Owl's Head Bushwhacks - Summer

If this heat keeps up for the weekend I was thinking about taking some sort of loop hike to go and check out the bushwhacks for Owl's Head this weekend. I know they are generally of more interest for Winter (which I have yet to do) and I assume followed more easily with tracks in the snow. As I recall from the many Winter posts I think there were two possible bushwhacks to by pass the problem river crossings.

My question is what are the two bushwhacks (one of which I believe is the Black Pond bushwhack) and can they be followed in Summer (i.e. do they have a footpath that is more herd path than bushwhack like herd path for the problem crossings on North Twin)? I'd like to learn the "official" bushwhack routes if possible and capture a GPS track for Winter use. If anyone can share any details, whether by reply or as a reference to a prior post regarding Summer routes, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

And I guess as an addendum, is the Brutus bushwhack also followable in Summer or is that strictly a snow thing to avoid the ledges of the Summer route?

I went out on Friday via the Black Pond bushwhack and while there are traces of herd paths here and there, there didn't seem to be anything terribly obvious. Basically head due magnetic north at around 1800' +/- opting around the few obstacles you'd find in your way. I returned via the trail and crossings (FWIW, 135 cfps on the Pemi East Branch and crossed with dry feet with careful rock hopping.)

HTH,
Tim

DayTrip said:

And I guess as an addendum, is the Brutus bushwhack also followable in Summer or is that strictly a snow thing to avoid the ledges of the Summer route?

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I found the Brutus to be very easy to follow in late May, there's a defined herd path / faint herd path almost the whole way, and unless you're new to tracking off trail herd paths then you'll have no issues. Trip Report Here

-Chris

bikehikeskifish said:

I went out on Friday via the Black Pond bushwhack and while there are traces of herd paths here and there, there didn't seem to be anything terribly obvious. Basically head due magnetic north at around 1800' +/- opting around the few obstacles you'd find in your way. I returned via the trail and crossings (FWIW, 135 cfps on the Pemi East Branch and crossed with dry feet with careful rock hopping.)

HTH,
Tim

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Thanks. Not doing it to avoid crossings now. Rivers are very, very low. Doing it more for pre-Winter research and general knowledge. Owl's Head is one of my least favorite hikes. Will do it one more time strictly for my Winter checkmark on the list if I do it at all.

dailey7779 said:

I found the Brutus to be very easy to follow in late May, there's a defined herd path / faint herd path almost the whole way, and unless you're new to tracking off trail herd paths then you'll have no issues. Trip Report Here

-Chris

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Great trip report as always. Thanks for the link.

I used the Fisherman's on Saturday, and took the trails back.
It was easy to follow at both ends, with some intermittent searching in the middle where it crosses a few tributary's, onto some small islands, but nothing too bad. Just keep the main stream on your right.
Where it rejoins the Lincoln Brook Trial, after the second major crossing, there is another well used trail heading to the immediate left. I took this for a little bit thinking it was Lincoln Brook Trail, as there was a group of people blocking my view of the real trail. It starts to peter out after a while but is seeing some obvious use, perhaps like me by accident. I realized quickly this was not the trail and corrected.
On the return, the last crossing before on Lincoln Brook Trail prior to the Franconia Brook Intersection was NOT rock hoppable. I looked up and down, and decided to just use the sandals I had carried all this way. It was mid calf most of the way across.

Lincoln Brook, Pemi EB @135 cfps


Franconia Brook, Pemi EB @135 cfps

It rained Friday night and the gauge went from 135 cfps to about 500 cfps (peak, early AM) for Saturday. It's at 105 cfps as I write this.

Tim

The woods are quite open on the Black Pond Bushwhack so there really is no good reason for a herd path to be created. Generally herd paths become most obvious when the terrain or understory is tough so the herd path becomes the path of least resistance, given the near absence of understory on the Black Pond Bushwhack there is no need for path of least resistance.

Be aware that on occasion some folks will flag a line on a bushwhack and frequently they are clueless so other clueless folks tend to follow the flags thinking they are saving time. At least one winter, some group established a snowshoe track that was definitely not the least distance between two points and other hikers followed the track like lemmings.

I am not a runner in any way shape or form but I have done Owls head via the actual trailed route in less than 8 hours in summer. I actually like to cruise down the railroad beds compared to the bushwhack but to each their own.

We did a bushwhack off the summit heading east to Franconia Brook Trail a few summers ago, definitely not something I plan to repeat, a lot denser undergrowth and steep loose slopes than I expected.

bikehikeskifish said:

Lincoln Brook, Pemi EB @135 cfps

Franconia Brook, Pemi EB @135 cfps

It rained Friday night and the gauge went from 135 cfps to about 500 cfps (peak, early AM) for Saturday. It's at 105 cfps as I write this.

Tim

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IIRC the two problem crossings are very wide but really there is only a small channel of the width, like 10-12' or so, that causes the difficulty. The rest of it was a non issue. The one time I did Owl's Head I brought water shoes and even though I probably could have hopped that channel with some effort it was easier to just put my water shoes on and plop right through the crossings. They're only 0.4 miles or so apart. The channel was just over the knees for me day I did (I'm 6'3'"). I want to say gauge was running 550 cfs or so day I did it.

peakbagger said:

The woods are quite open on the Black Pond Bushwhack so there really is no good reason for a herd path to be created. Generally herd paths become most obvious when the terrain or understory is tough so the herd path becomes the path of least resistance, given the near absence of understory on the Black Pond Bushwhack there is no need for path of least resistance.

Be aware that on occasion some folks will flag a line on a bushwhack and frequently they are clueless so other clueless folks tend to follow the flags thinking they are saving time. At least one winter, some group established a snowshoe track that was definitely not the least distance between two points and other hikers followed the track like lemmings.

I am not a runner in any way shape or form but I have done Owls head via the actual trailed route in less than 8 hours in summer. I actually like to cruise down the railroad beds compared to the bushwhack but to each their own.

We did a bushwhack off the summit heading east to Franconia Brook Trail a few summers ago, definitely not something I plan to repeat, a lot denser undergrowth and steep loose slopes than I expected.

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I personally think Owl's Head is a lousy hike. I don't get why it is so widely enjoyed and hiked. 6 of the 18 miles is the dreaded Lincoln Woods Trail, a lot of the approach is muddy, crappy walking and the summit is viewless and unexciting (the cliff views of the Franconia Ridge are very underwhelming in my opinion - not nearly as dramatic as the West side). There are some nice stretches in the middle leaving Lincoln Woods Trail and before the two problem crossings as well as some very picturesque sections along the river before the trail drifts away from the river and starts climbing to the height of land. And of course that nasty 1000' climb after walking 8 miles.

Other than a Winter attempt and possibly to guide someone I know who just started the 48 4k list it would be highly unlikely I would do again.

For winter purposes I highly recommend the approach from east via the valley that runs up to the ridgeline just south of Hellgate brooks intersection with the Franconia Brook trail. The approach from the west is inevitably dark and cold while the east side is a lot sunnier and there are views of Bondcliff If you stick to the north side of the brook that drains the valley the woods are fairly open. The ridge line between Owls Head and the Owl summit is quite thick with blowdown but by slabbing northwest as you encounter the broad plateau you can skirt the blowdown on the ridge line and then finally cut up to the ridgeline. If you hit it right you will go by the original summit location which has far nicer views. The big caveat is that Franconia Brook is quite wide on the east side and if there is early thaw its darn close to impossible to cross.

The overall grade is lot more reasonable, no need to search for the Brutus Bushwhack and the potential for crust is better due to sun exposure on the East side.

yogi said:

Where it rejoins the Lincoln Brook Trial, after the second major crossing, there is another well used trail heading to the immediate left. I took this for a little bit thinking it was Lincoln Brook Trail, as there was a group of people blocking my view of the real trail. It starts to peter out after a while but is seeing some obvious use, perhaps like me by accident. I realized quickly this was not the trail and corrected.
.

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If I am not mistaken, this trail leads back to the general BP Bushwhack route. I have landed at this spot a couple times when coming from Black Pond and have started the BW back from here as well if this is the same place I am envisioning. It's right at the crossing and there is a large flat area for a break, the size of a big tent pad anyway.

<The one time I did Owl's Head I brought water shoes and even though I probably could have hopped that channel with some effort it was easier to just put my water shoes on and plop right through the crossings. They're only 0.4 miles or so apart. The channel was just over the knees for me day I did (I'm 6'3'"). I want to say gauge was running 550 cfs or so day I did it.>

When I did Owls Head last August the 2 crossings were just high enough to warrant water shoes. Once you put them on, it is easier to leave them on for the short distance (.4m) between the crossings than to change shoes 2x. That section of trail is flat and pretty smooth. On such a long hike (done as a day hike) saving even 20-30 minutes is helpful.

Grey J said:

<The one time I did Owl's Head I brought water shoes and even though I probably could have hopped that channel with some effort it was easier to just put my water shoes on and plop right through the crossings. They're only 0.4 miles or so apart. The channel was just over the knees for me day I did (I'm 6'3'"). I want to say gauge was running 550 cfs or so day I did it.>

When I did Owls Head last August the 2 crossings were just high enough to warrant water shoes. Once you put them on, it is easier to leave them on for the short distance (.4m) between the crossings than to change shoes 2x. That section of trail is flat and pretty smooth. On such a long hike (done as a day hike) saving even 20-30 minutes is helpful.

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In all cases, I think it's even easier to do the Black Pond Bushwhack, so long as you are able to follow a herd path or a compass. Accessing OH via the Lincoln slide it a way to make the trip a lot more interesting as well. Of course some people are only interesting in making 'good time'.

Grey J said:

<The one time I did Owl's Head I brought water shoes and even though I probably could have hopped that channel with some effort it was easier to just put my water shoes on and plop right through the crossings. They're only 0.4 miles or so apart. The channel was just over the knees for me day I did (I'm 6'3'"). I want to say gauge was running 550 cfs or so day I did it.>

When I did Owls Head last August the 2 crossings were just high enough to warrant water shoes. Once you put them on, it is easier to leave them on for the short distance (.4m) between the crossings than to change shoes 2x. That section of trail is flat and pretty smooth. On such a long hike (done as a day hike) saving even 20-30 minutes is helpful.

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Exactly what I did. I felt it saved a lot of time between searching for rocks to hop at both crossings, changing in and out of shoes twice to dry feet,etc, etc.

DayTrip said:

IIRC the two problem crossings are very wide but really there is only a small channel of the width, like 10-12' or so, that causes the difficulty.

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Yup. The pictures, I'd hoped, illustrated that very fact.

Tim

Raven said:

If I am not mistaken, this trail leads back to the general BP Bushwhack route. I have landed at this spot a couple times when coming from Black Pond and have started the BW back from here as well if this is the same place I am envisioning. It's right at the crossing and there is a large flat area for a break, the size of a big tent pad anyway.

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Ahh, that makes sense. And that is the place it originates (or ends) at.
Thanks for that!

peakbagger said:

For winter purposes I highly recommend the approach from east via the valley that runs up to the ridgeline just south of Hellgate brooks intersection with the Franconia Brook trail.

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Funny how you say that two posts below saying you wouldn't repeat the route straight east off the summit. Obviously the seasonal difference in undergrowth, but was there something subtly different in route?

There are three streams draining the east side of OH (well, three on the map) and I believe the preferred ridge is between the northernmost and the middle, the ridge that hits barely north of the 4025 point? I've read reports that suggest falling down into the (middle) drainage sucks, but you seem to suggest staying close to the brook? Of course close to and just north of the brook more or less puts one on the "nose" of the ridge up to 2500' or so.

So I would read this as: Cross Hellgate, cross Franconia, stay just north of the middle tributary. Or were you recommending: don't cross Hellgate, cross Franconia, cross middle tributary (after it bends south), head up ridgeline just above southernmost tributary, hit the southeast extension of the ridgeline and continue along the ridge?

When I went last July, I found the eroded, dangerous bit of the Owl's Head Path extended well above the slide (unlike in years past), and it sounds like Brutus comes out near the top of the slide, so it wouldn't avoid the nasty stuff...thus the east side starting to sound more appealing.

Is the Franconia Brook Trail heading to Thirteen Falls (and really the whole stretch taking the official trail route to Owl's Head) traveled enough to make bushwhacking from the East desirable or is that all breaking trail for the East bushwhack? I was under impression just about everybody did the Black Pond and Brutus bushwhack in Winter and the other routes got very little traffic. And isn't the Franconia Brook still pretty sizeable to around Hellgate Brook area (i.e. dangerous like the other crossings on West that the bushwhacks avoid)?

I have done the approach from the east and its my choice. Yes Franconia Brook can be a real issue and you need to do the hike when its frozen over. I like sunlight and the easterly approach has more of it plus some winter views. The key is to pick the correct valley to head up to the ridge which gets you well south of the summits. The actual ridge top was quite infested with blowdowns but by staying just short of the ridge there are more somewhat open softwoods along the east side of the ridge. At some point you will need to slab up to the actual ridge to pick up the herd path. It was far more a challenge pre GPS but expect its easier these days. I havent done this route for many years so things may have changed.