Greeley Ponds & East Osceola 1897 Slide: 2/17/20

Took a half-day plus off for a snowshoe wander in Mad River Notch. The Greeley Ponds were in their winter glory, and the bushwhack halfway up the old slide provided views and abundant snowy beauty.

The South Fork of Hancock Branch was smothered in snow and ice at the Greeley Ponds Trail crossing.

The snowpack is getting there.
 

The snow-caked sprawl of East Osceola guards Upper Greeley Pond.

Side view of the Painted Cliff.

The northern East Osceola slides. The large white slab on the right is part of the 1892 slide, which the Mt. Osceola Trail crosses farther up. The two-pronged slide on the left fell sometime in the mid-1900s, possibly during Hurricane Carol in 1954.

 These forks occasionally serve as a playground for backcountry skiers.

Upper Greeley offers a clear view of the K2 Cliff on Mt. Kancamagus.

Heading south down wide, windswept Lower Greeley Pond.

Looking back at the long line of cliffs on the NE spur of East Osceola.

Mad River Notch in profile.

The west knob of Mt. Kancamagus.

 View across to the 1897 slide (in center of photo), which half-filled Lower Greeley Pond.

This big slab at 2550 ft. was the primary bushwhack objective. This would be my fifth or sixth visit there. It's harder to get to than it would appear - a fairly short but challenging bushwhack.

 My plan was to follow the slide track as far as possible, then take to the dense woods to reach the top of the slab. The track started out nice and easy in hardwoods.

Inviting corridor.

Into the conifers.

Looking back.

Had to work a way around and up this ledge step.

Spectacular day.

Sentinels of the slide.

Skier's view.

This ledge face was too steep for my liking. Time to hit the woods.

This part of the whack was steep, thick and slow going.

Emerging on the edge of the snowy slab, near the top.

Lower Greeley Pond and the west knob of Mt. Kancamagus.

Peering down to the pond.

Expanding the view to the K1 Cliff and Mt. Tripyramid.

North Tripyramid and the North Slide.

Continuing up the slide above the slab.

Plenty o' powder.

East Osceola's snowy crest looms far above.

Looks like a ski trail.

The crags and crevices of K1 Cliff.

Pure winter.

Another skier's view.

This open part of the slide ends in a mini-headwall at 2770 ft.

Bushwhacking nightmare beside the mini-headwall.

View near top of mini-headwall.

Heading down, immersed in the joy of snowshoeing...

Sit-down lunch break back down on the big slab.

Tripyramid.

Worth the whack.

Could see two visitors down on Lower Greeley Pond.

Back down through the fun stuff.

Return to Lower Greeley.

Looking back at the slide.

The arrow points to the mini-headwall on the 1897 slide. Photo taken from a talus slope on Mt. Kancamagus. The slide doesn't open up again until about 3500 ft. In late December the entire slide was climbed by "timbercamp" en route to East Osceola, as reported on newenglandtrailconditions.com.