Osceolas on a Warm Day, 4/10/2017

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Mt. Osceola and East Osceola

Greeley Ponds Trail, Mt. Osceola Trail

4/10/2017

7.6 miles

3,100 feet of elevation gain

It was still dark out when we started hiking, so we wore headlamps until the sky lightened.

When we got to the next intersection, the sky was light enough to take off headlamps.  This intersection marks the point where we turn onto the steep Mt. Osceola Trail.

We just have to get above that bump...

Sun, come up!

It was cool at first, but it became warmer and warmer as the day continued.  We delayered down to our T-shirts.

The sky was a powerful dark blue, and it was a clear day.

The sun felt amazing on my face and back.

Beautiful views on the way up!

Crossing the slide:

East Osceola came closer and closer...

Sage and me at the lookout point...(me)

(Sage)

We arrived at the simple summit of East Osceola -- there was so much snow that the summit cairn was no longer visible.

Traveling to Mt. Osceola...

The Chimney (left) and the Bypass (right):

We went up the Bypass because it looked safer and easier than climbing up the ice-filled Chimney. 

Looking down...

Views from Mt. Osceola!

The day had progressed and it was quite warm outside.  There was a nice, cool breeze all around the two mountains.  The sun felt so good!

Heading back down, we could see the Presidentials in the distance with their own personal layers of white snow, while the lower mountains around them were green, blue, and purple.

The trail was comfortable to walk on during the ascent, but the snow became mushy, slick, and soft and was extremely slippery to walk on while coming down.

Looking up at incoming Sage...

While Sage held onto a tree, some branches scraped her and left a rather nasty cut all down her right arm.

The weather is warming surprisingly fast (but then again, we are in New Hampshire)!  I can feel summer pushing through the icy winter gates, the sun melting the snow within.  A holiday is occurring this Sunday...Happy Easter, everyone!

Osceola and East Osceola, 12/29/2016

A note about our fundraising intentions:  One type of the most important and beneficial organizations under attack from a Donald Trump presidency is climate change research institutions.  Climate change is a huge threat to our human species.  The threat will probably grow more dangerous once Donald Trump is in power; Trump has surrounded himself with people who do not believe in man-made climate change.  Sage and I have two parents who are scientists/have scientific backgrounds, and we care deeply about the subject.  Therefore, with this in mind, we would now like to lend our support to the Union of Concerned Scientists.  I will be posting more about this fine organization in future posts.  In the meantime, here is the link to their website.

The Osceolas

12/29/2016

Greeley Pond Trail

7.6 miles

 

There was a winter storm coming; we woke early so we could hopefully get up and over the two peaks and down again before it hit.  When we arrived at the trailhead, I turned on my headlamp and got my phone ready for a trailhead picture.

John Myers came with us!  We always enjoy sharing the trails with him.

There was a glorious, mysterious view from the slide.  Dark mountains overlapped each other, the sky churned dark blue and gray clouds, and snow-covered trees spread over everything like decoration.

The trail was nicely packed out; we didn't have to use snowshoes.

We got up the steep sections leading to the east peak fairly well.  Surprisingly, there wasn't much ice to climb.

Dark summit pictures...

The sky progressively became brighter and brighter as time went on and we hiked along.

We decided to try out the bypass to the bypass!  It was a nifty little pathway through the trees around the actual bypass.

Sage and I walking along...

It wasn't too long before I caught a glimpse of a misty parting through the trees revealing the summit of the main peak.

It was snowy and crisp up there, and we couldn't see a view; mist and fog surrounded the ledge.

Summit photos!  It was pretty windy and I was having trouble getting hair out of my face.

We headed down the mountain...

I had predicted we would be down by 10:00 am, and we were!  The hike was good exercise.  Happy Holidays and Happy New Year's!