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While stopping to rest at one of the steeper sections, a few hikers caught up to us. Two of them turned out to be Dave Metsky and Brenda, whom I recognized from their pictures and trip reports on the Hike the Whites website. We continued up the steep trail, expecting to attain the ridge at any time. The others were faster than us and went on ahead.

Soon we came to the flat ridge, passed the Sosman Trail sign, and arrived at a lookout to the northeast. The trees were in the way and we could see only a little. After continuing, we came to a point where the trail split into a loop. We had been warned by two other groups going down that we should take the left-hand loop, because the right-hand loop was steeper. We turned left, and soon came to a spot where we could see off to the west. 

The trail here climbed by switchbacks and we quickly reached the summit. Dave Metsky and Brenda, along with two other climbers, were still there. Off to the east we could see the bottom of the ski area and the Tripyramids over the trees. There were several Gray Jays looking for handouts in the summit clearing.

Dave showed me a ledge just below the summit with much better views, and was nice enough to point out Mts Washington, Osceola, Carrigain, and others.

After everyone else left, we returned to the summit. There were signs for the various trails. The Mt Tecumseh Trail actually continues down the other side of the mountain, ending up at Tripoli Rd, but that would take us miles from our car. We decided to go back down the other portion of the loop, which was quite a bit longer and steeper as the others had said. Partway down the right-hand loop, we could see the top of Waterville Valley Ski Area.

Back at the junction of the loop again, we continued along the ridge. At this point, we could have taken the Sosman Trail to the ski area, then went down the ski trails, but we decided to go back the same way. Because of the packed snow, and fact that we had each brought two ski poles, the trip down went quickly. It only took us 65 minutes from the summit to the car. We stopped in the ski lodge to look around for a few minutes, then left for home.  

Erin struggling up a steeper section of the trail. Up higher, the snow got deeper, and the spruce trees were coated with snow. Winter had come to the mountains.

Looking northeast from the upper portion of the trail. The trees obscured the view so we could only see a little.

Looking west from the left-hand loop. Views were much better from this spot, although I couldn't identify the peaks we were looking at.

Me on the top of Mt Tecumseh. I was probably standing on top of the snow-covered summit cairn.

View from the ledge just below the summit. The peaks in the foreground are Mts Osceola and East Osceola. The tallest snow covered peak in the distance is Mt Washington. The blue-toned pyramidal peak in between is Mt Carrigain.

Descending the right-hand loop of the Mt Tecumseh Trail. This part of the trail was actually much steeper and rougher than it appears in this picture.

The top of the Waterville Valley Ski area from the right-hand loop of the Mt Tecumseh Trail. I'm not sure what the larger peak behind the ski area is.

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