bryan
New member
date: 7/19/14
trails: east pond trail, bushwhack, mt osceola trail, greeley ponds trail
conditions: parked at east pond trail and left another car at greeley ponds trailhead. we hiked up east pond trail to roughly 2100 feet and headed in to pick up the main drainage of pine brook which drains the dog leg slide. woods were ok to the brook. it was clear that staying along the brook at that point would be foolish so we continued on the west side within earshot and dropped down in the slide track once it really opened up. good rock hopping up the track and along the brook which disappeared underground for a bit before reappearing as the slide started to climb in a series of steps, some with nice waterfalls, to the dog leg turn. we got up the first step carefully to the east, but then had to take to the woods around some spots that were too wet to be passable. some thick, but ok going in woods on the west side. once up at the turn in the slide we bypassed one more very wet section and were then at the base of the rocky upper portion of the slide. from there to the top it was mostly dry going with lots of loose rock with interspersed ledge. we hit the woods above the slide expecting a short bushwhack to the summit of osceola, but almost immediately stumbled into a wide cut corridor heading up the mountain. some cuts were old, but some were pretty recent and looked to be made for winter ski access. this corridor continued up to within 75 yards or so of the summit ledges before discreetly petering out (as bootleg ski trails have a way of doing). a short push through some thick growth and we were on the summit ledges. the trail over to east osceola and down was generally dry. I had not been on that section of trail in non-winter in a number of years and had forgotten just how rough it is. greeley ponds trail was mostly dry out to the parking lot. brook crossings were all pretty easily rock hopped today.
equipment: nothing in particular.
comments: this is one of those routes jeremy and i had talked about for a while and i am glad we gave it a go today. very cool scenery heading up the slide with the track laid out ahead and the over hanging cliffs on osceola higher up. views just kept unfolding behind us and while hazy were still quite nice. other than being pretty wet and slippery in places the climbing was good, but we definitely didn't hesitate taking to the woods in a couple real wet sections. the upper climb was a treat. encountering the cut ski trail allowing access from the summit to the top of the slide was an interesting surprise. looks to have been there for a while and pretty well maintained. had not been on osceola since a couple winters ago. nice to get back up there. thanks to jeremy for a great hike.
bryan
[email protected]
trails: east pond trail, bushwhack, mt osceola trail, greeley ponds trail
conditions: parked at east pond trail and left another car at greeley ponds trailhead. we hiked up east pond trail to roughly 2100 feet and headed in to pick up the main drainage of pine brook which drains the dog leg slide. woods were ok to the brook. it was clear that staying along the brook at that point would be foolish so we continued on the west side within earshot and dropped down in the slide track once it really opened up. good rock hopping up the track and along the brook which disappeared underground for a bit before reappearing as the slide started to climb in a series of steps, some with nice waterfalls, to the dog leg turn. we got up the first step carefully to the east, but then had to take to the woods around some spots that were too wet to be passable. some thick, but ok going in woods on the west side. once up at the turn in the slide we bypassed one more very wet section and were then at the base of the rocky upper portion of the slide. from there to the top it was mostly dry going with lots of loose rock with interspersed ledge. we hit the woods above the slide expecting a short bushwhack to the summit of osceola, but almost immediately stumbled into a wide cut corridor heading up the mountain. some cuts were old, but some were pretty recent and looked to be made for winter ski access. this corridor continued up to within 75 yards or so of the summit ledges before discreetly petering out (as bootleg ski trails have a way of doing). a short push through some thick growth and we were on the summit ledges. the trail over to east osceola and down was generally dry. I had not been on that section of trail in non-winter in a number of years and had forgotten just how rough it is. greeley ponds trail was mostly dry out to the parking lot. brook crossings were all pretty easily rock hopped today.
equipment: nothing in particular.
comments: this is one of those routes jeremy and i had talked about for a while and i am glad we gave it a go today. very cool scenery heading up the slide with the track laid out ahead and the over hanging cliffs on osceola higher up. views just kept unfolding behind us and while hazy were still quite nice. other than being pretty wet and slippery in places the climbing was good, but we definitely didn't hesitate taking to the woods in a couple real wet sections. the upper climb was a treat. encountering the cut ski trail allowing access from the summit to the top of the slide was an interesting surprise. looks to have been there for a while and pretty well maintained. had not been on osceola since a couple winters ago. nice to get back up there. thanks to jeremy for a great hike.
bryan
[email protected]
