East Peak Osceola Trail Work Hike

We all crushed it at our Trail Maintenance Pride Event!! Thank you to our amazing volunteers who made the day possible. Five members cut back encroaching vegetation and removed downed trees on the east side of our adopted trail that includes East Peak.

We started from the Kancamagus Highway/Greeley Ponds entrance. For anyone unfamiliar with the trail, from Greely Pond junction to the summit of East Osceola is unrelentingly steep for most of the way, skirting to right of a large rock face. At the broken ledges on upper portion of slide we had a fine view straight down at green-tinted Upper Greeley Pond, East to Mt. Kancamagus and northeast to many distant peaks. We decided to break for lunch here.  

Once we reached the shoulder of East Osceola, we took the side path right to an outlook west to main ridge of Osceola, Split Cliff; Scar Ridge and beyond. We reached the wooded, mostly viewless summit [4156 ft.] where we took a group shot. We continued a bit further on the main peak where we took down a couple of leaners and then called it a day.

We saw many Saw many Lady Slippers, Bunchberries, and Blue Bead Lilies in bloom. On the descent we noted the cliffs of the northeast spur of East Osceola. We hiked 5.6 miles roundtrip with 2,116 feet elevation gain. 

It's great to see friends coming together and willing to give of their time/efforts to make a difference!

Jim joined us back to the Mad River Lodge where Larkin, Nicole and Alex were waiting for us. They had hiked the Franconia Ridge and stopped by to say hello. We sat on the deck enjoying a cold beer followed by an incredible dinner cooked up by Jon: BBQ Pork, Grilled Chicken, Roasted vegetables, pesto pasta salad, quinoa, and a garden salad.

I'm sure that you'd agree how very proud we are of GO and its members for taking the initiative. As a team, we can get a lot accomplished.  Hats off to each of you!

A trail that you have worked on belongs to you in a way that it's difficult to put into words. A personal “Thank You” to the crew for a job well done. That message was continuously given us as hikers went by all day making it ALL worthwhile.

Mike and Jon

FUN trail work hike as we finish part two of trail maintenance on this 4,000 footer followed by a BBQ at the Mad River Lodge! GayOutdoors Trail Maintenance Weekend is a weekend of camaraderie and fun mixed in with outdoor work as we get the East Peak of Mt. Osceola Trail ready for the Summer Season!

Flat topped East Osceola at 4,156 feet is one of the White Mountains' least distinguishable peaks but when adding trail maintenance work, it makes its more exciting! The hike includes a very steep half-mile climb. There are fine views on the ascent from the upper portion of the slide and from a side path once we reach the ridge. We will also perform trail maintenance on the ridge between East Osceola and Mount Osceola. 

We are fortunate to be part of a club of gay men that has the opportunity to go hiking regularly to take in the beauty of the White Mountains. 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, comraderie, new skills and friendships! 

At the end of the day we will return back to the Mad River Lodge to enjoy the comraderie, chatter and gossip! Showers our available with towels so everyone can clean up. Bring a change of clean clothing. We first start off on our outdoor deck with appetizers and cold drinks. Please bring your own beer/wine…we do not provide beverages. We’ll then cook up Trail Crew BBQ feast worth working for! We ask $10 to our food costs. 

You don't have to be an expert to help and we can easily train you. All tools are provided. The work itself, clipping brush, cleaning out waterbars, and clearing small to medium blowdowns, is fairly easy. But keep mind you will be hiking up a mountain and working at the same time. It involves hiking 5.6 miles, climbing 2,216 feet and lots of bending up/down to clip brush. 

What to wear/bring: Wear clothing suitable for the hike in layers...no cotton or blue jeans.  Bring work gloves. Have a rain jacket in the event of inclement weather. Bring along plenty of water (at least 2 liters), lunch, snacks and anything else you may require for a day hike. Contact us if you have any questions. 

Lodging Option: Bunk beds are available at our house [with Wi Fi] near Waterville Valley, NH for Friday and/or Saturday nights. It's $25 for Friday night, $35 for Saturday that includes dinner or $60 for the weekend. Coffee/bagels each morning and linen/blankets/towels are provided. Space is limited so email ASAP to reserve a bunk!