GetWinter Hike #3: Mt. Flume via Osseo Trail
Overall we lucked out on the weather conditions and it was a good day to hike!
The trip report
Written by Gandalf
Rivers and brooks were raging due to all the heavy rain we received at Christmas so the Osseo trail was perfect since we had no river or brook crossings to deal with! Lincoln woods is bare as is the Osseo trail up to around 2000'. There is a VERY light dusting at that point.
We put on MicroSpikes at 2200’ about 15 minutes before reaching the first set of rock steps where the trail steepens and kept them on the rest of the day until we returned back to that location on the return. The upper sections are steep and negotiated by several wooden staircases which we easily negotiated with MicroSpikes. We took a snack break at the “Down-Look” with a memorable view into the Pemi Wilderness!
After the next set of wooden ladders there was another great view off to the left the Osceola’s and the Waterville Valley peaks! We were surprised of how good that view was! We ran into only 4 hikers on the hike today.
After the junction of the Flume Slide trail, we scrambled up jagged rock outcrops on narrow summit ridge. Along this stretch there were dramatic views across face of crags to upper Franconia Ridge peaks though somewhat limited from low cloud cover. Here the conifers were coated with beautiful hoar frost! Pretty windy but we sat down behind some trees for some cover for lunch. We had the summit all to ourselves!
Going down the ladders was fine with MicroSpikes and we took care of a couple small blowdowns with my saw! My left knee is starting to bother me of late so it slows me down on the descent however I don’t let it stop me from hiking! Got back home before dark. Took showers and enjoyed our holiday Christmas lights while hanging out by the fireplace.
Overall we lucked out on the weather conditions and it was a good day to hike! Thanks Jim for joining us! Happy holidays everyone and we wish you all a healthy and safe New Year!
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About this event
Join our GetWinter hikes to get you into winter hiking! The hikes get progressively harder leading up to a winter Franconia Ridge Traverse!
Flume commands 360° views from its summit: to the north are the mountains of the Franconia Range (Little Haystack is blocked from view by Liberty), Loon to the south, the Pemigewasset Wilderness, Owl's Head, the Bonds, Bondcliff, and Washington to the east, and Moosilauke and the Kinsmans to the west. We will be hiking in early winter conditions at a moderate pace with time to enjoy the scenery. There may be some ice and a coating of snow- light traction devices are mandatory.
Mt. Flume offers an ideal early-season winter hike to break-in your snow hiking legs with a moderate (by White Mountains’ standards) trek via them Osseo and Lincoln Woods trails. Gather your winter hiking gear for a hike to the summit of Mt Flume at 4,329 ft.! It will be 10.2 miles via Osseo Trail with 3150 ft elevation gain.
This trip's focus is to focus on using MicroSpikes. We’ll continue to layer for cold weather but also be wearing MicroSpikes. You can purchase either Kahtoola MicroSpikes or Hillsounds Crampons from your local outdoor outfitter such as REI or EMS; or online.
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 HEADLAMP and NO COTTON. Carry at least 2 liters of water, lunch and snacks.
Winter Hiking Clothing/Gear Tips and Recommendations
Winter conditions will be in effect so this moderate hike is ideal for anyone on their first winter hike. Winter travel offers unique challenges to any hiker and we can provide tips and answer any of your questions during the hike. We are here to help you!
For winter hiking, you are basically wearing the same clothing/gear you did in summer except you need to have additional layers to keep your core body warm, dress in synthetic layers [no cotton], wool hat, and gloves [we highly recommend buying the chemical hand warmers for your gloves]. The only piece of gear you will have to buy is MicroSpikes [Kahtoola is a popular brand], which are essentially cleats that you attach to your boots to prevent falls from black ice encountered on the trail.
One of the biggest mistakes beginner winter hikers do is overdress. You don’t need a heavy winter jacket since you will be heating up naturally during the hike. Wear thin, insulated layers so you can easily regulate your temperature. If you overdress, you will start sweating and actually make yourself get colder. Assess if your summer daypack is big enough to put your clothes in as you warm up and if not, then that is probably another investment you’ll have to make for this trip.
Winter hiking boots is something you may want to invest in later on, since it helps keep your feet warm, dry and comfortable. Snowshoes will not be needed for this hike, and we rarely use them in general, but are definitely needed to break trail if we recently had any significant snowfall. We like to carry a very small thermos with some sort of hot beverage which is so comforting to drink on a very cold day.
Event Coordinators: Mike Boisvert and Jon Normand
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