bryan
New member
date: 9/19/13
trails: old osseo trail, bushwhack
conditions: i parked at a visitors parking area in the clear brook condo area just uphill from the start of the trail. this is roughly .4 miles in from the kancamagus highway via clear brook road. the trail leaves just below the parking area between two large boulders where the road turns uphill to the right. good information can be found here https://www2.bc.edu/~clarke/cbhoa/Osseo/. i had no issue using that parking area, but don't know if it could be a problem during a busier time. the trail is in real nice shape and clearly sees some regular maintenance. a couple junctions with other unofficial trails in the first .5 to watch out for. just stay with the brook and yellow blazing. some wet sections along the brook and a couple stretches of mud and wet going after the second crossing of the brook before the trail begins its relentless climb up to the ridge. though it climbed steeply at times the footing was almost always good with a nice corridor and good blazing. where the trail skirts near the col between whaleback and south whaleback i bushwhacked towards the summit of south peak going over a false summit along the way. on some maps, including the new amc maps, this is marked as the highpoint, but the generally accepted highpoint is farther to the southeast. the going to both summits was a mix of open and scrappy woods. i returned over the false peak and down to the well defined col following this sag back to the trail. the good condition of the old osseo trail continued up to the summit of whaleback despited being quite steep in places as it swithcbacked up the steep slope. some nice viewpoints along the way and near the summit. the trail continues to join the current osseo route, but i can't speak to the condition beyond the summit of whaleback. the two crossings of clear brook were not a problem. some slick rocks.
equipment: nothing in particular.
comments: after thinking about hiking the old osseo trail to whaleback for a number of years i finally got up there today. what a great trail. it also provided a nice proximity to south whaleback via a pretty mellow bushwhack. the final portion of trail up to whaleback was just awesome as it winds up the slope with some great viewpoints over hitchcock, huntington, hancock, the sandwich range, scar ridge, loon, etc. just before the summit is a great view to the head of clear brook ravine and big coolidge with kinsman ridge beyond. just awesome.
bryan
[email protected]
trails: old osseo trail, bushwhack
conditions: i parked at a visitors parking area in the clear brook condo area just uphill from the start of the trail. this is roughly .4 miles in from the kancamagus highway via clear brook road. the trail leaves just below the parking area between two large boulders where the road turns uphill to the right. good information can be found here https://www2.bc.edu/~clarke/cbhoa/Osseo/. i had no issue using that parking area, but don't know if it could be a problem during a busier time. the trail is in real nice shape and clearly sees some regular maintenance. a couple junctions with other unofficial trails in the first .5 to watch out for. just stay with the brook and yellow blazing. some wet sections along the brook and a couple stretches of mud and wet going after the second crossing of the brook before the trail begins its relentless climb up to the ridge. though it climbed steeply at times the footing was almost always good with a nice corridor and good blazing. where the trail skirts near the col between whaleback and south whaleback i bushwhacked towards the summit of south peak going over a false summit along the way. on some maps, including the new amc maps, this is marked as the highpoint, but the generally accepted highpoint is farther to the southeast. the going to both summits was a mix of open and scrappy woods. i returned over the false peak and down to the well defined col following this sag back to the trail. the good condition of the old osseo trail continued up to the summit of whaleback despited being quite steep in places as it swithcbacked up the steep slope. some nice viewpoints along the way and near the summit. the trail continues to join the current osseo route, but i can't speak to the condition beyond the summit of whaleback. the two crossings of clear brook were not a problem. some slick rocks.
equipment: nothing in particular.
comments: after thinking about hiking the old osseo trail to whaleback for a number of years i finally got up there today. what a great trail. it also provided a nice proximity to south whaleback via a pretty mellow bushwhack. the final portion of trail up to whaleback was just awesome as it winds up the slope with some great viewpoints over hitchcock, huntington, hancock, the sandwich range, scar ridge, loon, etc. just before the summit is a great view to the head of clear brook ravine and big coolidge with kinsman ridge beyond. just awesome.
bryan
[email protected]
