East Osceola - 6/15/24
4156 feet - 5.6 mi
My first 4k-er of 2024, and one I had been jokingly referring to as my "white whale" since we turned back on the trip across the ridge from Mt. Osceola. Since we'd already done Osceola, I wanted to do the east summit from the greeley ponds trailhead. It's one of the shorter 4k-er's by mileage though it is rugged. My dad and brother joined me on this one, and I left my dog at home because I knew it would be steep and rocky.
On the drive in I took a bathroom break at one of the lovely scenic overlooks the state maintains and couldn't help stopping to take a picture. The Osceolas are visible on the left side of this picture although I'm not sure exactly which peak is which.
The first 1.3 miles are a breeze, about as flat as you can find in the Whites. Not far from the trailhead you have to cross a brook, the south fork of the Hancock branch of the Pemigewasset. It was no trouble for us but I imagine it could be in the spring when the water is higher. Aside from that it was easy walking.
We reached the intersection of the Greeley Ponds Trail and the Mt. Osceola trail, and the from there the hike got significantly more rugged. Mostly steep rocky sections for the remaining 1.5 miles to the summit. Not the steepest or rockiest in these mountains by any means, but no longer a nice easy walk.
About 2/3rds to 3/4ths of the way up this section, there was a slabby, gravelly section that made me sure of my decision not to bring the dog. However, it also provided excellent views to the east, with one of the Greeley Ponds visible in the valley below.
Just above this there was once more narrow, steep, and rocky section and then we popped out onto a false summit of sorts which provided excellent views to the west and also a closer glimpse of the osceola peaks.
Above this point the hike gets a bit easier again, still a few steep parts but overall an easier grade as it makes the final push to the summit.
Bonus pic of a plant at the summit that caught my eye. I think they might be alpine currants, although we were too early to see any fruits.
The descent on this one was without incident, although definitely one to be cautious with. It would be very tricky when wet, and even when dry required some butt-scooting and use of hands. I think it took the 3 of us around 5 hours total.