Mount Tecumseh: 4/1/19

Plan A was a bushwhack in the Waterville Valley area, but a test of the snow had me punching through every few steps with snowshoes. April Fool's from Mother Nature! Plan B was old standby Tecumseh, and the views were stellar on this windy, wintry April 1st.

Hardwoods rule on the lower Mount Tecumseh Trail. The track was hardpacked almost to the point of ice, with a dusting of powder on top. I wore my MSRs without tails as I wanted to visit several viewpoints on the ridge, and I don't like carrying them. Had spikes in reserve.

I always grab a pic of this magnificent yellow birch.

Serious snowpack on Tecumseh Brook.

Fuzzy vistas and speeding skiers at the ski trail viewpoint.

Saw only 6 other hikers during the day. These two young women are just starting out on their 4000-footer quest - for one, Tecumseh was the first peak.

Attractive corridor.

Not very spring-like.

The snow will be around for a while on the ridges.

Monorail is coming!

A sketchy hard crust sidehill on the upper Sosman Trail. Spikes would have been better, but I managed to maneuver through with the snowshoes.

Moosilauke beyond the talus-splotched ridge of West Tecumseh.

The wind-fog had cleared for excellent visibility by the time I reached the summit.

High peaks of the Sandwich Range.

South Tripyramid, South Slides and Mt. Passaconaway.

East Sleeper, Mt. Whiteface and the Lost Pass area.

Mt. Osceola and its Middle and West Peaks.

Presys emerging from the clouds through the Osceola col. On the R, Mt. Carrigain displays an interesting knife-edge.

The distant, ghostly Carters.

Twins and Bonds.

I made a side trip 0.1 mile down the trail towards Tripoli Road to a northern viewspot. No tracks here, but the snow was firm and deep.

This vista is getting obscured by trees, but is still pretty good with deep snowpack.

Franconia Range beyond Scar Ridge and Middle Scar.

Mt. Garfield rises impressively behind Owl's Head.

Kinsmans. All told, you cane see 36 NH 4000-foot summits from around the Tecumseh summit area.

An important trail sign, as three trail routes diverge at the summit.

Sandwich Dome from the less-visited south viewpoint.

Long vista SW beyond the snowy ledges of Spring Mountain.

A familiar sight all over the mountains this season.

Heading south on the Sosman Trail to more viewpoints, with the west wind whipping snow across the ridge.

Happy spring!

On the little climb up to White Peak, there's a unique view back to Tecumseh's sharp summit cone with the Franconias on the L and the Presys on the R.

Crystal views.

The western outlook on Sosman was wide open with the deep snowpack. The wind was whipping 
here.

The eastern Sosman view was also enhanced.

I made a short bushwhack to a fir wave opening for more southwestern views. It was clear enough today to see Mt. Monadnock in SW New Hampshire as well as Stratton Mountain, Mt. Equinox and Dorset Peak in southern Vermont.

Wandering through a fir wave, just for fun. Beware of spruce traps!

Mt. Osceola from an opening along the trail just above the ski trail viewpoint.

Bender.