East Pond and Little East Pond, May 26, 2013, White Mountain National Forest

Little East Pond, view from the south towards Scar Ridge

Still bummed out over our need to cancel an overnight stay at Greenleaf due to the bad weather, we decided that the sloppy conditions warranted an easy day. We opted for the short, 5 miles loop to Little East Pond and East Pond. A perfect chance to test out our recently-procured Precip jackets from Marmot.

From the trail head at Tripoli Road, we decided on a clockwise route that would take us to Little East first. At the start, we experienced little more than a light dusting of snow and some spitting rain.

But once we reached the higher elevation trail that connects the two ponds, we found more snowfall, wintry mix precipitation, and icy patches on the trail.

The only folks who we encountered on the trail were hanging out on the southern bank of East Pond when we arrived. We avoided them by finding a secluded spot on the west shore for a snack break before returning to the car. The parking area - totally empty when we arrived - had since filled up and we chatted with a guy who also lamented the bad weather as spoiling his plans for the high peaks. The loop hike, despite the weather, was a pleasant route. I'd avoid it on weekends, however, since Tripoli Road has a host of camping sights and the trail would most likely get jammed.

Destination: Little East Pond and East Pond
Elevation: 1,000 feet gain
Distance: 5 miles
Route: Loop via Little East Pond Trail, East Pond Loop Trail and East Pond Trail
Conditions: Wintry mix, 35-40 degrees F