Chasing the Solstice on the Osceolas!

Trip Details
Date: March 20^th, 2019
Total Distance: 8.41 mi (via Garmin fenix 5X)
Total Time: 5 hours 29 minutes
Total Elevation: 3419 ft gained
Click for more details.

Since BishopX and I have started winter hiking I have always flirted with the idea of trying to hike the day of the equinox or solstice. Usually the official times are too early in the day to really make it feasible for either of our drives. This year though, we had until 1758 (almost sunset) to complete the hike. With all of us taking the day off, four of us set off to tackle the two Osceolas before the spring solstice hit! Spoiler alert...we made it and BishopX and I salvaged our winter hiking season that started off on a sour note when we tried to ascend Moriah after a snowstorm. We ended up netting six peaks this year, which is our second best in the five years since we started winter hiking.

The weather forecast was low 40s and sunshine. It felt a little cold at the trailhead, but quickly we were removing layers. Greeley Ponds Trail is rather deceiving way to start this hike as you make little elevation gain in the first 1.3 miles.

Another "BOB" was on the trail. I added a :)!

That next 1.5 miles is a stair climber from hell!

See that mountain through the trees...yeah we are about to climb straight up that!

Once on the Mt Osceola Trail prepare for a bit of a warmup and then a full on non-stop stairclimb. I was the only one who kept microspikes on the entire way. This was good and bad. The good was my hip never really hurt during this hike and was only tender. The bad is I did not get to use the televators and felt this entire climb. My calves were on fire. The positive to the trail is it is short and before you know it you are on the summit of East Osceola, but it is a workout to get there. With all the snow there is little reprieve, too. I would try to take a break but there was no flat ground to give me calves a rest so breaks were short until you would find a random flat area. East Osceola actually had a few views with all the snow on the summit.

This photo is provided by (name redacted). Used with permission.

The Hancocks with the Arrow Slide visible.
This photo is provided by (name redacted). Used with permission.

Looking towards Mt. Carrigain from one of the few openings along the trail.
This photo is provided by (name redacted). Used with permission.

This buttslide was fun later in the day, but climbing up it was brutal!
This photo is provided by (name redacted). Used with permission.

Mt. Carrigain with signal ridge to the right.

That is North Kearsarge in the distance.

From L to R: Chocorua, Passaconaway, and the Tripyramids

This photo is provided by (name redacted). Used with permission.

BishopX enjoying a lukewarm Budweiser Copper Lager...aged in a Jim Beam Bourbon barrel!

Detroit Rock City (a.k.a., Mr. Blue Sky) enjoying a brew!

Take a closer look...yup...that is a Yuengling Premium folks!

This photo is provided by (name redacted). Used with permission.

Continuing on the trail started out with some gradual descents that would make for some annoying but much more tolerable final ascent later in the day quickly got us to the col and The Chimney. The Chimney was a non-event today as it is a solid ice flow with snow covering it and clearly no one had attempted to ice climb it. The regular bypass was an option plus another one that went around it even more.

I wish I had gotten closer to take the photo but you can make out the section of visible ice. The rest is hidden under snow.

BishopX and J-Pain attacking the bypass.

The rest of the way to Mt. Osceola seem to drag forever as there were a few minor pointless up and downs. Other times you would get above the trees and see the summit was still a ways off. Those types of trails get annoying as it is like checking your watch every couple of steps. In a short time though we were on the summit and it was beautiful. Wind was non-existent, sun was beaming down on the open ledge, and we had it to ourselves. A few of us even went shirtless for a few minutes until the cold started to get to us. Just a couple of crazy guys! It was in the 40s on the summit too!

BishopX is making it look a lot colder than it was.

Detroit Rock City (a.k.a., Mr. Blue Sky) was sad he had to put clothes back on.

J-Pain enjoying some soup!

East Osceola with Mt. Carrigain in the background and the Presidentials in the distant background.

The col (significant drop down from Mt. Osceola) and East Osceola.

Waterville Valley with Sandwich Dome in the background.

North Tripyramid and the slide.

The Presidentials (minus Mt. Washington, which is out of frame to the right)

The Wildcats and Carters on the left with the Baldplates on the right.

North Kearsarge

Mt. Chocorua

Mt. Shaw

Lake Winnipesaukee

Classic foot shot and hanging off the edge.

Long way down...

This photo is provided by (name redacted). Used with permission.

BishopX was so sad he slipped and spilled his brew that he decided to eat the beer soaked snow. 

The true summit is actually in the trees a bit off the open ledge area. We went hunting for it and found a clear highpoint, but it could maybe it was just a large drift. I also went looking for the summit based off my GPS, too.

The "true" summit? Maybe... My GPS said no.

The view from the summit.

Bondcliff, West Bond, and South Twin

This photo is provided by (name redacted). Used with permission.

The Pemigewasset Wilderness
This photo is provided by (name redacted). Used with permission.

This photo is provided by (name redacted). Used with permission.

Looking down off the summit.

My GPS did not agree with that other one as the summit, so I wandered around and this was the spot it said was the "true" summit. So, one of these is.

After an hour, we finally started a trip back. Getting down The Chimney was a bit sketchy but the rest of the descent was a nice warm up for the other side of East Osceola. We chugged back up East Osceola, hung out for a few minutes, and then began the best buttslide we got all year. The trail is super steep so you had to brake most of the early parts, but as you got further down the trail was built with buttsliding even around corners as it was built up. You could literally just fly down. It was so much fun. Once back to the Greeley Pond Trail we took a relaxing stroll out the last 1.3 miles.

BishopX enjoying a great buttslide. You can see his leg up. That is how we rode the brake down the steeper sections.

This was a great finish to our hiking season. The most fun I have had all season. We learned a few things and had to deal with the elements more than we have had to in the past. The snowpack levels are insane and I would expect snow on some of these higher mountains to last until July. Only 12 more peaks to go to complete our winter 48 (or is it 47 now that Tecumseh does not count?).

This photo is provided by (name redacted). Used with permission.

The track is good, but the mileage is off by approximately 3/4 of a mile. Detroit Rock City (a.k.a., Mr. Blue Sky) has a Garmin Forerunner and we were right next to each other most of the day and his watch reported closer to the actual. The fenix just has some serious drift problems.