CHENEY BROOK BEAVER POND: 1/10/13

With a few hours free on a windy, cloudy and warm day, Cath Goodwin and I headed up the East Pond Trail and snowshoe-whacked to a hidden beaver pond on Cheney Brook, in the shadow of Mt. Osceola and East Scar Ridge. It's a favorite destination for a rewarding half-day winter adventure.

There was about two inches of powder atop a well-packed snowshoe track along the East Pond Trail. We used snow-covered rocks to get across Pine Brook, 0.8 mile in on the trail.

Good 'shoeing on the trail as it climbs above the brook crossing to the plateau that holds the beaver pond.

Open spruce woods at the start of the bushwhack.

Not-so-open spruce woods after crossing Cheney Brook.

First view across the bog  that borders the beaver pond, to East Scar Ridge.

A closer look at East Scar. At 3620 ft. this is one of New Hampshire's Hundred Highest peaks, and a pretty thick bushwhack in our experience.

The sun was starting to break through the clouds, leading to some interesting lighting on the beaver pond.

Wind-carved snow sculpture.

Great snowshoeing along the edge of the bog.

We continued along the edge of the beaver pond to a close-up vista of Mt. Osceola; in this view, the East, Main and Middle summits are visible (L to R). Cath points out one of the many Osceola slides.

The clouds break for some blue skies over the Osceolas.

From the pond, East Osceola is an impressive mountain in its own right.

Powder!

The heart of the Osceolas.

The ragged face of the Split Cliff, which for a time was accessible off the Mt. Osceola Trail via a side path.

Crossing boggy Cheney Brook on the return trip.

The spire of South Hancock through the trees from the East Pond Trail.