Date of Hike: 2/6/15
Mount Tecumseh Trail: 5.0 Miles (2,400 feet elevation gained)
Trip Report:
- Whitney and I decided to do a quick early morning hike before I had to work on Friday, and Mount Tecumseh was the perfect mountain for that occasion. Temperatures were hovering around zero as we left the Waterville Valley ski area and hooked onto the Mount Tecumseh Trail.
- Whitney set a great pace for the day as we hiked up a solid base with minor drifting in spots. The trail starts off with easy to moderate grades until the outlook just above the highest crossing of the Tecumseh Brook. From here the trail becomes steeper until gaining the ridge where it levels out before attacking the summit cone up moderate grades.
- We reached the summit just over and hour after we started and took in the views from left to right of the Osceola's and Tripyramid's high above Waterville Valley. The summit of Mount Tecumseh used to be a wooded summit with an tiny obstructed view until someone illegally cut down the trees creating a 'widescreen' open view to the east.
- Since it was cold, we only stayed at the summit long enough to snap a few pics before booking it down the mountain. On the descent we both noted how the Mount Tecumseh Trail would be a perfect trail to sled down easily and safely.
- Towards the end I ventured off the relocated section of trail from from Hurricane Irene in 2011 and stayed on the old trail-bed. It's only a few hundred feet long but there are still yellow blazes easily spotted and the trail can be followed maneuvering around a few blowdowns, widow-makers, and the eroded trail at the edge of the brook.
Mount Tecumseh Trail: 5.0 Miles (2,400 feet elevation gained)
Trip Report:
- Whitney and I decided to do a quick early morning hike before I had to work on Friday, and Mount Tecumseh was the perfect mountain for that occasion. Temperatures were hovering around zero as we left the Waterville Valley ski area and hooked onto the Mount Tecumseh Trail.
- Whitney set a great pace for the day as we hiked up a solid base with minor drifting in spots. The trail starts off with easy to moderate grades until the outlook just above the highest crossing of the Tecumseh Brook. From here the trail becomes steeper until gaining the ridge where it levels out before attacking the summit cone up moderate grades.
- We reached the summit just over and hour after we started and took in the views from left to right of the Osceola's and Tripyramid's high above Waterville Valley. The summit of Mount Tecumseh used to be a wooded summit with an tiny obstructed view until someone illegally cut down the trees creating a 'widescreen' open view to the east.
- Since it was cold, we only stayed at the summit long enough to snap a few pics before booking it down the mountain. On the descent we both noted how the Mount Tecumseh Trail would be a perfect trail to sled down easily and safely.
- Towards the end I ventured off the relocated section of trail from from Hurricane Irene in 2011 and stayed on the old trail-bed. It's only a few hundred feet long but there are still yellow blazes easily spotted and the trail can be followed maneuvering around a few blowdowns, widow-makers, and the eroded trail at the edge of the brook.
Route for the day, click here for more info
The trail starts off by crossing a shallow brook and then easily makes its way through the woods
The first water crossing of the Tecumseh Brook is well marked with double blazes and an arrow sign
The trail was well packed out down low as it makes it's way to the ski slopes
The second crossing of the Tecumseh Brook is hibernating for winter!
The outlook comes out to the 'Boneyard' ski trail and has a great view over to the Tripyramids
Whitney makes here way up to the ridge
One of the more humorous trail junction signs. There are two ways a hiker can attack the summit cone of Mount Tecumseh. Heading left is easier and less steep but going right has a decent view over to the ski slopes.
Whitney taking in the view from Osceola to the Tripyramids
The Tripyramids. North slide is visible on the left
Descending back down the mountain through a winter wonderland
Old section of trail right near the end, notice it's not broken out. FYI, the trail begins and ends directly across from lot 1
nice little morning commute to work!
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