Owl's Head Bushwhacks - Summer

[jniehof]

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.

Thanks. Sounds like just north of the southern tributary is your recommendation.

DayTrip, I know Black Pond + Brutus is most common and most likely to be broken out; it's just I've found from doing the NEHH that
1) most common is not necessarily "best" depending on your taste and balancing of various difficulties (routefinding vs. trailbreaking vs. steeps vs. eating spruce vs....) As I mentioned, I don't like how far up the mountain the eroded part of the OHS path has gotten and BB gets pretty close to/into it. I'm also liking the idea of taking a relatively straightforward trail path in, set camp, and then bushwhack, rather than having to do the BP BW fully-loaded.
2) the herd path or, in winter, broken trail is not always the best route and sometimes it's more effort to try and follow it and figure out if it's going wrong than to strike one's own way. I spent way too much time thrashing on NKD when I should have just given up, set the bearing, and crawled on my belly.
3) All else aside, sometimes I just want to find the path that seems best to me and prove I'm a man and not a piano-key.

 

[peakbagger]

This isn't a GPS track but the way I and others have gone. The key was to stay slightly south of that southerly ridge it was fairly open hardwoods In the summer a few of us went directly east of the summit on the ridge heading directly east and it was not pleasant (steep and thick).

 

[DayTrip]

Thanks. Sounds like just north of the southern tributary is your recommendation.

DayTrip, I know Black Pond + Brutus is most common and most likely to be broken out; it's just I've found from doing the NEHH that
1) most common is not necessarily "best" depending on your taste and balancing of various difficulties (routefinding vs. trailbreaking vs. steeps vs. eating spruce vs....) As I mentioned, I don't like how far up the mountain the eroded part of the OHS path has gotten and BB gets pretty close to/into it. I'm also liking the idea of taking a relatively straightforward trail path in, set camp, and then bushwhack, rather than having to do the BP BW fully-loaded.
2) the herd path or, in winter, broken trail is not always the best route and sometimes it's more effort to try and follow it and figure out if it's going wrong than to strike one's own way. I spent way too much time thrashing on NKD when I should have just given up, set the bearing, and crawled on my belly.
3) All else aside, sometimes I just want to find the path that seems best to me and prove I'm a man and not a piano-key.

I agree. I personally think Owl's Head is one of the suckiest hikes on the 48 4k list so the idea of doing something a bit different like coming in from the East was interesting. I think the views East to the Bonds would also be much more desirable than the East side of the Franconia Ridge, which in my opinion is fairly underwhelming. The one glaring red flag for me would be the crossing of Franconia Brook. I hike alone so a mishap with the crossing could be a big problem and likely there will be no intel on the bridged status of the river coming from the East so it would be a long walk in just to assess.

I haven't done any of the Winter peaks yet involving bushwhacks (Owl's Head, Isolation) so I really haven't been able to decide for myself what the least objectionable route is. For me, at least as Owl's Head goes, the "best" route is going to be the one I can get it done the safest and quickest. Maybe a Winter ascent of the peak will change my opinion but I personally do not like the hike. I'm doing it for "the list". No doubt I'll wind up going the conventional route just to be done with it.

 

[DougPaul]

Another alternative bushwack route is via the NNW ridge. The approach is long, but it can avoid the bigger stream crossings.

I did it as a 2-dayer on skis around 1980 or so. We started at Lincoln Woods and followed the trails around the west side before turning up toward the ridge. It was mostly reasonably open. And since I was able to ski it (wood skis, no skins...), it couldn't have been too steep...

Someone else reported bushwacking up the ridge more recently in summer conditions and found the vegetation to be fairly dense. (It was reported here on VFTT--perhaps you can find it by searching or the author will speak up.)

Doug

 

[peakbagger]

My first ascent from the East was around the last day of the winter with one other person. We needed it for our winter list and really didn't want to go in via the west side. It was definitely not "a sucky hike" except for a bad decision to head straight to the ridge line. It was sunny day and we barebooted all the way to part way up the Owl. we got occasional views towards the Bonds and possible Carrigan. Our bad decision of heading directly to the ridge meant we got in some thick nasty spruce/fir with blowdown for some period of time. We eventually made it to what we believe once was the official summit, complete with a bolt in a spruce tree with pretty open area around it and by walking west about 50 feet we had great views along the Lafayette ridge (similar to the slide). We then headed north and came to the "official summit" (which has now been superseded by another recognized summit) We then elected to slab steeply down slope SSE to get out of the small stuff and soon picked up border between the small spruce/fir and large pole sized softwoods that were more open. We then slabbed at the elevation until we crossed our ascent path because we didn't want to drop down the wrong drainage. The sun was out and crossing Franconia Brook was "interesting" but we made it across and then walked via the trails from just south of Hellgate Brook. The second bummer of the day was the snow had turned into slop on top in spots but we survived.

The next winter a few friends needed it and using my directions they nailed it and had a good time. This was easily 15 to 20 years ago.

 

[TJsName]

I agree. I personally think Owl's Head is one of the suckiest hikes on the 48 4k list so the idea of doing something a bit different like coming in from the East was interesting. I think the views East to the Bonds would also be much more desirable than the East side of the Franconia Ridge, which in my opinion is fairly underwhelming. The one glaring red flag for me would be the crossing of Franconia Brook. I hike alone so a mishap with the crossing could be a big problem and likely there will be no intel on the bridged status of the river coming from the East so it would be a long walk in just to assess.

I haven't done any of the Winter peaks yet involving bushwhacks (Owl's Head, Isolation) so I really haven't been able to decide for myself what the least objectionable route is. For me, at least as Owl's Head goes, the "best" route is going to be the one I can get it done the safest and quickest. Maybe a Winter ascent of the peak will change my opinion but I personally do not like the hike. I'm doing it for "the list". No doubt I'll wind up going the conventional route just to be done with it.

Do it via the Lincoln Slide to make it more interesting.

 

[Snowflea]

Another alternative bushwack route is via the NNW ridge. The approach is long, but it can avoid the bigger stream crossings.... Someone else reported bushwacking up the ridge more recently in summer conditions and found the vegetation to be fairly dense. (It was reported here on VFTT--perhaps you can find it by searching or the author will speak up.) Doug

In pursuit of the Calendar Year Grid, I did Owlie via the NNW ridge x 4 or 5 this year, usually in combo w/the Twins, Galehead, Garfield, etc. I found the woods to be quite open for the most part. The key was to stay just below the ridge--I chose the east side--for the last quarter mile or so. Bonus: it's really the only way up Owls Head that isn't exceedingly steep! However, it is a long route to do in winter!

I actually like Owls Head...

Snowflea

 

[sierra]

In pursuit of the Calendar Year Grid, I did Owlie via the NNW ridge x 4 or 5 this year, usually in combo w/the Twins, Galehead, Garfield, etc. I found the woods to be quite open for the most part. The key was to stay just below the ridge--I chose the east side--for the last quarter mile or so. Bonus: it's really the only way up Owls Head that isn't exceedingly steep! However, it is a long route to do in winter!

I actually like Owls Head...

Snowflea

You use the name Snowflea ? I've been following your TR's and keep saying to myself, " who the heck is this mad woman" now it makes sense, lol. Forgive me, I'm not part of the "inner circle". Back to the topic at hand. I have never done Owls head other then via the trails. I do not bushwhack in the Whites, ever. If I can't make it across the water crossing's, I turn around, but that has not happened yet.