tripoli rd gate west end

tripoli rd gate west end
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

Here's the summary of my trip:

• The entire loop was 10.4 miles, which I covered in about 5.5 hours of hiking, for an average pace of about 1.9 mph. The elevation gain from the ski area to Mt Tecumseh's summit was 2200 ft.
• There was no self-serve parking along Tripoli Rd!
• There was snow!
• You can park at Waterville Valley free of charge!
• Both the east and the west gates are open at Tripoli Rd, at this time.
• As I drove past the Mt Osceola parking lot for the last time, I saw an ambulance in the lot, lights flashing. Be careful out there!
• Doing Mt Tecumseh trail as a loop is certainly feasible, but not something I'd prefer to do often.
• At this rate, I wonder when I'll ever make it to the summit of Mt Osceola.

And here's a set of links to each part of this trip report, in chronological order, because blogger doesn't have a good way to group posts:

1. the plan
2. self-serve surprise
3. Mt Tecumseh trailhead at Waterville Valley Resort
4. start of the hike
5. Tecumseh Brook
6. a bit of snow
7. the turn of the trail
8. blue skies
9. recrossing Tecumseh Brook
10. interlude at ski trail view
11. there's snow on them thar hills
12. steeper, snowier
13. Tecumseh meets Sosman
14. summit either way
15. Mt Tecumseh cairn
16. View from Mt Tecumseh
17. bird
18. Moosilauke view
19. Tripoli Rd walk
20. Tripoli Rd continues
21. back to Waterville Valley

This might be my last hike in the Whites this season. It has been very enjoyable so far, despite some minor frustrations and changes of plan. I don't find the idea of hiking in serious snow very appealing, but I might change my mind.

For more info, you may want to check out these web sites:

• Hiker Matt also ran into snow in Nov 2008, but it doesn't look so deep as what I saw.
• Chris Oberg's trip report from who knows when.
• Some random site's trail description - beware, it contains a typo saying to get off on Exit 32 to get to Tripoli Rd, a typo that cost me even more in wasted time. It should have read Exit 31!
• David Metsky's trip report, later in the season of 1998.
• dirt_girl's trip report from August 2004. She did the Mt Osceola trail followed by Tecumseh, which was my original plan.