Osceola's / East Pond Loop

Date of hike: 10/09

Greely Ponds Trail: 1.3 miles
Mount Osceola Trail: 5.7 miles
Tripoli Road: 2.0 miles
East Pond Trail: 5.1 miles
Kancamagus Highway: .9 miles
Total Miles: 15 miles (4230 elevation gain)

Trip Report:
- Solo hike, left RI at 4:30am on trail at 7:20am, finished at 1pm

- Temps low 40's to low 50's, wind gusts of 30-35 mph above 3500 feet, limited views, very raw day
- The trails were very wet but in pretty good shape considering all the rain in the past two weeks, only tricky spots were where the wet leaf's covered the rocks, had two gnarly falls descending Mount Osceola Trail
- Enjoyed "The Chimney" (narrow chute like passage) on the way to Osceola from East Osceola.  First I went around it, then I went back down so I could go strait up it, it was wet, steep, and lots of fun!

- Didn't see a single person until coming down from Osceola summit when I ran into a guy who told me "It's a good time to descend, there's about 80 people behind me."  Within a few minutes about 60 "tweens" from the Cardigan Mountain School swarmed all around me and on by me.  Some were having fun, others looked like they've had it...Especially the one the "Ralphed" his fruit loops all over a rock about a .5 mile from the trailhead =X
- Best foliage I saw all day was the two mile walk on Tripoli Road to East Pond Trailhead

- Only saw one person on East Pond Trail with her two dogs.  East Pond Trail was in good shape, and East Pond itself is picturesque, very secluded, and a perfect place for a moose to relax...unfortunately I did not see a moose which I was hoping for
- Walk on Kanc was kind of funny, got to see all the leaf peepers drive by wondering what I was doing, also got to see a few cars driving to slowly creating a line of cars with upset people behind them!

Pictures: Click here to view all pictures

Greely Ponds Trail

 Mount Osceola Trail

 Tripoli Road

 

East Pond Trail