Trail Description: Mt Tecumseh, NH

Location and Directions

Waterville Valley, NH.

From rte 93, take exit 28 onto Rte 49 East. Follow this to Tripoli Rd; follow the signs to Waterville Valley Ski Area.

trailhead

In Parking Area 1 of Waterville Valley Ski Area. There's a sign.

route overview

An uncomplicated ascent of a 4003-footer. Though the summit just reaches treeline in the most technical sense, occasional gaps afford good views. Also, a side trail to the top of the nearby ski trails provides open panoramas.

navigation

There are only four branchings, all clearly marked with wooden signs:

At one point the trail passes within yards of the ski slope; a tiny side trail affords good views (see my photo ).
At the ridgeline, a T-shaped intersection: to the right for the summit [~1/4mi], to the left (Sosman Trail) for the ski lodge [~1/2mi].
Just below the summit, a choice of two routes (both with many hairpins) up the summit cone.
At the summit, a third route: the continuation of the Tecumseh trail to the northwest, where it crosses a 3766' promontory about 2/3 of a mile away and intersects Tripoli Rd a couple miles later, at a point near the East Pond Trail.

trail conditions

The trail, rising fairly directly from the trailhead to the summit, is as wide as the yellow brick road. So despite a near-total absence of blazes (I counted six, all on the lower half of the mountain), it's impossible to get lost. The slope is significant and the trail is mostly rough and boulder-strewn, but there is nothing that requires any particular training or equipment. There are a couple of stream crossings, but they are not at all tricky.