Owl's Head Slide?

I read a few recent trip reports of folks bushwhacking around the slide up to Owl's Head. I also read a report suggesting if you were not comfortable with using an ice axe to navigate the slide directly, it probably would not be a good idea to take that route. We are thinking of climbing Owl's head this weekend and I'm trying to prepare. Anyone been up there recently have any reports other than VFTT trip reports?

Thanks In Advance....
Redwood

redwood,

i haven't been there recently, but last year on the first day of spring i climbed up the slide and found it to be very different going up then going down. the conditions can definetly change within just a few hours if it is a sunny day.

climbing it in the morning before the sun had warmed it up, the snow very hard and i was very careful as i only had my trekking poles. had i slipped i would have gone for a bit of a ride.

climbing down a hour or two later the sun had softened the snow and i slid, ran, glissaded down and felt very comfortable.

william

If you choose to avoid the slide, over the winter the route around it to the south has been pretty packed, as many people have hiked it. It shouldn't be too hard to find, as long as there has been someone on it recently. The woods are fairly open for the most part so it isn't a real difficult bushwhack. If you can't find the packed bushwhack, just head generally up the drainage just to the south of where the trail crosses Lincoln Brook (you can find the drainage by angling upslope and to the south right after the crossing), until you are fairly close to the top of it, then angle northward across slope and upward until you hit the Owl's Head Path above the slide.

I did OH twice this winter, first by bushwhacking directly up the south end of the ridge (near the Owl's Head proper), and later by going up the route mentioned above. The latter was much easier - but only because it was so packed out.

Redwood said:

I read a few recent trip reports of folks bushwhacking around the slide up to Owl's Head...Redwood

Click to expand...

You might find this link of use. The slide route is approximately where the legend (in blue) says "Lincoln Brook Trail".

You can also check out our recent trip report. We roughly went up the "Brutus" bushwhack route and came down the slide. It all depends on the conditions you find on the day you go.

http://rbhayes.net/latest/Owls-Head-02-11-06/index.htm

Carol and Dave White

We bushwhacked up the left (north) side of the slide on Feb. 25th. The slide was glare ice (whenever we got a view of the slide) and an ice ax would be mandatory to climb the slide. Although very steep, the bushwhack is a good alternative - the snow is deep enough to hold your steps, yet not deep enough (week and a half ago) to require snowshoes. Only a couple of spots had ice off the slide. Crampons to grip are mandatory (for us, at least) on the ascent/descent on this very steep terrain.

Just back from the slide today-- it's very icy. See my post (coming momentarily) in "trail conditions."