The only reasonable way up Mount Tecumseh in the winter begins at the Waterville Valley Ski area. We decided to sneak a quick hike in on Christmas Eve since we had the day off and figured the trails would be relatively empty.
Fortunately, since we had already hiked this peak over the summer we knew exactly where to find the trail head. It can be slightly tricky if you haven't been to the ski area yet. Over the summer there was some sort of running/biking event going on with roads closed all over the place making it a bit tricky.
Christmas Eve was very, very cold up north. Winter hiking its tricky because nearly the whole way up your sweating like a madman carrying all that gear. Somewhere near the top some random part of your body starts to get cold- your nose, your pinky, one ear- and you have to stop and layer up some more. This is a huge reason that I prefer hiking with just one other person in the winter. Groups stop frequently and it is hard to stay warm enough while waiting and cool enough while hiking.
The trail was nicely packed down and snowshoes were not required. We wore our Microspikes which were perfect for the trail conditions. The entire way up we didn't bump into a soul although the grinding of the chair lift could be heard in the distance. Near the top the wind was humming and the temperature dropped very significantly Views to one side of the mountain could be seen while hiking up and on the summit.
The climb overall was great. My legs screamed on the climb and my lungs cleared right out with all that freezing cold fresh air. Hikes like these make me feel so much more alive.
