I had never hiked in the Ossipiee range before, so I was excited when plans came togather at the last minute with some of my hiking friends to head there on Saturday. The plan was to meet at the trailhead on Route 171 where it meets Sodom Road in Tuftonboro, New Hampshire, and hike to Shaw and Black Snout. The trails aren’t very well marked in some places, the beginning follows some piping along fields brook and then ascends very steeply for a bit and joins a carridge road of sorts near the summit of Black Snout. There are some red blazes marking the way but sometimes we didn’t see one for a while. Along the lower sections of the Shaw trail we stopped at a few of the very nice waterfalls to take photos and rest a bit. Once joining the Black Snout Trail we stopped and enjoyed the views to the lakes from the summit of Black Snout and had some snacks.
Next, we hiked back to the Black Snout Trail and over to Mt. Shaw, where we were awarded fantastic views north to the White Mountains, and caught glimpses of the new fallen snow shining on the high peaks. We could easily identify Moosilauke, Franconia Ride, and the Presdidential range with thier white summits sparkling in the sun. We spent a while anjoying the views and then returned the way we came. I suppose a better loop could be done by returning to Black Snout and descending the Big Ball Mountain Trail, perhaps another day.
Distance: 7.60 mi
Time: 5:31:18
Avg Pace: 43:35 min/mi
Avg Speed: 1.4 mph
Elevation Gain: 2,417 ft
SDIZZY's Outdoor Adventures 