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Thanks to Jason's trip report and some additional information he provided on finding the trailhead (such nice people are on this site), I hiked to Whaleback via the Old Osseo Trail and then well beyond, but not reaching the new Osseo. His report on the trail up to Whaleback matches my impressions. The trail is in better shape and blazed than many others I've been on.
Beyond Whaleback there is snow on long stretches which could be deep; gaiters needed. Snowshoes would help except it would be tough getting over some of the blowdown without removing them each time. There is quite a bit of blowdown but by crawling under, stepping on or sometimes walking around I found I could still follow the paint blazes without any problems until I hit a large stand of fir falling apart, which not only led to large numbers of stems across the trail but thick regen in and around it. With the help of temporary flagging I eventually found the trail on the other side and went further until I hit another. Long pants would have helped in these areas. Having a second person along and maybe a GPS would have made things much easier. The mighty tough little dog was willing (how he got through that stuff so fast I'll never know), but I had to get back and so I bailed. So I have to find some way to finish the last stretch from the new trail (which will not be easy) and then do the Black River trail to finish the trails on the Delorme Map in NH.
Thanks Jason.
Beyond Whaleback there is snow on long stretches which could be deep; gaiters needed. Snowshoes would help except it would be tough getting over some of the blowdown without removing them each time. There is quite a bit of blowdown but by crawling under, stepping on or sometimes walking around I found I could still follow the paint blazes without any problems until I hit a large stand of fir falling apart, which not only led to large numbers of stems across the trail but thick regen in and around it. With the help of temporary flagging I eventually found the trail on the other side and went further until I hit another. Long pants would have helped in these areas. Having a second person along and maybe a GPS would have made things much easier. The mighty tough little dog was willing (how he got through that stuff so fast I'll never know), but I had to get back and so I bailed. So I have to find some way to finish the last stretch from the new trail (which will not be easy) and then do the Black River trail to finish the trails on the Delorme Map in NH.
Thanks Jason.
