Mount Osceola and East Osceola 6.15.2013

The wonderful thing about tackling the list of 4,000 footers- is that it has gotten us completely hooked on hiking. To start our year off- we were just as eager to rehike some of our favorites and to try other trail approaches. The Osceola's were a good bet because they weren't as far of a drive as some hikes still left on our list (like Cabot). Plus, when we hiked the Osceola's last year the peaks were shrouded in thick fog and rain, so actually getting to see the view was a pretty good motivator.

Approaching Osceola

Turns out that we missed out last year hardcore- the views are amazing!! The peaks are relatively easy ones for distances and elevation gain and you're rewarded with spectacular views.







Over the winter we hiked some, snowshoed a little, but didn't nearly keep up with the distances we hit last summer. So this year was a hard start for us. Our brains were ready for big hikes like Owl's Head, but our bodies were thinking we should stick to things like the Kinsmans. It doesn't help that the weather this year has been long stretches of brutal. When it's not hot and humid in the 90s, its hot and humid with thunderstorms in the 90s.







So Osceola was a great hike to redo. Our legs needed the work and our brains needed the views. Also I wanted to show pictures of the Chimney- a rocky stretch between Osceola and East Osceola that can be extremely difficult in the winter given the level of snow cover. It's completely manageable when dry in the summer.