![]() The Osseo Trail junction off the Lincoln Woods Trail. I even saw two men skijoring (Dad, Google it) behind huskies. In the winter this section of the trail is wide enough to fit a car (vehicles aren’t allowed) and is extremely popular for dog walkers, cross-country skiers and snowshoers. This hike begins at the Lincoln Woods Visitor Center by crossing the footbridge and starting out on the Lincoln Woods Trail for 1.4 miles. The bridge crossing the East Branch of the Pemigewasset Wilderness from the Lincoln Woods Visitor’s Center. Given we haven’t had a lot of snow yet this year, the majority of the trail is hard-packed crust and ice, something I’ve recently seen described as “New England powder.” With these conditions I was able to scale the mountain without issue utilizing microspikes and trekking poles. Here there are a series of ladders that get buried in the winter, which makes for a good spot to utilize the heel bar on mountaineering snowshoes. The majority of the hike is gradual climbing with truly steep sections reserved for the top third of the mountain. The slide is best left for the most experienced winter mountaineers, and I figured it wasn’t a hike I should be doing solo…so Osseo it was! I wasn’t disappointed.Īt times when there’s ample snow, the Osseo Trail is perfectly suited for snowshoes. The trail’s name alone should tell you all you need to know about it’s viability for a winter hike. It’s also worth noting that the path least traveled by in the winter is the Flume Slide Trail. Alas, I’d done the Liberty Springs winter hike before, so it had less appeal for me. This is the way to go for anyone looking to efficiently knock two 4,000-footers off their winter peak bagging list as both mountains can be bagged in less miles than the Osseo route. The most popular route is a two-peak combo via the Liberty Springs Trail up Mt. Flume’s quick access to the highway, ample parking, and popular, reliable hiking route that made it easy to predict the conditions, all played a part in my selection of this hike. I was also on the daycare pickup clock, so Mt. Flume offers an ideal early-season winter hike to break-in your snow hiking legs with a moderate (by White Mountains’ standards) 11-mile trek via the Osseo, Lincoln Woods and Franconia Ridge trails. 11 miles round trip (including Lincoln Woods Trail and the Franconia Ridge Trail) ![]()
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