Mystery Hike in the Pemi

[swamp]

Sunday morning I backpacked into the Pemi to do some fishing. An equipment malfunction quickly put an end to the fishing so I had to come up with a plan B. I recalled seeing a railroad grade on an old map and decided to have a look. After a little poking around I scrambled up a hill and was faced with this

I followed it through some amazing open hardwoods

and around some ledges

I occasionally came across some railroad junk.

I followed the old railroad grade for almost three miles and never crossed a maintained trail (or any sign of recent activity at all). Where was I ?

 

[Chip]

Dunno, but hopefully you still had a few of those Woodstock Browns on you to ease the pain of the equipment malfunction !

 

[kltilton]

East slope of Owls Head?

 

[swamp]

East slope of Owls Head?

Man....It was supposed to be harder than that. You are,of course, correct. I hiked it from the point it diverges from the Lincoln Brook trail to the west side of Franconia Brook roughly across from Camp 10.

 

[Jazzbo]

Owls Head RR Grade

That would have been my guess too. Very cool .... you just did something I've been meaning to do. Looks like maybe next year now or maybe a good snowhoe trip for this winter. The old RR grade splits off from Franconia Brook Trail midway between Red Rock Brook and Hellgate Brook. I would have tried to detect remains of the crossing of Franconia Brook. My maps show a Camp 10 on east bank of Franconia Brook at the crossing. RR grade snakes around south side of Owls Head and passes by Camp 11 and ended at Camp 12 at Liberty Brook. Good place to whack up to Owls Head cliffs. PM me should you ever want to head back there some time. Nice pictures!

 

[RoySwkr]

Very cool .... you just did something I've been meaning to do.

Me too, I'm jealous! But there's always next year