9/16/2021
There are a few mountains amongst the 4000 Footers of New Hampshire that are far from others. Long hikes. Mt Isolation and the Hancocks come to mind. Then there is Owl’s Head. Owl’s Head sits in the Pemigewasset Wilderness between Franconia Ridge and The Bonds. The most common route is almost 20 miles round trip. It’s 7 miles just to get to the mountain itself. I chose a 17 mile route that includes a well traveled bushwhack to cut a mile or two.
I arrived at Lincoln Woods Trailhead at around 6:00 am. I filled my water bladder, packed my food and was moving before 6:15 toward the bridge that crosses the East Branch Pemigewasset River. This was my first time heading into Lincoln Woods via Lincoln Woods Trail. I had previously returned this way form a long traverse from Mt Hale. I recall that is was a very long, flat walk. Of course at the end of that traverse anything would have felt like torture but the 7 miles along that old rail bed were torturous. This time I only had to be on this trail for a few miles. It was a pleasure, a nice flat warm up.
I reached the junction with Black Pond Trail and veered to the left onto it. I had been alone since I started an hour ago. Lincoln Woods Trail is very wide and kind of like a dirt road. When I got onto Black Pond Trail it felt much more deep woods. I chose to carry my bear spray for a while, I keep it in a holster within arms reach but this felt like bear territory. Some marsh off to my left, high ridge on the right. I have yet to see a bear while hiking but like to be prepared. It is a very pretty approximately 1 mile hike to Black Pond. The southern tip is pretty swampy with a view of Owl’s Head off in the distance. Just beyond this view point is the more wide open pond with a view of The Bonds in the distance. I would love to return here when the fall foliage is at peak.
Black Pond Trail ends at the pond and becomes an unofficial trail, the Black Pond Bushwhack and leads to the Lincoln Brook Trail. I had not seen a trail blaze in a very long time and checked my map and compass a couple times to ensure I was on the right track. The trail wound around, up and down, for another mile where I reached Lincoln Brook Trail. I was startled by a very loud crash just before the brook. I’ve often wondered if people are struck by falling trees or branches while hiking. I’m sure its rare but must have happened. That must be what I heard behind me. Without much pause I set out across Lincoln Brook.
Thankfully the water was not high and the crossing was only a little technical. Higher water would have been quite challenging. Those that have taken this route might have noticed my mistake. I assumed I had to cross here to get to Lincoln Brook trail. Not the case! The trail was just to my left on the side I was on. I realized this once I was across. Back across the brook I went and resumed my hike north, up the Lincoln Brook trail toward Owl’s Head.
Two or three more brook crossings and 2.5 miles later, I was at the point where Owl’s Head Path diverges from the trail. This is not an official trail and can be hard to find. It is often marked by two cairns, as it was the day I was there. But forest rangers routinely remove these structures because it is not a sanctioned trail. Throughout the hike to this point I was thinking about Owl’s Head Slide. A steep avalanche slide that serves as the primary trail up Owl’s Head. There is a bypass, Brutus Bushwhack. I read that it is actually steeper than the slide and at times more difficult. I decided to do the slide. You may recall that I had a previous bad experience with a slide on the Tripyramids. This one is not as exposed, I was confident I could do it.
I had a snack and removed a layer at the entrance to the summit path. With my pack adjusted I set out up the slide. The trail quickly took a turn UP, in a very big way. The trail became rocky, ledgy and wet. The lower sections of the slide were very narrow with trees close by on either side. Then it widened a bit. It was very steep. I was able to find many hand holds as well as solid foot holds. It was definitely 3 and often 4 points of contact with the mountain throughout the more exposed sections of the slide. Owl’s Head is not known for its views but I was very happily surprised by the views as I went up. When I found flat spots where I could balance, I got some excellent views and pictures of Franconia Ridge behind me.
Even as I approached the top of the slide and began to venture back into the woods, the trail remained extremely steep. Probably some of the steepest terrain I had ever encountered in the woods.
As close as I can tell I gained over 1500 feet is just over a mile. By most measures it is considered difficult to extreme. I call it very difficult to extreme. For me 1500 feet of gain in just over a mile is one thing. That same 1500 feet over an avalanche slide of loose boulders, streams, loose gravel and brief vertical obstacles makes it a bit extreme.
The trail does calm down and turns into a very pretty hike to the old and then new summit. I am not sure when the ‘new’ summit happened but due to better instrumentation, the actual summit is 20 feet or so higher and about a half mile further away than it used to be. I have since learned that there is a short summit spur to a viewpoint over The Bonds. I would have loved to have seen this. I knew that on this forested summit I was surrounded by views of some of my favorite places. I did get brief peeks.
After a snack and some more pack adjustments, I was on my way off the peak and down Owl’s Head. Since the top of the slide until now, I was debating how to get down. I was not at all fond of descending the slide. I felt I could do it but there was a lot of risk. I decided to take the Brutus Bushwhack which branches off of the main trail at the top of the slide. I knew this would be forested and if I did slip, there are trees to stop me. On the slide this not always the case and rocks hurt a lot more than dirt.
I am glad I made the decision to take the bushwhack. But it was tremendously steep. Just as steep as the slide. I had to side step most of the may down, digging my feet in a bit and avoiding roots as best I could. Roots are often worse then wet rock, very slippery.
I was relieved to reach the bottom of the bushwhack and be back on the Lincoln Brook Trail. There was a great sense of accomplishment as I made my way back down Lincoln Brook and eventually to Black Pond Trail. I stopped again to take pictures at Black Pond before making my way another mile to Lincoln Woods Trail. 3 miles on the Lincoln Woods Trail brought me to finish of the hike.
Wow. I had been putting Owl’s Head off due mostly to distance. The slide was also on my mind. This turned out to be yet another hike of self discovery. I love Owl’s Head and cant wait to return in the winter. It just seems that I never stop learning something about myself while hiking. Maybe its the solitude. Maybe its stuff I would have learned about me without the mountains. Maybe not.
| Miles | Elev Gain | Time |
| 17 | 3087 | 8 Hours |
Mountain Mike 