The gym squad wanted to go on another hike. We had done Welch Dickey in April and they had shown some interest in hiking the NH 48. I didn’t want to make it too much more difficult than Welch Dickey, and I wanted great views. So, Mt. Osceola seemed like a great choice. I did it several years ago with my son, who was 11 at the time and I knew the views would be great!

I also knew we’d need to get to the trailhead early, since there aren’t a lot of spots. We left at 6AM, got to the trailhead at 7:50AM and took the last parking spot!

Forecast for the day was in the 80s with significant humidity, and cooler at the summit. That proved to all be correct. Temps at the start weren’t too bad, but it was humid. I was quickly drenched in sweat. As we approached the summit, we got some nice occasional breezes and slightly cooler temps.

As expected the first mile or so was very rocky. However, we were excited with the start of the hike, and some great conversation, so I’m not sure we noticed too much. There aren’t too many views on the way up, but there were a couple of peak throughs.

After roughly three hours, we were at the summit!

But much more importantly, it was their first 4000-footer! I made a sign for them the night before.

Congrats, ladies!

We had a nice break at the summit. Had some water, took some shots, changed some clothes, ate some food, took many many photos.

Another hiker came over and asked to borrow our sign, since his daughters were doing their first 4000-footer, too! It was so cute.

The way back down, as always, felt longer than the ascent. But we had many many laughs and good conversations.

Photos of me taken by Marina. I call the far right photo Glamour Butt Scooting. I was butt scooting and Marina turned to take a photo, so I decided to make the most of it.

I was getting a bit cranky on the descent. Tired, probably needed a snack, but I was also getting nervous about running out of water. We crossed a perfect little stream, so I filled a dirty bag, filtered some water, and promptly fell right on my butt. I was fine. The water was fine. Filtered and delicious.

I was weirdly happy when we hit the rocky terrain again, as it meant we were a mile from the car and sweet, sweet air conditioning.

Despite the heat and humidity, it was a terrific day. I only wish I had a better memory or could record the whole day’s conversations. Our chats were hilarious and covered everything from backcountry bidets to childhood memories, and of course gym workouts! 🙂

• Total distance: 6.4 miles
• Elevation gain: 2,040 feet
• Total time: 7 hours, 33 minutes
• Moving time: 5 hours, 55 minutes