BIGEarl
Well-known member
February 27, 2010: Osceolas Attempt
Trails: Greeley Ponds Trail, Mt. Osceola Trail
Summits: None
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue), Ascend702 (Jerry), Tom and me
With the large amount of snow during the week we decided on a short hike knowing we would need extra time to take on anything. The Osceolas were the target. We planned to meet Jerry at the trailhead and get started at 7:00am. We were pleasantly surprised to see Tom there as well (it’s unusual to have a Tom & Jerry hike). We quickly geared up and set off on the Greeley Ponds Trail a few minutes later than planned.
We were the first ones in and enjoyed opening the trial up. For the first third of the hike to the junction with the Mount Osceola Trail the trees along each side of the trail were bent over and generally blocking the trail. Everything was a mess. We spent more time off trail than on. When we were on-trail we were also plowing through bent over trees. Eventually we reached a point where the trail was too much and decided to head west – southwest in search of easier hiking. Eventually we made our way to a ski trail corridor that ran parallel to the Greeley Ponds Trail. It has quite a few blowdowns on it as well but is still much easier to work with than the hiking trail. We followed it south and back to the Greeley Ponds Trail. The remainder of the Greeley Ponds Trail to the junction was difficult. A short distance before the junction we needed to stop. Sue had a broken snowshoe binding to take care of.
I knew Farmer and ferrisjrf were starting up behind us by about an hour and expected to see them at some point. A short time after we stopped Ryan and Jason came through and stopped for a visit. Of course, they took off ahead of us and assumed the trail breaking duties.
We hit the trail junction with the Mount Osceola Trail, stopped for Sue to take another look at her snowshoes, and were soon headed for the climb. Slowly we made our way to the steep climb adjacent to the East Osceola Slide. The deep snow offered very little traction and climbing was difficult. We reached a point where making forward progress required the use of both feet and both arms. Now, I had a problem. Attempting to pull myself up with my right arm is very risky and I twice came close to pulling my shoulder apart before deciding to stop at 3400 feet. Continuing would have most likely ended in serious injury. I know how to get the shoulder back together once it comes apart but it is still an unpleasant experience.
While we were in the process of making the decision to turn around another couple of hikers came through and they were now following in the tracks of Ryan and Jason. While we were on the return hike we met another group on their climb.
We made our way back to the Greeley Ponds Trail junction and continued to follow the tracked route to the trailhead. It was good to see everybody after us had followed our tracks and there is now a pretty nice snowshoe track. Even though it doesn’t follow the blazed trail all of the way in it’s a pretty good route.
I really hate to start something and not finish it but in this case there was no choice. At the start I had no doubts in my ability to climb East Osceola on the MSR’s, but I was wrong (actually it wasn’t the snowshoes, it was me).
Sorry gang for having to bail.
Trails: Greeley Ponds Trail, Mt. Osceola Trail
Summits: None
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue), Ascend702 (Jerry), Tom and me
With the large amount of snow during the week we decided on a short hike knowing we would need extra time to take on anything. The Osceolas were the target. We planned to meet Jerry at the trailhead and get started at 7:00am. We were pleasantly surprised to see Tom there as well (it’s unusual to have a Tom & Jerry hike). We quickly geared up and set off on the Greeley Ponds Trail a few minutes later than planned.
We were the first ones in and enjoyed opening the trial up. For the first third of the hike to the junction with the Mount Osceola Trail the trees along each side of the trail were bent over and generally blocking the trail. Everything was a mess. We spent more time off trail than on. When we were on-trail we were also plowing through bent over trees. Eventually we reached a point where the trail was too much and decided to head west – southwest in search of easier hiking. Eventually we made our way to a ski trail corridor that ran parallel to the Greeley Ponds Trail. It has quite a few blowdowns on it as well but is still much easier to work with than the hiking trail. We followed it south and back to the Greeley Ponds Trail. The remainder of the Greeley Ponds Trail to the junction was difficult. A short distance before the junction we needed to stop. Sue had a broken snowshoe binding to take care of.
I knew Farmer and ferrisjrf were starting up behind us by about an hour and expected to see them at some point. A short time after we stopped Ryan and Jason came through and stopped for a visit. Of course, they took off ahead of us and assumed the trail breaking duties.
We hit the trail junction with the Mount Osceola Trail, stopped for Sue to take another look at her snowshoes, and were soon headed for the climb. Slowly we made our way to the steep climb adjacent to the East Osceola Slide. The deep snow offered very little traction and climbing was difficult. We reached a point where making forward progress required the use of both feet and both arms. Now, I had a problem. Attempting to pull myself up with my right arm is very risky and I twice came close to pulling my shoulder apart before deciding to stop at 3400 feet. Continuing would have most likely ended in serious injury. I know how to get the shoulder back together once it comes apart but it is still an unpleasant experience.
While we were in the process of making the decision to turn around another couple of hikers came through and they were now following in the tracks of Ryan and Jason. While we were on the return hike we met another group on their climb.
We made our way back to the Greeley Ponds Trail junction and continued to follow the tracked route to the trailhead. It was good to see everybody after us had followed our tracks and there is now a pretty nice snowshoe track. Even though it doesn’t follow the blazed trail all of the way in it’s a pretty good route.
I really hate to start something and not finish it but in this case there was no choice. At the start I had no doubts in my ability to climb East Osceola on the MSR’s, but I was wrong (actually it wasn’t the snowshoes, it was me).
Sorry gang for having to bail.
