Date(s) Hiked: November 11, 2004
Trails(s) Hiked: Tecumseh Trail from Waterville Valley Ski Resort to the summit (via Sosman Spur) and Sosman Trail to Ski Trails.
Total Distance: Approximately 5.3 miles.
Difficulty: Trail conditions up were "interesting" thanks to icing :-?; otherwise, the trail was well blazed and all of the signage were in place. It appeared that the trail had been widened, which was good. Sosman Trail was grown in for some sections.
Conditions: 1-3 inches of snow that had been trampled to ice in places; snowmaking on High Country
and grass/snow patches on lower mountain.
Special Required Equipment: Poles (!) and Crampons from here on out.
Trip Report: Thanks to those who gave me advice for the "final hike" of 2004. Looking at the map and doing my homework, it appeared that Tecumseh would be a short, easy, up and down romp with some nice views and a great way to spend a few hours. The weather was shaping up to be nice with temps forecast to be in the 50's and 60's and all reports were that the snow which had fallen was manageable. Though I was a bit disappointed to chose this mountain because I wanted to be more ambitious, Tecumseh ended up demanding the same amount of care and respect as his taller and more difficult cousins.
The trailhead was very easy to locate--it was literally across the access road from "Lot #1" and was well signed. Climbing up a bank and crossing a small stream, the trail began the gradual ascent of the ridge crossing Tecumseh Stream once more before angling uphill with views of the ski trails through the trees. I was not in as good of shape as I had been and the Eagle Scout in me had packed a heavier bag than usual based on reports from last weekend (so as to be prepared for snow, wind, blizzards, Armageddon, anything that could be hurled at me). My pace was slower. Within a few minutes, the snow patches became more numerous, though the snow never got any higher than the toes of my boots while climbing.
The first stretch became gradually steeper before descending a small ravine and the final crossing of Tecumseh Stream before climbing back up to the other ridge. Here, I found that though my predeccessors had done a nice job tramping down a trail, they had done me a disservice because it had turned to ice. :x From here to the summit, I relied on my poles and boots for traction and looked for unbroken snow that provided the needed traction. The grade was constant and never got too steep. I passed by a nice view of the Tripyramids, which was located off a short spur to the nearby ski slopes.
From here, the trail ascended steadily to the NW via a wide trail. It was about 30 mins from here to the summit and I passed by two other hikers who were making their descent. Once at the ridge, I found the first intersection with the Sosman Trail (entering from the ski area) and then came to the summit loop. I chose to ascend via the more heavily travelled Sosman Spur, and I was fortunate, because it was the icier of the two routes up and was manageable thanks to handholds.
The summit offered some nice outlooks, though I chose not to seek out the excellent outlook from the western section of the Tecumseh Trail since the trail conditions were such and the clouds were rolling in from the west.
After lunch and taking in the view of the ski slopes and the nearby peaks, I descended the lightly traveled Tecumseh Trail back to where I had come from and took the Sosman Trail to the top of the ski trails. Trail conditions were better down. I would not have enjoyed going down the Tecumseh Trail due to the icing and had it not been for the ski slopes I would have chosen to summit another time.
The lightly traveled Sosman Trail offered some nice views back towards the summit, to the west, and towards the Tripyramids. Before coming to the top of the ski area, it becomes grown in and then pops out beneath a radio/cell phone tower. From here, there are no blazes, but I chose to take the obvious service road which led to the former Express Quad Summit Station. The views here were amazing and the fresh snow from the guns was a great sight for this skier :wink: I poked around, took some pictures, and ascended on far skier's right so as to not ruin the snowmaker's work. I made it down to the Express Quad and then descended Tippecanoe and Tyler Too trails, past the North Chairlift, and down to the base which was a steady and easy walk. Hoses and guns were ready to go.
At the bottom, I passed three snowboarders playing in the snow, which was great to see. :beer: After some more poking around the base area, I returned to my car and headed home.
In all, a good way to end the hiking season for me. Though I have much winter hiking experience, it has always been on snowshoes and these conditions did not warrant them, but crampons are a must from here on out. Without the poles, I would not have been able to complete this hike. Another 4000 footer in the book. :wink:
Trails(s) Hiked: Tecumseh Trail from Waterville Valley Ski Resort to the summit (via Sosman Spur) and Sosman Trail to Ski Trails.
Total Distance: Approximately 5.3 miles.
Difficulty: Trail conditions up were "interesting" thanks to icing :-?; otherwise, the trail was well blazed and all of the signage were in place. It appeared that the trail had been widened, which was good. Sosman Trail was grown in for some sections.
Conditions: 1-3 inches of snow that had been trampled to ice in places; snowmaking on High Country
and grass/snow patches on lower mountain. Special Required Equipment: Poles (!) and Crampons from here on out.
Trip Report: Thanks to those who gave me advice for the "final hike" of 2004. Looking at the map and doing my homework, it appeared that Tecumseh would be a short, easy, up and down romp with some nice views and a great way to spend a few hours. The weather was shaping up to be nice with temps forecast to be in the 50's and 60's and all reports were that the snow which had fallen was manageable. Though I was a bit disappointed to chose this mountain because I wanted to be more ambitious, Tecumseh ended up demanding the same amount of care and respect as his taller and more difficult cousins.
The trailhead was very easy to locate--it was literally across the access road from "Lot #1" and was well signed. Climbing up a bank and crossing a small stream, the trail began the gradual ascent of the ridge crossing Tecumseh Stream once more before angling uphill with views of the ski trails through the trees. I was not in as good of shape as I had been and the Eagle Scout in me had packed a heavier bag than usual based on reports from last weekend (so as to be prepared for snow, wind, blizzards, Armageddon, anything that could be hurled at me). My pace was slower. Within a few minutes, the snow patches became more numerous, though the snow never got any higher than the toes of my boots while climbing.
The first stretch became gradually steeper before descending a small ravine and the final crossing of Tecumseh Stream before climbing back up to the other ridge. Here, I found that though my predeccessors had done a nice job tramping down a trail, they had done me a disservice because it had turned to ice. :x From here to the summit, I relied on my poles and boots for traction and looked for unbroken snow that provided the needed traction. The grade was constant and never got too steep. I passed by a nice view of the Tripyramids, which was located off a short spur to the nearby ski slopes.
From here, the trail ascended steadily to the NW via a wide trail. It was about 30 mins from here to the summit and I passed by two other hikers who were making their descent. Once at the ridge, I found the first intersection with the Sosman Trail (entering from the ski area) and then came to the summit loop. I chose to ascend via the more heavily travelled Sosman Spur, and I was fortunate, because it was the icier of the two routes up and was manageable thanks to handholds.
The summit offered some nice outlooks, though I chose not to seek out the excellent outlook from the western section of the Tecumseh Trail since the trail conditions were such and the clouds were rolling in from the west.
After lunch and taking in the view of the ski slopes and the nearby peaks, I descended the lightly traveled Tecumseh Trail back to where I had come from and took the Sosman Trail to the top of the ski trails. Trail conditions were better down. I would not have enjoyed going down the Tecumseh Trail due to the icing and had it not been for the ski slopes I would have chosen to summit another time.
The lightly traveled Sosman Trail offered some nice views back towards the summit, to the west, and towards the Tripyramids. Before coming to the top of the ski area, it becomes grown in and then pops out beneath a radio/cell phone tower. From here, there are no blazes, but I chose to take the obvious service road which led to the former Express Quad Summit Station. The views here were amazing and the fresh snow from the guns was a great sight for this skier :wink: I poked around, took some pictures, and ascended on far skier's right so as to not ruin the snowmaker's work. I made it down to the Express Quad and then descended Tippecanoe and Tyler Too trails, past the North Chairlift, and down to the base which was a steady and easy walk. Hoses and guns were ready to go.
At the bottom, I passed three snowboarders playing in the snow, which was great to see. :beer: After some more poking around the base area, I returned to my car and headed home.
In all, a good way to end the hiking season for me. Though I have much winter hiking experience, it has always been on snowshoes and these conditions did not warrant them, but crampons are a must from here on out. Without the poles, I would not have been able to complete this hike. Another 4000 footer in the book. :wink:
