Owls Head

vftt.org

Help Support vftt.org:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

hardyb

Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2003
Messages
78
Reaction score
6
Location
Rindge,NH; Avatar, Monadnock
Our group is planning to do Owls Head on Saturday via the Black Pond bushwhack. I know the bushwhack eliminates two major water crossings, are there any other crossing to be concerned with?
 
Hiked out from the Bonds yesterday - it is bone dry up there...upper two crossings of Black Brook looked like rock slides, not water crossings - no evidence of any water. Pemi was very low - the crossing a bit before the Franconia Falls bridge required no thought at all to cross, which by that point was perfect for me. :eek:
Bushwhack may be fun, save a bit, but it is not necassary due to water conditions at this time.
 
even if bushwacking past the first to major crossings the next 3 can be problematic if the water is high. particularly the 2nd (liberty brook) and the 3rd (lincoln brook). if the levels are low as they seem to be they shouldn't be a problem.

bryan
 
Thanks for all the info, we will be heading out at 4:00am tomorrow morning from southern NH, my plan is to be on the trail by 7:00 am and with any luck finish before darkness. This will be our 2nd attempt to bag Owls Head, we tried 3 weeks ago from Galehead hut but failed due to extremely high water at 13 falls, that's why I was concerned about the crossing from the south.
 
It can be pretty muddy in some spots in the bushwhack area. Particularly near Black Pond. You can make very fast time by taking the trails when water levels are low. Depends on how fast you walk, but you shouldn't have much trouble at all getting back before dark. Take headlamps if you are still worried about it.
 
2 weeks ago...

... the only tricky crossings coming from the south were the last 2- Lincoln and Liberty Brooks. Although much less wide, they pose some hopping challenges (at least to me- short and old). The guy I was with hopped right across easily.
On the bushwhack, you can avoid most of the mud if you don't stray too far east. i.e.- don't head due north. head slightly "west" of north, climb to and then follow the contour at around 1850 ft.
Leaving Black Pond there were orange blazes on trees that followed a generally northward direction into a pretty muddy area; but I don't think they are intended to be a trail, rather some sort of boundary??- anyone with more knowledge on that, please advise.
 
Of the recent trips into OH, can anyone update me on the status of cairns etc on and near the slide. I may go tuesday with my son, no school so we have an extra long weekend! Please feel free to PM me so watchful eyes of cairn removers don't get any help. I'm not leaving town until Sat pm so i will recheck my messages...thanks ctsparrow
 
Top