Oh the dreaded but awesome Owl's Head! Still after twelve summits, its one of the most fun of the 48 in my book, and never the most dreaded. On this day, I was rewarded with spectacular weather and great views, which I had not experienced on Owls Head in quite some time. The previous 4 summits in 2015 were winter conditions or at night, or at night in the pouring rain, so it was exciting to have good weather, and it made me a little frisky for an extra challenge.
Black Pond Trail
The front of Owl's Head from just before Black Pond
As I started from Lincoln Woods at noontime, the National Forest rangers had their information tent up. I couldn't walk by without them asking, so I said I was heading out to Owls Head. As the gentleman looked at his wrist, I said that it would be 12th time out there, to which he replied, "your a better man than I". At the bridge, I started my GPS track, and I was off, with plans to hike the Kinsmans and Cannon later that night.
The view from Black Pond. There was a beautiful breeze and cool clouds shooting up over the Bonds, and no one around.
The trek through Black Pond Trail and into the bushwhack was so peaceful with no one around. Having done Owls Head four times previously in this year by way of the bushwhack, its almost unnecessary for me to check my map, compass or GPS in this stretch. Its really fun. This time, I came out a little short of the clearing, maybe 100 yards, which has been the case most of the recent times, but it all works out.
Somewhere along the Black Pond Bushwhack
Lincoln Brook, Pemigewasset Wilderness
I saw a couple on the Lincoln Brook Trail who were having trouble keeping the trail towards 13 Falls. After some short conversation with me, it looked like they were going to give it another shot towards 13 Falls. It was warm out as I made my way up the slide, but there was a cool breeze and it was not as humid...all around beautiful day and it was hard not to take it that opportunity for views from the slide.
Franconia Ridge from the Owl's Head Slide
Selfie action shot with my favorite peak in back
Moving very quickly up the slide, I caught up with a younger pair of hikers in sandals (sigh). Then literally moments later, I passed someone who asked me if I've seen a missing shoe. I then catch up to the one with a missing shoe. She was just about to summit Owls Head with only one shoe. That's amazing! Another hiker and a young boy were with her. They were having some challenges, including the need to get back to 13 falls.. with a shoe-less girl and a water-sandal problem with the little boy. I encouraged them to stick to the trail, as there was the other couple heading that way. They had come from 13 Falls. On a more positive note it was a joy to listen to the little boy call his dad from the summit of Owl's Head. I hope they had a great experience this weekend.
Girl summits Owl's Head with one shoe! Congrats!
Owl's Head Summit
Some of you may remember the hike I did in 2013 with my brother called the Cross Pemi Bushwhack, which included a bushwhack down the east side of Owl's Head. Since then, I've had an itch for a while to go for it solo, and today was the day. The name of the game is to stay up on the descending ridge and avoid getting down into one of the ravines. Between about 3,400' and 2,800' is a steep ravine to the right, and basically the steepest part of the descent. In 2013, we dipped into it a little bit and had to correct ourselves, but this time, I kept inching left as the ridge curves slightly right, and I avoided all trouble. I did jam my finger bracing myself when I fell through a hole, but even with a light pack, I still had some first-aid to take care of it.
Leaving the summit directly behind the cairn
Broke some skin, shed some blood, falling into a mossy covered hole
Even with a drastically reduced pack, never forget the essentials...
Absolutely beautiful bushwhacking
Not many people have ever seen this view....
Getting flatter and closer to Franconia Brook
All of the river crossings so far were not a problem, and I didn't imagine any problems with Franconia Brook. Often times the river looks passable, but there is a deep channel on one side. When I made it to the river, within view, I couldn't find a spot to hop across, but there was a spot where I could walk across. At the same time, it would be nice to dip my feet, so put two together, and I made the quick decision to remove my boots, strap them to my pack, and walk across. I used an extra shirt to dab my feet dry, put them back on, and in just a few minutes, I found the Franconia Brook Trail.
I waded across Franconia Brook with boots off in this area, felt so good....
I couldn't believe that it had only taken 4 hours to hit the summit, and reach the trail by bushwhack. This motivated me even more, and I jogged the approximately 6 miles back to Lincoln Woods in just one hour and fifteen minutes, finishing in 5:17. Even though it was done quickly, this hike was a journey with a lot of great parts to it, especially views, the personal challenge, and the success. As I push for my November goal and get closer and closer, this is all just becoming more motivating, fun, and exciting, and I feel like I'm in the best shape possible. ....that's why when I finished, I grabbed a chicken parm sub before heading over to Lafayette Place to ready for my hike of the Kinsmans and Cannon to finish my 8th Round.
Beautiful view from the beaver pond along Franconia Brook Trail
Returning to Lincoln Woods at the Pemi suspension bridge
Highlights:
Owl's Head - 12th Round
5th Summit of Owl's Head in 2015
Beautiful views from the slide, and of the Bonds from the bushwhack and Franconia Brook Trail
Personal fastest time to Owl's Head, even with the Black Pond bushwhack and east bushwhack descent.
Owl's Head - 12th Summit
Trail Conditions:
All of the trails on this hike were mostly dry, except for the typical muddy spots along the river and from runoffs. The streams after the Black Pond Bushwhack were low enough to rock-hop, and are pictured below. After Owl's Head, I descended down the east side of the peak. While it is very steep, the terrain was mostly dry and solid. There are numerous mossy covered holes which can be deep and leg swallowing, but other than that, the woods are tame to travel through. Rather than waste time finding a decent location to cross the Franconia Brook, I removed my boots and went across a shallow section. The rest of the trails out were dry and smooth sailing for jogging out.
Black Pond Bushwhack
One stream crossing...
The other....
Owl's Head Slide
Hike Stats
Trails: Lincoln Woods Trail, Black Pond Trail, Black Pond Bushwhack, Lincoln Brook Trail, Owl's Head Path, bushwhack, Franconia Brook Trail
Owl's Head is never that "dreaded hike" for me. I find it always exciting to be headed out there which ever season it may be. The main concern, especially going solo, is that such a remote hike has increased risks and they must be properly planned for, and timing is important. Heading out to Owl's Head in the winter is something I haven't done before, so I was really looking forward to this hike and whatever challenges it was going to present to me.
I started at 6AM sharp from Lincoln Woods, just as the sky started to lighten a little. The Lincoln Woods Trail was nicely packed down hard, which made for a really nice 2.6 mile warm-up to the Black Pond Trail. I found the Black Pond Trail nicely broken out, as well, allowing me to continue quickly to Black Pond. When I arrived, the sky was completely overcast, and the wind was blowing snow in circles out over the pond. I took a few pictures, and without much happening, and the sky now light, it was perfect timing for me enter the Black Pond bushwhack.
Overcast and windy morning at Black Pond
I was pleased to see boot tracks leading up the banking to the left into the woods. I felt that the path for the bushwhack could have been broken out in more of a direct route, and not so much up-hill to the left at first, but following the tracks as-is made for a problem-free bare-boot trek through the cold woods. There were a few spots where older boot marks came onto the path from either the left of right, but what I seemed to be following was working great. Near the end of the bushwhack, I came to the familiar sloping hill where the path leads downward and eventually right out to the where the Lincoln Brook Trail crosses the river - Nice!
Black Pond Bushwhack
Lincoln Brook Trail
Frozen Lincoln Brook
There were visible boot prints left for me on the Lincoln Brook Trail as I continued towards Owl's Head. It was not completely broken out, and at this point, I strapped on my snowshoes for the rest of the way. The snow made for some tricky side-hilling in some spots, but there was never a problem following the trail along the river and across the couple of small crossings. After the second crossing, I started looking for any sign of the Brutus Bushwhack, which is supposed to be about .1 after the last crossing. I saw one spot that looked like a herd path going diagonally up the slope, but I wasn't sure if that was the location - there were no signs of foot traffic heading off trail quickly after the crossing. I continued looking and eventually came to a set of tracks that led into the trees up the slope. Feeling confident, I decided to follow those tracks up the mountain with the hope of being on the Brutus Bushwhack.
After what seemed like a long time following partially drifted in boot prints, they came to an absolute dead-end, and there I was standing somewhere in the trees on the side of Owl's Head. It was probably around 3,000 feet of elevation, which meant that there was still a lot of work to do here to reach the summit. At times, the snow on the steep, steep terrain felt as if it would all fall out from beneath me and slide down the mountain. I was using trees left and right to pull myself up, and I was even chopping small twigs off here and there with my wrists to push my way through. It was some seriously tough stuff. It is moments like this when things seem to slow down, and I become zoned in. I started to think how crazy it was that I was by myself, 9 miles (or more) from help, off-trail, in the middle of the Pemi Wilderness, and on the side of a steep mountain! While that's awesome (to me), that could spell disaster if the hike wasn't going as planned. As I continued ascending, I attempted to take the path of least resistance. The further I ascended, the more I attempted to bushwhack to the left (north) in hopes of landing on the Owl's Head Path. When it started to open up more, I could sense I was getting closer to the area of the slide, and I grew more confident. Finally, after nearly falling through some spruce traps much taller than I, I came out onto a super bright Owl's Head path which appeared to be well-broken out! I freakin' knew I should have just ascended the slide, but oh well!
The spot where I came out onto Owl's Head path
After a solid break taking time to pee, drink water, and check in quickly with family on my status, I was on my way up. Now, being up on the ridge and slightly more exposed, the wind was pretty furious through the trees and above them. All day I had been watching and listening for snapping trees. Because of the wind, it was drastically colder at this point than any other point in the hike. I am not sure whether the broken out trail passed the 1/4 to summit sign or not. It's pretty small anyways, but I never saw it, making it a challenge for me to find the summit cairn. I hiked all of the way until there was no more visible footpath, and at that point, I started to get a little worried that I wouldn't find the cairn. However, luck would have it, that I practically stepped on the cairn as I made my way back south along the ridge. I dug it out a little bit to confirm, and yes! I had reached the summit of Owl's Head - my 35th 4000 footer this winter.
Owl's Head summit in winter
Owl's Head summit - 3rd round, first time in winter
My break here was VERY brief. It was unbearably cold and the wind was sucking any warmth right out of me. It is always a huge relief on a hike like this to know that you will be able to mostly follow your own tracks right out. I was looking forward to that. There was no way in hell I was going down the way I came up, so I passed my entry point onto the path, and continued down to the top of the slide. When I came out at the top of the slide, I was treated to a very beautiful view of Franconia Ridge, particularly Lafayette and Lincoln. The path going down the slide was pretty well broken out, and with careful and slow foot placement, I had no difficulty making my way down. I even carefully did a few butt-slides!
Lafayette and Lincoln from the slide
Owl's Head slide in winter
The junction for the slide as I came through on the way down and out
Back on the Lincoln Brook Trail, the consistent wind of the day filled all of my tracks about 3/4 of the way from the time I had been on the mountain. That was pretty amazing, but following the trail was easy. Same went for the Black Pond bushwhack in reverse, where the tracks were less filled in from the winds. I thoroughly enjoyed the hike out where I passed Black Pond again to find a crystal clear view of the Bonds, and also along the Lincoln Woods Trail, the sun shone brightly off the streams, providing me with inspiration to keep hauling to my car. It was a fantastic day, and my first winter ascent of Owl's Head was a great success, which left me feeling really good.
Black Pond bushwhack towards Black Pond
Black Pond
Stream alongside Lincoln Woods Trail
Pemi Bridge at Lincoln Woods
Hike Stats
Trails: Lincoln Woods Trail, Black Pond Trail, Black Pond Bushwhack, Lincoln Brook Trail, bushwhack, Owl's Head Path
Distance: 16 miles (approx.)
Elevation Gain: 2,850 ft.
Actual Book Time: 9:45
I think I'm finally done with the long walk of the Lincoln Woods Trail for a while. I feel like I've done it so many times, and in all hours of a day. This time it was my brother's call to Owl's Head as he continues his own quest for 48. With the weather iffy, and patchy fog expected, Owl's Head was the perfect choice for this hike. We left from the Lincoln Woods lot at 7am sharp. The suspension bridge is now closed, so we had to walk over the bridge and around. As we hiked down the 'ol logging road, finding our stride, it was only fitting that we heard the very loud call of an Owl, which rang out from deep in the woods to our left. Perhaps it was telling us a great adventure was ahead.
We hit the Black Pond Trail with a good pace to get to the Pond, anxious to start the bushwhack. Anxious because this is the stuff I go for; something that mixes a hike up and makes it adventure. Hiking into the Pemi Wilderness is an adventure, because its a place with a great sense of remoteness. I hiked to Owl's head and did the Black Pond Bushwhack solo at the break of dawn on July 30th. That time, it wasn't as easy. I hiked too far around the pond before going off on the correct bearing, which led me through some seriously thick stuff. I made out alright that time, just a little bit down river from the crossing. To read that trip report, click here.
I found my way then, but could Bill, leading the way, lead me back to Owl's Head? He sure could, and yesterday, he became a trail master. After a quick break at the magnificent Black Pond, we scooted over the bank and were into the bushwhack. Bill led us along a slightly beaten path, but it faded out quickly. After a while of passing through the open woodlands we hit what appeared to be an old logging road. Game trails were everywhere, and they made for easy travel occasionally. Eventually, we came right onto a pretty distinct path, and we popped right out the at the bootleg campsite by the river crossing. Bill had guided the way perfectly through the bushwhack, and we were in super high spirits. Knowing some common sense map and compass skills can help you out of the woods if you lose the trail or you have to wait for morning. This is the perfect place for a novice hiker to learn because at some point you will cross a trail if you lose the way for real.
We headed up the rocky Lincoln Brook Trail with spectacular scenery with the Lincoln Brook flowing loudly to our right and with yellow and red leaves at our feet. It was so pretty there were a few stops for pictures. Here, we really got the sense that fall is now here, especially in the mountains. Miles from the roads of the White Mountains lies this remote, rugged, but beautiful trail. Eventually after crossing the brook and with it now at our left, we came to the base of the slide. We took a few minute break to have some food and water before the trek up.
After so many miles we were now starting to ascend. This makes Owl's Head unlike any other 4000 footer, as the slide is the only major elevation change. After a few minutes, the path opens up onto the loose gravel and rocks of the slide. The valley was a beautiful shade of yellow and green and the fog was still chopping off the mountain tops. All morning it had been wet, and the majority of the way up the slide was wet rocks making it a challenging ascent. We neared the top, hopping over the dozens of blow downs that litter the path. We passed the quarter mile to the summit sign, and you wouldn't think you have that much to go. Finally, we made it to the summit of Owl's Head. Bill reached his 33rd four thousand footer of the year. For me, it was just another peak off my grid, but this trip turned out to be much greater than just a couple of peakbaggers trying to check off Owl's Head.
After a nice relaxing lunch break on the summit we set off on our descent. Descending the terrain near the top was good going, and we were back out onto the slide quickly. We passed two hikers descending, who asked where we had been. We were at the summit obviously, and they weren't, so they appeared puzzled, but we continued on and descended quickly down the slide. The views opened up slightly to give us the best view of the valley we would get, but still the fog never fully dispersed. We got to the bottom, and we had to filter and re-fill our water in the brook before we got going.
It felt great to be down from the slide, and our legs were good and ready to go for the way out. We moved much more quickly on the way back south on the Lincoln Brook Trail. Again it was beautiful hiking surroundings and we took at all in as we trotted back to the river crossing and the start/end of the bushwhack. Going into the bushwhack the first time in July, I had no clue it was going to come out at such a distinguished area on the trail (bootleg campsite). The fact that Bill was able to lead us directly to that spot was amazing. We headed back up the well beaten path to start the bushwhack back. We started on the way back for several minutes staying on a due south bearing towards Black Pond. We followed the well beaten path a good distance until it became unrecognizable. Eventually, we discovered that we were in a different location than anywhere on the way in. We then started to bear left slightly at about a 160 degree bearing. The terrain became tougher than anything we saw either way. We battled a few tough sections, and then we noticed the terrain was a bit more dramatic, dropping significantly to the left (southwest) and in front of us (south). Looking at the contour lines, Bill put his finger where he thought we were (and we were). We headed through some tough stuff again until we heard running water. We descended on an angle down a steep bank. As we neared the river's edge, an overgrown path became visible. After about 5 to 10 minutes, I pushed through some branches and could see a trail sign just a few feet ahead. It was the sign labeled "End of Trail" for the trail to Franconia Falls. I could not believe that it turned out so perfectly. I was certain that Bill wouldn't go two for two on these bushwhacks, but as the map and compass holder, he mastered the navigational challenge and earned his summit of Owl's Head. We had just took this Owl's Head experience to a different level. There's not much words to explain how awesome it was for this to turn out the way it did.
We went down to the river's edge to take in the majestic Franconia Falls as we talked about what we just accomplished. As we hiked out to the Lincoln Woods Trail, there were more people in the area, but overall, I think the suspension bridge being closed kept many away. We felt great in mind and body until we hit the Lincoln Woods Trail. That's when the feet started to hurt. They always do as soon as you start walking on the flat stuff. Even though it was mid afternoon, the fog was just finally lifting and it gave us a bit of sunshine, brightening the fall colors and again showing us that fall is truly here.
Hike Stats
Trails: Lincoln Woods Trail, Black Pond Trail, Black Pond Bushwhack, Lincoln Brook Trail, Owl's Head Path, Lincoln Brook Trail, bushwhack, Franconia Falls Trail, Lincoln Woods Trail
Distance: 16 mi. (+/-)
Elevation Gain: 2,850 feet
Book Time: 9:50
To view the full album, view or click on the slide show below. This is a good one to view as a slide show.
Here is an edited video of our bushwhack out and back:
