slevasse
New member
After seeing NH_Mtn_Hiker's avatar I was intrigued and had emailed him about the Osceola slide. It didn't sound like that bad of a trip, so I figured maybe next year I would give it a try. Well my ice climbing partner wasn't able to climb and I didn't want to waste what was supposed to be beautiful weather, so I decided I would give it a try on Saturday.
My alarm went off at 5 am and snooze was promptly hit. I managed to get moving and out the door so that I arrived at the East Pond trail parking lot on the Kanc about 7 am. I was on the trail by 7:30 thinking I would be back by noon. I soon came to the first river crossing and started to bushwack up the river to the slide. I followed a set of ski tracks that appeared to be old but still on the better parts of the river snow covering. Well after falling through the snow into the river twice
(thank you waterproof boots!) and struggling to get the snowshoes and my feet back onto drier land, I decided that maybe I should stick the edge of the river.
I eventually came to a fairly well beaten down trail marked with orange surveyors tape and as it was going in the mostly the right direction I hopped on that trail. It soon dumped me off at the bottom of the slide and I began snowshoeing up the slide to the ice flows.
The weather was incredible as most of you can verify if you were out on Saturday. I soon reached the small ice flows just before the slide starts to really climb and swapped over to my crampons and got out my ice axes. The ice was really soft and wet but made for great soloing conditions! I eventually came to where the slide really starts to climb and splits off in 3 directions. As I wasn't in much of a rush I decided to climb the ice branching off towards the Osceolla peak and then downclimbed back to my pack to continue my trip.
Rather than take the longer and not quite as steep middle route, I opted for the slide that takes a sharp left at the intersection and had some stellar moderate to easy ice to play on. I thought now this is a great day!
Upon reaching the top of the slide and starting the bushwack to the ridge trail my opinion might have changed a few times! The snow was chest deep and I had to use my axes to pull myself along, hooking trees and swimming through the snow. I finally decided to try my snowshoes and stowed both axes and crampons. What an improvement! Now I was only sinking into my waist! After what seemed like an eternity of fighting through the snow, getting stabbed in the next and head by sharp little branches and wondering when the fun was going to end, I finally came across the trail.
After taking a bit to get my bearings, I headed towards the east Peak. I ran into Teddy (I believe that was his name), a beautiful golden and husky mix and his owner and a couple other people.
I was never so happy to see the descent and being able to glissade for quite a ways. Finally reaching the Greeley pond trail and then the kanc for the exciting walk down the road back to my car. Thinking it was later than I expected but not much I was rather surprised to see it was 3 pm!
It was definitely a great day and could only have been improved with having some company...to break trail in the upper bushwack!
My alarm went off at 5 am and snooze was promptly hit. I managed to get moving and out the door so that I arrived at the East Pond trail parking lot on the Kanc about 7 am. I was on the trail by 7:30 thinking I would be back by noon. I soon came to the first river crossing and started to bushwack up the river to the slide. I followed a set of ski tracks that appeared to be old but still on the better parts of the river snow covering. Well after falling through the snow into the river twice
(thank you waterproof boots!) and struggling to get the snowshoes and my feet back onto drier land, I decided that maybe I should stick the edge of the river. I eventually came to a fairly well beaten down trail marked with orange surveyors tape and as it was going in the mostly the right direction I hopped on that trail. It soon dumped me off at the bottom of the slide and I began snowshoeing up the slide to the ice flows.
The weather was incredible as most of you can verify if you were out on Saturday. I soon reached the small ice flows just before the slide starts to really climb and swapped over to my crampons and got out my ice axes. The ice was really soft and wet but made for great soloing conditions! I eventually came to where the slide really starts to climb and splits off in 3 directions. As I wasn't in much of a rush I decided to climb the ice branching off towards the Osceolla peak and then downclimbed back to my pack to continue my trip.
Rather than take the longer and not quite as steep middle route, I opted for the slide that takes a sharp left at the intersection and had some stellar moderate to easy ice to play on. I thought now this is a great day!
Upon reaching the top of the slide and starting the bushwack to the ridge trail my opinion might have changed a few times! The snow was chest deep and I had to use my axes to pull myself along, hooking trees and swimming through the snow. I finally decided to try my snowshoes and stowed both axes and crampons. What an improvement! Now I was only sinking into my waist! After what seemed like an eternity of fighting through the snow, getting stabbed in the next and head by sharp little branches and wondering when the fun was going to end, I finally came across the trail.
After taking a bit to get my bearings, I headed towards the east Peak. I ran into Teddy (I believe that was his name), a beautiful golden and husky mix and his owner and a couple other people.
I was never so happy to see the descent and being able to glissade for quite a ways. Finally reaching the Greeley pond trail and then the kanc for the exciting walk down the road back to my car. Thinking it was later than I expected but not much I was rather surprised to see it was 3 pm!
It was definitely a great day and could only have been improved with having some company...to break trail in the upper bushwack!
