Muggy and Buggy
Sounded like prime hiking weather for me, so I hit the trail at 8:30 a.m. and got ready to tackle another two peaks: the Osceolas.
The parking lot off of Tripoli Road was already jammin' with hikers. And it didn't take long to eavesdrop enough on their easy banter to figure out that one among them was wrapping up his list of New Hampshire 4Ks.
It was an early inspirational sign for me as I was about to tackle Nos. 26 and 27.
The trail from the get-go is rocky. These aren't flat rocks either. They jut every which way. In between, there are stretches of broad ledges.
There's a small brook, but it was mostly dry. About halfway up, some water runoff was trickling down the rocks and gathering into a shallow pool. I took the opportunity to dunk my handkerchief in it to cool off.
The heat was relentless. And I'd exhausted one of my two bottles by the time I'd reached the summit of Mt. Osceola (4,340 feet). The summit is gorgeous _ a broad rocky ledge with views of the Kancamagus and the Hancocks. But the day's humid weather made for hazy views.
I hung out on the lower ledges, eating some cheese and crackers and downing more water. Even up on the summit, the heat and humidity couldn't be escaped. There was no breeze to cool things off. The sun beat down on the rock, radiating back up at the hikers gathered around.
I was tempted to give up on hitting East Osceola (4,156 feet), which is connected to the main peak by a short ridge trail. But I was convinced by a couple of fellow hikers that it was a mere 20 minutes away and figured I might as well bag it while I was already in the area. I was further encouraged when they said that their friends had gone over without their packs.
I foolishly decided to leave my pack at the main summit and brought only my camera. No water. No bug spray. No nothin'.
Within about 10 minutes, I was regretting my decision. But I didn't feel like turning back. I just figured I'd tough it out.
I came upon the dreaded "chimney," a oft-talked-about narrow passageway of rocks between the two peaks. There are two ways up and down. On the way down, I opted for the lefthand trail and felt real fear for the first time on a hike in ages.
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