Saturday, November 11
Start/Finish: Tripoli Rd TH
Miles: 7.76
Elevation gain/loss: 3084′
After sleeping out on Tripoli Rd the night before, I started from the trailhead at 5:20am. There was 2-3″ snow in the parking lot though the bathroom was still unlocked. I hiked upward in the dark for a while until dawn brought enough light to see the trail. I made the summit of Osceola around 6:45am and quickly headed down and over to East Osceola. The summits were almost completely socked in, and the damp clouds were cold in a brisk 10-15 MPH wind, bringing the windchill down to ~10 degrees. I kept moving and the 20-degree air temperature wasn’t too bad when I was protected from the wind. I wore spikes for the majority of my trip, due to a thick layer of ice underneath the snow. I passed by almost a dozen people on the last 2 miles of my descent – there was only 1-2 spots in the parking lot left when I got back. I quickly set up for the next hike, tossed my damp hat and gloves on my dashboard for drying, and headed out.
