Mt Flume via Old & New Osseo Trails 6/19/2010

[Forester Jake]

Awesome TR Jazzbo! Fisher Cat and I maintain the current Osseo (along with our wives) and you def have piqued my curiosity to explore the original route- esp the upper half! We've followed the old route a ways from where it intersects with the new trail (very easy to miss...hidden on a sharp woody corner, but for those paying attn, there is a very old "W" carved in a tree at head height at this spot... i almost think we had put a yellow trail blaze on this same tree when we were reblazing last year so that it would be easier to find in the future??) and the treadway was easy to follow even tho there were numerous blowdowns. It's def on my to-do list this hiking season if the time permits me to stop (trail) work and to go exploring instead. Thanks for sharing the notes and pics!!

 

[TroutBumNH]

i almost think we had put a yellow trail blaze on this same tree when we were reblazing last year so that it would be easier to find in the future??)

You did... I noticed it when I did the new Osseo to Flume last November

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I did it in November, 2003 with Brutus and a couple of friends. The trail to Whaleback was in pretty good shape - it was obvious someone was maintaining it. Once we hit the blowdowns, it was slow-going, not only for ourselves, but for Brutus as he was too big to go under them. I remember stuffing our packs between some of the trunks to create a bridge - he figured out what we were doing and used them. Because of the blowdowns it took longer than we expected.

 

[grouseking]

Awesome adventure Jazzbo!! This is something I've been interested in doing, but don't like the thought of bushwhacking. I want to see different viewpoints. Maybe someday, but definitely not today.

grouseking

 

[Fisher Cat]

You did... I noticed it when I did the new Osseo to Flume last November

Actually we never did, but as we were hiking and working on blazes, trying to locate the best trees to use and their vantage from both the descending and ascending angle, we stumbled upon the birch. I guess we figured why draw anymore attention to it than had already been done. Certainly an aware eye will catch the "W".

I have a picture of the birch with the "W" (no blaze) but I didn't want to post it as we have noticed several other carvings on the trail this year and last that are totally unrelated to any form of trail navigation.

There is always the possibility that there is the shadow of an old blaze done by previous maintainers of the past that is still visible. Maybe the pic I have reveals that, but I do know we didn't put one on that particular birch.