Trip report
Mt. Osceola Trail Maintenance Weekend
Volunteering DATE: 05/20/2017 - 05/20/2017
Trip/Event Location: Waterville Valley, NH
US
Trip Leader(s): Gandalf
Max # People: 15
Trip Guiding / Event Fee: No, I will not be asking participants for money
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Join us on our annual trail maintenance weekend where we work on our adopted trail. Free lodging all weekend! Great meals! Bonfire and Fireworks! Thanks as always for your efforts in keeping our
...If you are spending Friday night with us, we cannot let you in until 7pm since we both work. Otherwise, on Saturday, meet at our house for 8:00 am so we can make introductions, distribute tools, and arrange carpooling to the trailhead. We are meeting at our house: 676 Upper Mad River Road, Thornton, NH.
Take I-93 and use Exit 28. At the end of the ramp take right onto Rte 49 East for 3.5 miles and take a left on Burbank Hill Road.
During this 3.5 miles, you'll pass a traffic light where there is a dam on your right, then pass a White Mountain National Forest campground and then see a former restaurant for sale on your left. About a mile after the restaurant, you'll see Burbank Hill Road on the left (Goose Hollow Campground sign). If you cross the Mad River on the bridge, you just missed the left turn.
Take a left onto steep Burbank Hill Road and you’ll quickly reach the top of the hill where you take your first right onto Upper Mad River Road (Hiking Sign). The road will soon turn into gravel, you'll pass two apartments on your right and then a house. Our property begins right after this house and after about 200 yards you’ll see a mailbox with "676" which is our house. The house is not very visible from the road.
We now have parking for a number of cars in a gravel lot at the end of the driveway to the right. Be mindful when you park that we are trying to fit a lot of cars so be considerate of other members. If the lot is full when you arrive, please unload your gear and drive back up to the upper parking lot.
Trip Report/Photos
Ten of us worked to get our adopted trail in great condition for the hiking season!
We performed trail work on our adopted trail [Mt. Osceola Trail] from both Tripoli Road and Kancamagus Highway via the Greeley Ponds Trail. This is a very popular trail so it requires a lot of attention to protect them from all that loving they get :-)
With an agreement made with the Forest Service, GayOutdoors adopted Mt. Osceola Trail; it's 5.7 miles long, it has two 4,000 footers [Mt. Osceola at 4,340 ft. and East Osceola at 4,156 ft.] and can be reached either from Tripoli Road or the Kancamagus Highway. GayOutdoors has purchased tools for trail maintenance over the years just because we think it's the right thing to do and happy to share them with all the GO members that help us out each year. You can learn a lot about trail maintenance by working with us!
Friday, the travel day to the Mad River Lodge, we got caught up with each other’s activities.
Breakfast for each morning included coffee, bagels, fresh fruit, yogurt, and hard boiled eggs.
On Saturday after breakfast we discussed the basics of trail maintenance, the work that had to be done, and make arrangements for carpooling. We broke up into two teams: Jon's team started from the Tripoli Road trailhead to the summit of Mt. Osceola while Mike's team started from the Kancamagus Highway. We spent the day cleaning all the waterbars, removing blowdowns and cutting back encroaching vegetation.
Congrats to Rob who finished his 41st peak on the NH 4,000 footers, Sylvain for finishing his first NH 4,000 footers and the other members who climbed this peak for the first time!
We encountered many people who thanked us for our work as they made their way to both summits. The weather was ideal with cool temperatures, plenty of sunshine, and hardly any bugs at higher elevations. Both teams arrived back at the house around 4:30pm.
After trail work we took showers back at the house, relaxed outside on the deck with wine/beer and appetizers. Then we had our traditional hungry hiker BBQ feast cooked by Jon that included herb grilled chicken, baby back ribs, garden salad, pasta salad, coleslaw and corn bread. For dessert we had a strawberry and cream layer cake!
After dinner we sat around a roaring bonfire followed by fireworks.
GayOutdoors provided free lodging and meals for the weekend. Many GO members who helped us out this year earned a free White Mountain National Forest parking pass. GO is recognized as being a trail adopter that provides us with goodwill among the greater hiking community.
Quite a productive day on our adopted trail! What a great crew! THANK YOU!!!
Trip Report by Mike
Trip Pictures by Mike and Jon
There are 81 photos in Album (Note: Move mouse pointer over larger pic and click on NEXT for better viewing)
What Members Are Saying About This Trip/Event
- It was a perfect week end from a to z. Our hosts make us feel like home. The group sinergy was fantastic and the weather absolutely perfect. And what about the dinner and the fireworks, Perfection!!! - Stephinmtl
- Mike & Jon- What an honor to take part in keeping such an impressive trail groomed for all fellow-hikers. I was astonished just how fast a winter can take havoc with downed trees and clogged water bars. With all the many “thanks” from passing hikers, working along & the socializing with a great group of guys, the awesome dinner by Jon, and the bonfire and fireworks…. I realized you guys were right! I walked away much more appreciative from the whole experience. Thanks so much! - TIMber64
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Stephinmtl
May 24, 2017 at 1:31 PM
Comment: It was a perfect week end from a to z. Our hosts make us feel like home. The group sinergy was fantastic and the weather absolutely perfect. And what about the dinner and the fireworks, Perfection!!! 
TIMber64
May 23, 2017 at 5:22 PM
Comment: Mike & Jon- What an honor to take part in keeping such an impressive trail groomed for all fellow-hikers. I was astonished just how fast a winter can take havoc with downed trees and clogged water bars. With all the many “thanks” from passing hikers, working along & the socializing with a great group of guys, the awesome dinner by Jon, and the bonfire and fireworks…. I realized you guys were right! I walked away much more appreciative from the whole experience. Thanks so much! |
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