Mt. Tecumseh Post Thanksgiving Hike

Mt. Tecumseh ranks 48th in height, the smallest mountain on the list of NH 4ks. This may be the easiest of the 4000- footers in winter."   

On a cold morning the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we hiked up Mt. Tecumseh from the Waterville Valley Ski area. Because this is a short hike our start time was later than usual; later in the day meant warmer air temperature. Our meeting time was 10AM. The ski area was operating but with many trails closed there were not many cars in the parking lot so we could find parking near the trailhead.   

What a nice trail that was smoothed over with the snow! We put on MicroSpikes for this hike. We had a great day for hiking, and we were optimistic to see a view!

The trail was packed snow/ice. That said, we have not yet had enough snow so some rocks on the trail were still poking out from the trail. It’s a faster hike with more snow on the ground but I’m not complaining. The higher we hiked we encountered more snow!

The first water crossing was no problem and the two larger ones were easy rock hops. We adopted a slow pace up the trail, tramping on the white snowscape.  At the viewpoint (one of Waterville Valley's ski runs) we stopped and took a break.  At the viewpoint we turned right and up a noticeably steeper trail. We continued our comfortable pace with our MicroSpikes still holding on the steeper sections. Once we reached the junction of Sosman trail where the trail plateaued, we renewed our excitement - we were almost there!

A narrower path brought us to the summit.  It was cold and windy at the top causing a wind chill of eight below zero. With our extra layers on, and hand warmers in our mittens, we stayed at the summit for a few minutes enjoying the gorgeous views! It was too cold on the summit for lunch so we dropped back down to the Sosman trail junction and decided we would just have a quick snack due to the cold.

The trail was perfect for hiking today. Great day to be out there!

Afterwards we went into the Waterville Valley Ski Lodge for beer. Rick came back to our house for beverages/appetizers by the fireplace followed by Thanksgiving leftovers for dinner.   

~ Mike Boisvert

Pack a turkey sandwich, gather your winter hiking gear, and an attitude of gratitude for a hike to the summit of Mt Tecumseh, the shortest of NHs 48 at 4003 ft.

We will be hiking in early winter conditions at a moderate pace with time to enjoy the scenery. It will be 5 miles with 2200 ft elevation gain. There may be some ice and a coating of snow- light traction devices are mandatory. The hike will take approx. 4 hours.

We will start at the trailhead in the parking lot for Waterville Valley Ski Area. We will hike up and back down the Mt Tecumseh Trail to the summit. We will have Thanksgiving lunch on the summit. We may have time on the return to visit a nearby Christmas Tree Farm where you can help us choose and cut our own Christmas tree!

We may hear the snow making machines on the ski slopes. A sure sign that winter is arriving!

We may encounter winter like conditions this time of year so be prepared! Please have the appropriate gear/clothing to hike this time of year and the appropriate amount of layers to keep your core body warm. We recommend WINTER hiking boots, MicroSpikes, wool hat, gloves, hand warmers, rain/wind gear, warm layers and NO COTTON. Carry at least 1 liter of water, lunch and snacks.

Friday Night Warren Miller Ski Movie: We won’t be able to let you in Friday night until 9:30PM since we’ll be watching this year’s Warren Miller Ski Movie at the Flying Monkey in Plymouth, NH. If you would like to join us, contact us so we can provide info on how you can purchase tickets. This sells outs each year so you should purchase tickets ASAP.

Lodging Option: We have 8 bunks available at our house near Waterville Valley, NH for Friday night at $25 per night and for Saturday night at $35 [includes dinner]. Coffee/bagels each morning and linen/blankets/towels are provided. We have limited space in the fridge to store your beverages/food so it's best to bring a small cooler. Space is limited so email us ASAP to reserve a bunk!

After The Hike: Everyone is welcome to join us back our house for dinner. You may want to bring a change of clothing to be more comfortable and can use our showers. We ask $10 to pay for our food costs and it’s BYOB.