Mt. Osceola Trail Maintenance Day

We performed part 1 of our trail work on our newly adopted trail [Mt. Osceola Trail] from Tripoli Road to the summit of Mt. Osceola. This is a very popular trail from all the traffic we saw on this day so it requires a lot of attention to protect them from all that loving they get :-)

With an agreement made with the Forest Service, GayOutdoors adopted Mt. Osceola Trail this year; it's 5.7 miles long, it has two 4,000 footers [Mt. Osceola at 4,340 ft and East Peak at 4,156 ft.] and can be reached either from Tripoli Road or the Kancamagus Highway. We maintained the Drakes/Smarts Brook trail for many years and decided it was time to switch to a more popular trail. Jon and I have purchased tools for trail maintenance over the years just because we think it's the right thing to do and happy to share them with all the GO members that help us out each year. You can learn a lot about trail maintenance by working with us!

The weekend started with hanging around the campfire Friday night and gazing at all the stars; there is no light pollution where we live. On Saturday nine of us worked to get the trail in shape for the hiking season by cleaning waters, creating a few 'makeshift' waterbars, doing lots of brushing and removing three blowdowns. We encountered many people who thanked us for our work as they made their way to the summit. This was an added reward since we rarely saw anyone when we worked on the Drakes/Smarts Brook trails. We had lunch on the trail and finally reached the summit around 2:00pm. We hung out on the summit enjoying its spectacular views. On the descent we saw some wildflowers near the end including painted trillium, hobblebush, trout lily and red trillium. All told, we hiked 6.4 miles and climbed 2,025 feet. 

After trail work we took showers back at the house, relaxed on the deck, entertained  Sunshine, enjoyed cold beer and munched on snacks. Then we had our traditional hungry hiker BBQ feast cooked by Jon that included Feta Broccoli Salad, Potato Salad, hand cut sirloin steaks, italian marinaded chicken, vegetable lasagna and hot italian bread from the oven. We all saved room for dessert: chocolate hazelnut caramel bread pudding with whipped cream. After dinner we sat around the living room, went outside to enjoy fireworks put on by Jon/Mike and went into the loft to see pictures taken during the day. The next morning we cooked up pancakes [with maple syrup contributed by Bruce], pan fries, sausage. strawberries, orange juice,  and of course, coffee! 

GayOutdoors provided free lodging and meals for the weekend. Many GO members who helped us out this year earned a free White Mountain National Forest parking pass. GO is listed at all the trailheads as being a trail adopter that provides us with goodwill among the greater hiking community. 

Quite a productive day on our adopted trail! What a great crew! THANK YOU!!! 

Jon and I will be hosting part 1 of our annual trail maintenance day to GayOutdoors' newly adopted trail, Mt. Osceola. We are hopeful that GayOutdoors has enough energetic, ambitious members to keep our trail in top condition. The work itself, cleaning out waterbars, clearing small to medium blowdowns, clipping brush and painting blazes, is fairly easy. We are fortunate to be part of a club of gay men that have the opportunity to go hiking regularly in various places to take in the beauty of the White Mountains. We often oooh and awwwwe at some of the things we see. Now we have the opportunity to be a part of doing something to give back to the hiking community, while working on something we love...hiking trails...and helping make them a place where both ourselves and others can enjoy. We are looking forward to fun, hard work, comaraderie, new skills and friendships! 

The Mt. Osceola trail from Tripoli Road to Mt. Osceola is extremely popular in summer due to its gradual ascent to the highest peak in Waterville Valley and vast panorama from its ledges! It is also popular being on the NH four thousand footer list at 4,340-feet. 

What can we do? We need members to do all sorts of trail maintenance, from cleaning out waterbars, clearing small to medium blowdowns, clipping brush and painting blazes. You don't have to be an expert to help and we can easily train you. All tools are provided. We'll let you in on one of the best kept secrets in the mountains: trail work is fun! Check out last year's pictures. A trail that you have worked on belongs to you in a way that it's difficult to put into words.

This is a rain or shine event, so watch the sky, and bring appropriate clothing. Bring work gloves. If you have loppers, 'large' hedge clippers, or small bow saws at home please bring them. Please dress for all weather conditions. Bring plenty of water, daypack, and lunch. Hiking boots are recommended. 

Let's show everyone that GayOutdoors is serious about giving back to the hiking community, and let's show them what gay men can do! Will you come help us on this day? Feel free to come for the day, or the whole weekend, we are not picky about it, the more hands the better!

We meet at our house at 8AM on Saturday for introductions, choosing tools, and then carpool to the trailhead. It's a full day and we expect to finish around 4pm. Water and snack breaks are taken throughout the day. Lunch will be on the summit [bring your own]. We'll then continue performing trail maintenance a bit further on the ridge leading to East Peak. Keep in mind the day involves hiking 7 miles, climbing 2,025 feet and lots of bending up/down to clip brush and strength to remove blowdowns. If it becomes too much for you, you can turn around on your own and perform a 'second trail maintenance sweep' on the way down. That's OK. You can wait for us back at the cars. 

To say THANK YOU for your efforts you are invited back at our house for the FREE kickin' Hungry Hiker BBQ Feast we put on. And we are not talking about a wimpy dinner. It's the sort of meal you'd expect to be fed to a hungry logger. This Hungry Hiker BBQ Feast is the sort of meal you'd expect to get from a high end restaurant and includes salad, entree and one of Jon's famous desserts! Everyone is invited. Please come back and enjoy this feast with your trail maintenance buddies. We hope your plans will allow you to join us for this feast IN YOUR HONOR! You'll also be eligible for a free White Mountain National Forest parking pass after 16 hours of work [we take care of the recordkeeping]. 

When you arrive at the house after trail maintenance, we take turns taking showers [towels are provided; bring a change of clothing] and then hang out on the outdoor deck having cold beers, wine and appetizers while enjoying views of Sandwich Mountain!

Everyone is invited to spend a FREE weekend at our house Friday and/or Saturday night with breakfast each morning. Sunday breakfast is another hiker feast. It's to die for! We only have 8 bunks so the first 8 guys that contact us to reserve will get one; and let us know if its both nights or one of the nights. If we run out of room, you can tent outside; please also let us know if you'll be tenting. 

As part of GayOutdoors' philosophy, we believe in doing our part to give back to the community. We are really excited about seeing many members sign up for this trail maintenance event. It's great to see friends coming together and willing to give of their time/efforts to make a difference. I'm sure that you'd agree how very proud we are of GO and it's members for taking the initiative. Hats off to each of you. We look forward to seeing each of you at the Mt. Osceola Trail Maintenance Day. As a team, we can get a lot accomplished. Let's do it! 

Namaste and Happy Trails!
Jon and Mike