Hiked by: Tim and Valerie on June 17, 2006 - From the Waterville Valley Ski Area parking lot, up Mt Tecumseh trail, then back.
Conditions: We parked at the Waterville Valley Ski Area parking and had to search for a few minutes for the trailhead. It's actually best to park in the second row of the parking lot rather than the first to be closest to the trailhead. It was a hot and humid morning. Bugs were on us almost immediately. We're becoming one with the DEET.
The first half of the hike feels like a relatively easy walk in the woods. Just with a bit of an uphill element. But you know as you walk that you'll have to pay for this relative ease eventually. Payment begins immediately after the "spur trail" to the view on the left. This spur trail takes you out to the ski slope. From that point forward, it's rock-hopping and up-up-up until you reach the junction with the Sosman trail. We continued on the Mt Tecumseh trail to the summit. Stopped for a few minutes to eat a snack, took our pictures on the summit, then headed down the Sosman just to the point where it rejoined with the Mt Tecumseh trail.
Spent most of the hike down talking with a gentleman from Mass who was hiking solo. He's done 47 of the 48. Very interesting to talk to. We love to hear other people's experiences and interpretations of the trails.
Stats: 5 miles, 3:45 Hrs