Osseo Trail and East Peak, Mt. Flume: 3/7/25

We had a nice two-month run of consistently cold temperatures, ever-deepening powder snow, and frozen brook crossings. But that came to an end with the rain and thaw on March 5th & 6th. With dropping temperatures overnight on the 6th, it was clear that trails would be hardpacked and frozen the next morning. This was predicted to be a very windy day - and indeed the peak gust on Mt. Washington was 138 mph. For the day's hike I wanted to avoid brook crossings and stay relatively sheltered in the woods. A trip partway up the Osseo Trail in a protected valley, and a short ridgetop bushwhack to what bushwhacking peakbaggers call "Mt. Flume, East Peak," fit the bill. With a little wandering around, this nubbly 2779-ft. peak offers marvelous views in several directions.

 

The East Branch of the Pemigewasset had been locked in with snow and ice before the thaw. Not any more.

Lincoln Woods Trail was a hardpacked somewhat choppy highway. First time I've used Microspikes in a while.

After the fenced washout on Lincoln Woods Trail, a side path leads to a view of Scar Ridge downstream from a high bank (stay back from the edge).

The main route for the day.

To my dismay, the start of Osseo was a minefield of frozen postholes. I almost turned back here to head on to Plan B, out to Black Pond and beyond. But I decided to go a little way in to see if the postholers gave it up. And yes! They turned around after 0.15 mile, before the trail begins climbing.

From here on, there was a solidly frozen, slightly uneven snowshoe track, ideal for Microspiking.

The sidehill stretch just up from the flats had a good shelf.

The first 2.1 miles of Osseo Trail follows old logging roads up the wild valley of Osseo Brook at easy to moderate grades. Most of this section leads through open hardwoods. The sun was bright here, and as the top layer started to soften a bit, I switched to snowshoes. This nook was mostly protected from the wind, though I could hear it roaring above.

 

Trailside boulder.

One of my favorite spots on the trail is this small hardwood plateau it crosses at 1980 ft.

With the leaves down, you can gauge your progress up the valley by the various spurs of Whaleback Mountain that slide into view to the south.

At the end of the long straightaway, the trail turns right and climbs by switchbacks to the top of the ridge, cresting to the west of "Peak 2779."

Near the top of the ridge I left the trail and made my way eastward along the crest through generally prickly spruce woods. The snowpack was inconsistent. In some places it was supportive, in others I would break through the top crust layer to sugary snow beneath. In general the depth was two feet or less, and there were even a few bare spots. 

 

In 35 minutes I reached the first viewpoint, a perch on the SW side of the peak.

Here you look across the Osseo Brook valley to a wild spur of Whaleback Mountain, with a massive ledgy slide, sheathed in ice, on its flank.

Peering up at the head of the valley. Rugged terrain up there. On the right is the steep nose of the ridge that Osseo Trail climbs via a series of wooden and rock staircases.

From here I whacked around and down to the top of a small, very steep slide on the north side of Peak 2779. I had visited this back in 2009 and marveled at the views into the western Pemi Wilderness.

This spot has one of the neatest views I've seen of Owl's Head and its southern spurs.

Here also is seen the grand sweep of the Twin-Bond Range.

Galehead, North Twin, South Twin, the slide-scarred cirques of Redrock Brook, and West Bond (L to R).

 

The Bonds, with the broad valley of Camp 9 Brook under Bondcliff.

The top of Mt. Lafayette peeks over the NE ridge of Mt. Flume, marked by a cliff overlooking the valley of Birch Island Brook. Despite some occasional fierce wind gusts, I was able to take in these views for a while.

From the slide viewpoint I climbed to the 2779-ft. summit, where there is another viewpoint and a register. I'm not sure what list this peak is on, as its prominence is only 180 ft. I had seen some faint traces of an old snowshoe track, and the last person to sign in was Mike Bromberg, cartographer for the WODC map of the Sandwich range and hardcore peakbagger, who was here on February 18th.

Here there is another look at the scarred Whaleback spurs.

 

Looking to the west, there is an excellent view of the steep ridge ascended by the upper Osseo Trail, with Mt. Flume behind on the right.

Zoom on Flume.

On the way down I visited another spot with a long view (somewhat obscured by flurries) down the Osseo Brook valley to the Osceolas and Scar Ridge.

On the way back down the trail I noticed this good look down to the bed of the narrow-gauge, gravity-powered incline railway constructed in 1901 by J.E. Henry. This line only operated for a couple of years; it was abandoned when a brakeman was killed after a car loaded with logs careened out of control on the way down.

The trail follows the incline railroad bed for a few hundred feet, at 0.7 mile up from Lincoln Woods Trail. This is the view down the railroad bed where it leaves the trail to descend to the floor of the valley. It eventually ended up at Camp 8, near the junction of Osseo and Lincoln Woods Trails.

 

Middle Carter: 3/3/25

The deep snowpack of late winter makes this a great time to visit the high, wooded crest of the Carter Range. The snowshoer ascending to the Carters is lifted above the scrub for views that are much less open in summer. One of the best spots is the actual summit of Middle Carter, where at this time of year there is a sweeping vista over the Wild River Wilderness.

 

For the approach on this cold but 100% sunny day, I used the south leg of the Imp Trail starting off NH 16. I was pleased to find the trail broken out with a somewhat choppy track. The first mile is a southward traverse at mostly easy grades, through hardwoods and hemlocks.

After passing the unofficial "Camp Dodge Cutoff," the trail swings SE and begins to climb. The track on this section of the trail was quite crusty, thanks to a recent thaw and re-freeze.

 

Farther up it makes a big bend to the NE where it approaches Cowboy Brook.

A glimpse of the whitened Presidentials through the trees.

The next 1.6 miles is a long, steady climb, soon passing into darker conifer forest. This section is quite rocky in summer. Much more pleasant in snowshoes.

Reaching the junction with North Carter Trail at 3.2 miles.

The lower part of North Carter Trail passes through open woods at fairly easy grades.

The woods became snowier as I ascended.

Duck!

Tunnel effect.

Lotsa snow up here. The track bypasses this to the right. Thanks to those who broke this route out!

The upper half of the North Carter Trail climbs more steadily, here through a beautiful open fir glade.

Drifty.

 

Onto the ridgecrest.

Winter beauty at 4500 ft.

First views, from the second of five knobs the Carter-Moriah Trail rambles over en route to Middle Carter. North Carter looms close by on the left. Snowy Old Speck is seen in the center, far to the north. To the right, Sunday River Whitecap is seen above Mt. Moriah.

Weaving through snowy sentinels.

After skirting the west side of scrub-grown Mt. Lethe, the trail descends to cross a subalpine black spruce bog.

More views on the next little knob, with Middle Carter's summit on the left.

The wind had exposed some bare rock here.

Ascending the open rocky knob just north of Middle Carter's summit. The cold wind had some bite here.

Great views in several directions from this knob, here looking NW to the Pliny and Pilot Ranges. The whitened talus slope identifies Mt. Cabot, just left of center. The Percy Peaks are seen on the horizon above ledgy Pine Mountain and darkly wooded Black Crescent Mountain.

Looking north to waves of mountains leading off into Maine.

East to Caribou Mountain, the Royces and Speckled Mountain.

South to Carter Dome, South Carter, Wildcats and the Sandwich Range.

 

Ascending the open north shoulder of Middle Carter.

 

Ah, the Presidentials.

Boott Spur, Washington and Clay.

The sweeping view over the Wild River Wilderness from the summit of Middle Carter. The snaking ridge in the center descends four miles to the edge of the Wild River.

 

I was able to spend an hour studying the expansive views. Though the temperature was probably around 5 above (it was -2 on Washington, 1600 ft. higher), the sun was wonderful and the west wind was blocked by trees behind the outlook. Mt. Hight and its great NE ridge loom darkly to the south.

The old Y-shaped slide on that ridge probably dates back to the November 1927 rainstorm. That would be a difficult slide to reach, far up the Cypress Brook valley.

Looking across the spacious, trailless Cypress Brook valley to Eagle Crag, the Baldfaces and Sable Mountain.

Meader Ridge above the central part of the Wild River valley, with vast Maine lowlands beyond.

Looking towards Speckled Mountain.

Caribou Mountain is seen beyond the lower Moriah Brook valley.

At one point I made a foray south along the trail to warm up and find some additional views, such as this look at slide-scarred Carter Dome and Mt. Hight.

An expanded view to the south, including Tecumseh, the Osceolas, Carrigain and Hancock.

Mt. Jefferson, with the sun highlighting the top of Jefferson's Knee.

Leaving the summit after a final look.

Descending the open shoulder of Middle Carter.

 

A good look at the sprawling ledgy mass of Mt. Moriah.

The steep east face of Middle Carter.

Looking back.

Sun-dappled along the ridge.

Great snowshoeing down the North Carter Trail. Thanks to the snowshoers who smoothed out bare booters' divots.

Finding the light.

 

Late afternoon glow.

Presy sunset, prelude to the faint light of a crescent moon and, in the darker woods, the bright glare of my headlamp.