Mt. Tecumseh: 2/8/21

A cold day with very fine views on an old standby.
A good snowshoe track on the Mount Tecumseh Trail, with a new soft layer on top.
 

The landmark yellow birch near the upper end of the hardwoods.

A snow gun was blasting at the ski trail outlook.

Osceolas from the ski trail.

Good snow load on this blowdown.

Looks flat - it's not!

New trail signs at the junction on the ridge.

Snow tunnel.

Drifts on Sosman Trail.

Moosilauke from Sosman Trail.

A cold summit on this  midwinter day. Probably about 5 above with a biting breeze, even through the trees. But a day of endless vistas.

South Hancock, Carrigain and Presys between the Osceolas.

Classic Tripyramid view.

Sandwich Dome.

Distant peaks through Livermore Pass, with Kearsarge North in the center.

Carter Dome.

North Tripyramid, the North Slide and Avalanche Ravine.

Winter's shadow on Tripyramid's Cold Brook ravine. Waterville hiker Dan Newton calls it the "heart of darkness." Passaconaway peeks out behind on the right.

A Boreal Chickadee brought some friendly cheer to the summit.

It was a struggle to spend a half hour at the summit. A short bushwhack brought me to the sunny and more comfortable south outlook, looking out over vast southwestern horizons, including Stratton Mountain in southern Vermont.

 

Looking south.

SE to Sandwich Dome.

Drifts on the Sosman Trail, heading south along the ridgecrest.

I think the west outlook on the Sosman Trail, 0.2 mile south of the ridgetop trail junction, is the best view on the mountain, with an array of peaks spread beyond the wild crest of West Tecumseh.

Kinsmans.

Mt. Garfield behind Owl's Head.

Tecumseh's summit cone.

Franconia Range behind Scar Ridge.

From the mostly overgrown eastern Sosman Trail outlook, the snowy Presys behind the Osceolas col. 

Following my tracks homeward.