Winter Hiking Mount Tecumseh - NH 48 4,000 Footer
/Winter Hiking Mount Tecumseh - 4,003'
HIKE STATISTICS
Total Distance: 4.9 miles (6.1 miles if you take Sosman Trail to the top of the ski slopes for more views)
Elevation Gain: 2,140 feet
Hiking Time: 3 hours, 25 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Curious to learn more about this peak during the summer time when there is no snow? Click here!
HIKE DATE: 02/17/2018
Description: Mount Tecumseh is the shortest official 4,000 footer and home to Waterville Valley Ski Area. The summit has views to the north towards the Osceolas and to the east towards the Tripyramids. The route described below is a simple in and out that ascends steadily to the summit and makes for a nice and easy hike. Using the below route, you will have the opportunity to explore Waterville Valley Ski Area and enjoy views from a summit outlook.
Trails Used: Ascend via Mount Tecumseh Trail to the summit of Mount Tecumseh. Descend by turning around and going back the same way you came.
Trail Summary: Mount Tecumseh is a great starter for those new to winter hiking! This was actually our first official winter 4,000 footer! The most common way to hike Mount Tecumseh in the winter is from the Waterville Valley Ski Area because Tripoli Road is closed in winter, so you cannot access the mountain from that side (unless you want to deal with a road walk). Since this hike starts out at the Waterville Valley Ski Area, it is obviously BUSY in the winter! We had to park really far away from the trailhead (at least 0.3 miles), so if you want a close spot, get an early start! The Mount Tecumseh Trail is a popular trail in the winter, so it is almost always packed down very well, making for an easy winter ascent. Still, you should use spikes to get traction on the hard packed snow and carry snowshoes if it has snowed recently! On the way down, the grades are perfect for some fun butt sliding, making for an enjoyable decent.
As soon as you enter the woods, you’ll immediately cross a small brook. The first mile or so of this trail climbs at a gentle grade through the forest and is never too challenging. At 1.1 miles from the trailhead, you’ll come to a nice view from a lookout at the edge of the ski slope where you can watch as skiers zoom by! After enjoying the view for a bit, it’s time to really gain some elevation! At this point, the trail climbs very steadily all the way to the main ridge. In 1.1 miles from the last viewpoint, you’ll reach the junction with the Sosman Trail on the left. In another 100 yards, you’ll come to a split where the Sosman Trail goes left and the Mt. Tecumseh Trail goes right. Both routes lead to the summit and form a small summit loop. When we were here, no one had taken the Mt. Tecumseh Trail portion, so we chose to go up and down the Sosman Trail portion. The Sosman Trail heads to the left and it is a short and steep climb to the summit. The summit of Mount Tecumseh has a small outlook that offers some limited views to the east. If you’re going to take the Mt. Tecumseh Trail down, make sure you pay attention to the trail sign at the summit to go in the right direction (the Mt. Tecumseh Trail continues onward towards Tripoli Road, which means you’ll end up going down the other side of the mountain). Of course, you could also follow Sosman Trail back the same way you came up (like we did) instead of taking the Mt. Tecumseh Trail down which forms the loop.
When you get back to the junction you were just at (where the summit loop starts), you have two options to descend. You can descend the same way you came up by using the Mt. Tecumseh Trail to get back to the trailhead or you could venture down the Sosman Trail to the top of the ski slopes and descend that way if you want to ski down! We went down the Sosman Trail to enjoy the views from the top of the ski slopes, but then went back to the Mt. Tecumseh Trail since we did not carry skis with us. The Sosman Trail is basically flat as you walk 0.6 miles to the top of the ski slopes. If you’re feeling adventurous, descending this way on the slopes is about 1.8 miles and about 2,000 feet of descent back to the ski area - a quick trip when you can ski your way down! As mentioned, we went out to enjoy the views then went back to the Mt. Tecumseh Trail to descend, which was a nice moderate descent that had some areas that were nice for some butt sledding. What a great day for our very first Winter 48 peak!
Hiking easily through the forest on the lower portion of the Mt. Tecumseh Trail
Enjoying views of the Tripyramids from the outlook on the ski slopes
After that viewpoint, the trail begins to climb much more steadily!
If you head down the Sosman Trail at this junction, it will take you to the top of the ski slopes
The junction that forms the summit loop: left for Sosman Trail and right for Mt. Tecumseh Trail
Make sure you do not take Mt. Tecumseh Trail towards Tripoli Road - you will end up on the other side of the mountain!
Enjoying the excellent clear day from the outlook at the summit of Mount Tecumseh
Looking directly towards the Tripyramids with Passaconaway and Whiteface visible on the right
Looking towards the Osceolas with Washington popping up way in the distance
