fog and sprinkles. Views to the E and SE were fine for the most part. Temps only in the Upper 40’s at the top and 50’s below.
Special Required Equipment: Scudder’s View Guide, AMC Guide, camera for minor paparazzi action
Trip Report: Well, if you are getting dejavu reading this, your brain is working, because Trailboss has already hiked this, in 2004 in fact, and this was a spur of the moment redux of sorts...we had hoped to do Jefferson, but the interesting weather prevented us from doing that (i.e. 30’s, windchills in the 10’s, and oh yeah...
). And besides, like last weekend, the further south one was in the Whites, the better the weather.
After a longer drive than expected, thanks in part to a family of mink running out in front of us on Route 25C (we missed them... phew), as well as a longer drive up the Tripoli Road than I recall (a full 7 miles up mainly dirt road from I-93), we got there just shy of 11am. The lot was pretty full, but we scored a spot literally in front of the trailhead.
We got our boots on and headed up...Ms. TB’s first major hike of the season :x
The first section was rougher than either of us remembered...not steep, but rough. The footing did improve as the book suggested and the switchbacks were great in that they eased the climb. We passed quite a few folks coming down and learned that it was indeed cold.
Within an hour, we were on top of Breadtray Ridge and were looking up at Osceola. The views through the trees to Sandwich Dome and Tecumseh were great. As we got to the top, I could see North and west and that there was a lot of fog and drizzle up north.
We made it to the summit where most of the folks were huddled around the remains of one firetower. We pressed on to the view…getting a glimpse S and E over the Tripyramids, Whiteface, Passaconway, Chocorua, the Lakes Region, ME, East Osceola, etc. Very nice. It was cold and foggy…and Ms. TB was freezing.
We had lunch. Some of the folks who were following us emerged from the woods. And then, without any warning, a group of five folks led by this guy! Yep, of all the mountains and all the places, NH’s own Governor was there with us. Very cool. A hiking Governor!
He was very down to earth…chatting with the other hikers and the members of his entourage. It was his wife, a friend, the body guard, and one of his kids. We kept our distance and just acted normal. Most folks did not even know it was him…he was wearing a regular LL Bean backpack (complete with lithographed initials), shorts, and a plain old windbreaker. Nothing special. He was there for about ten minutes…chatting with folks. When he looked over to us, we greeted him and waved. He headed back down with his entourage. Very cool.
After chatting with the other folks about the view, we headed down…Ms. TB overtaking the Gov at one point, who was very courteous and pulled his group over for her. I came up behind them twice, but gave them room. Did not want to be a gaper paparazzi or anything :wink:
We made great time down…getting to the bottom at 3:30 just in time to see the Governor head out in the family car down Tripoli Road. We were soon behind him.
A very nice surprise on a nice trip! :beer:
The views:
The infamous East Osceola:
And the Governor (purple/maroon jacket) and his entourage:
Trails(s) Hiked: Mount Osceola Trail
Total Distance: 6.4 miles RT
Difficulty: Easy to moderate.
Conditions: Trail conditions were good; weather was nice for hiking, not nice for views or sitting on the top.
Weather: Mostly cloudy, some fog and sprinkles. Views to the E and SE were fine for the most part. Temps only in the Upper 40’s at the top and 50’s below.
Special Required Equipment: Scudder’s View Guide, AMC Guide, camera for minor paparazzi action
Trip Report: Well, if you are getting dejavu reading this, your brain is working, because Trailboss has already hiked this, in 2004 in fact, and this was a spur of the moment redux of sorts...we had hoped to do Jefferson, but the interesting weather prevented us from doing that (i.e. 30’s, windchills in the 10’s, and oh yeah...
). And besides, like last weekend, the further south one was in the Whites, the better the weather. After a longer drive than expected, thanks in part to a family of mink running out in front of us on Route 25C (we missed them... phew), as well as a longer drive up the Tripoli Road than I recall (a full 7 miles up mainly dirt road from I-93), we got there just shy of 11am. The lot was pretty full, but we scored a spot literally in front of the trailhead.
We got our boots on and headed up...Ms. TB’s first major hike of the season :x
The first section was rougher than either of us remembered...not steep, but rough. The footing did improve as the book suggested and the switchbacks were great in that they eased the climb. We passed quite a few folks coming down and learned that it was indeed cold.
Within an hour, we were on top of Breadtray Ridge and were looking up at Osceola. The views through the trees to Sandwich Dome and Tecumseh were great. As we got to the top, I could see North and west and that there was a lot of fog and drizzle up north.
We made it to the summit where most of the folks were huddled around the remains of one firetower. We pressed on to the view…getting a glimpse S and E over the Tripyramids, Whiteface, Passaconway, Chocorua, the Lakes Region, ME, East Osceola, etc. Very nice. It was cold and foggy…and Ms. TB was freezing.
We had lunch. Some of the folks who were following us emerged from the woods. And then, without any warning, a group of five folks led by this guy! Yep, of all the mountains and all the places, NH’s own Governor was there with us. Very cool. A hiking Governor!
He was very down to earth…chatting with the other hikers and the members of his entourage. It was his wife, a friend, the body guard, and one of his kids. We kept our distance and just acted normal. Most folks did not even know it was him…he was wearing a regular LL Bean backpack (complete with lithographed initials), shorts, and a plain old windbreaker. Nothing special. He was there for about ten minutes…chatting with folks. When he looked over to us, we greeted him and waved. He headed back down with his entourage. Very cool.
After chatting with the other folks about the view, we headed down…Ms. TB overtaking the Gov at one point, who was very courteous and pulled his group over for her. I came up behind them twice, but gave them room. Did not want to be a gaper paparazzi or anything :wink:
We made great time down…getting to the bottom at 3:30 just in time to see the Governor head out in the family car down Tripoli Road. We were soon behind him.
A very nice surprise on a nice trip! :beer:
The views:
The infamous East Osceola:
And the Governor (purple/maroon jacket) and his entourage:
