Mount Tecumseh Trail from Tripoli Road, 6.2 miles, 2600’, 4:00, Solo
After eight very long months, I managed to get back to the Whites and the four-thousand footers. I won't go into the knee problems in detail here, except to say that I made it up and down relatively pain free.
Before the knees were a problem, I had intended to save Tecumseh for when the kids were big enough to come along. It isn't going anywhere so it can still be their first 4K. The views are pretty restricted, although you can clearly see the three cones on Mount Tripyramid, or you could on most days. Today was overcast and misty and the landscape photos did not come out well.
Right out of the lot, the trail dips down and over two small streams which converge a short ways down hill. Here is my 'artistic' shot for the trip, taken in manual mode f8 at 1/4 sec. I tried very hard to hold the camera still, propping it on a stick. Not horrible for my first attempt, considering it is a digital point-and-shoot.
Fifteen minutes in, the sounds of the streams are gone, along with the tents, campers, and barking dogs. The trail is mostly dirt along the lower third, through somewhat open woods. There were some of the largest birch trees I've ever seen in this area. The ground was damp from yesterday's rain, a bit slippery, but not muddy.
The Mount Tecumseh trail has a lot of lush green vegetation. Not much for wildflowers as the trout lillies were all gone past, and the ladyslippers were past peak. The bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) was was quite abundant. Here it is recycling the nutrients from the dead tree, which at some point also sheltered an animal or two.
The second third of this trail flattens out a bit, and you begin to see glimpses of Osceola across Tripoli Road. There were many signs of moose, and although I was the first to pass this morning, and was extra careful to be quiet, I did not see any. This area consisted of several clearings, with scattered hardwoods.
It was in this area I found this interesting "stop light"-colored moss - red and yellow in a sea of green.
At about 2.2 miles in (3700' or so) there is a spur trail which leads to a view of Mount Moosilauke, Mount Cushman and Mount Kineo. Today, all three were pretty well in the clouds, and the haze. There is a false summit here, and on the way back two different groups were passing by and both asked if this was the top. No, you have another 25 minutes or so. And the first 10 are down hill! Yep, into the saddle before climbing up to the cone.
After one final somewhat steep push, the summit cairn magically appears. I had my lunch here looking over at Mount Tripyramid, and trying to follow the XC ski trails I know so well. Snow's Mountain and Cocoran pond are obvious, but with the tree cover so thick, the trails are impossible to spot. They are very obvious from the ski area summit in winter (I chose to skip this in the interest of getting home, especially since the visibility was so limited.)
Total hike time was right on 4 hours, including the lunch break, and a few conversations. The time up and time down were just about even at 1 hour 45 minutes each. Even picking my way along with tender knees I came out ahead of book time.
All photos:
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/559594127hjnoTL
Tim
After eight very long months, I managed to get back to the Whites and the four-thousand footers. I won't go into the knee problems in detail here, except to say that I made it up and down relatively pain free.
Before the knees were a problem, I had intended to save Tecumseh for when the kids were big enough to come along. It isn't going anywhere so it can still be their first 4K. The views are pretty restricted, although you can clearly see the three cones on Mount Tripyramid, or you could on most days. Today was overcast and misty and the landscape photos did not come out well.
Right out of the lot, the trail dips down and over two small streams which converge a short ways down hill. Here is my 'artistic' shot for the trip, taken in manual mode f8 at 1/4 sec. I tried very hard to hold the camera still, propping it on a stick. Not horrible for my first attempt, considering it is a digital point-and-shoot.
Fifteen minutes in, the sounds of the streams are gone, along with the tents, campers, and barking dogs. The trail is mostly dirt along the lower third, through somewhat open woods. There were some of the largest birch trees I've ever seen in this area. The ground was damp from yesterday's rain, a bit slippery, but not muddy.
The Mount Tecumseh trail has a lot of lush green vegetation. Not much for wildflowers as the trout lillies were all gone past, and the ladyslippers were past peak. The bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) was was quite abundant. Here it is recycling the nutrients from the dead tree, which at some point also sheltered an animal or two.
The second third of this trail flattens out a bit, and you begin to see glimpses of Osceola across Tripoli Road. There were many signs of moose, and although I was the first to pass this morning, and was extra careful to be quiet, I did not see any. This area consisted of several clearings, with scattered hardwoods.
It was in this area I found this interesting "stop light"-colored moss - red and yellow in a sea of green.
At about 2.2 miles in (3700' or so) there is a spur trail which leads to a view of Mount Moosilauke, Mount Cushman and Mount Kineo. Today, all three were pretty well in the clouds, and the haze. There is a false summit here, and on the way back two different groups were passing by and both asked if this was the top. No, you have another 25 minutes or so. And the first 10 are down hill! Yep, into the saddle before climbing up to the cone.
After one final somewhat steep push, the summit cairn magically appears. I had my lunch here looking over at Mount Tripyramid, and trying to follow the XC ski trails I know so well. Snow's Mountain and Cocoran pond are obvious, but with the tree cover so thick, the trails are impossible to spot. They are very obvious from the ski area summit in winter (I chose to skip this in the interest of getting home, especially since the visibility was so limited.)
Total hike time was right on 4 hours, including the lunch break, and a few conversations. The time up and time down were just about even at 1 hour 45 minutes each. Even picking my way along with tender knees I came out ahead of book time.
All photos:
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/559594127hjnoTL
Tim
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