Sasquatch
New member
Well today was the day I've been waitng for to finally do Owl's head. Cloudy with a chance of showers.After last weeks run I felt confident I could run most of the flats. I must say this was a rather unpleasant ordeal. I am usually the most joyous hiker, thrilled to be alive and in the mountains. Maybe it was the weather,maybe it was the time of year, or maybe owl's just plain sucks. The Wilderness, Franconia brook and Lincoln brook trails were wet and muddy, especially as you get close to the slide.The river crossings were fairly difficult if you did not want to get your feet wet.Factor in trying to portage Tuck across the icy and submerged rocks in sneakers,very difficult.We both took a bath 3 times on the big crossings.Tuck HATES to get wet, I had to give him about 5 large cookies when we got home so he would forgive me. I guess it worked because he is lying at my feet as I type these words.Carter on the other hand was quite adept at jumping/swimming across, I think he tought it was great fun.
I ran the 3 miles on the wilderness trail to the bridge. This trail is usually dry but by the time I got to the bridge my feet were already wet and muddy.After that I was mostly running until the trails were too wet and muddy to do so. Fairly soaked after the crossing debacles, we finally made the slide.Greeted by steep, loose scree and several icy sections, many trees across the trail, we carefully made it to the summit plateau.The trail is fairly easy to the old summit,the next 1/4 mile to the new summit is a maze of faint herd paths that are somewhat hard to follow. On the way back we lost the path and got turned around twice, no thanks to my trail dogs.Carefully jogging back down the slide and finally back to the mud.Starting running intervals when the trail allowed, then the going got somewhat easier.On the way back I said screw the trying to rock hop with Tuck at the crossings and portaged him through the shallower spots while Carter swam,jumped.Quickly back out to wilderness trail and kept up the short intervals till the end. I was tired over the last few miles, probably from too much full court basketball yesterday, and my legs felt like spaghetti. Round trip time 5:20, I was very happy with that and glad I had finally knocked off this peak.Even more glad to be back at the car!
I ran the 3 miles on the wilderness trail to the bridge. This trail is usually dry but by the time I got to the bridge my feet were already wet and muddy.After that I was mostly running until the trails were too wet and muddy to do so. Fairly soaked after the crossing debacles, we finally made the slide.Greeted by steep, loose scree and several icy sections, many trees across the trail, we carefully made it to the summit plateau.The trail is fairly easy to the old summit,the next 1/4 mile to the new summit is a maze of faint herd paths that are somewhat hard to follow. On the way back we lost the path and got turned around twice, no thanks to my trail dogs.Carefully jogging back down the slide and finally back to the mud.Starting running intervals when the trail allowed, then the going got somewhat easier.On the way back I said screw the trying to rock hop with Tuck at the crossings and portaged him through the shallower spots while Carter swam,jumped.Quickly back out to wilderness trail and kept up the short intervals till the end. I was tired over the last few miles, probably from too much full court basketball yesterday, and my legs felt like spaghetti. Round trip time 5:20, I was very happy with that and glad I had finally knocked off this peak.Even more glad to be back at the car!
