Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Owl's Head, NH |
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| Trails: |
Lincoln Woods Trail, Black Pond Trail, bushwhack, Lincoln Brook Trail, Owl's Head Path |
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| Date of Hike: |
Saturday, May 20, 2017 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Ice - Blue, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable) |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
The three minor crossings were not very difficult and we did not get wet. |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Black Pond Bushwhack was a bit difficult going south. Would be easier with GPS. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
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| Bugs: |
For 10 minutes we were swarmed near Black Pond, otherwise none to mention. |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
We started at Lincoln Woods parking area and hiked Lincoln Woods Trail then up Black Pond Trail. Both Trails were flat and easy going. The Black Pond Bushwhack was fairly easy and we ended up exactly where Lincoln Brook Trail crosses Lincoln Brook. At times there was evidence of a herd path, but it was difficult to follow. We just used a compass and stayed going north. The Lincoln Brook Trail climbs slowly and is muddy in spot, but overall a nice trail. The 3 "minor" stream crossings were done quickly without a lot of thought (the gauge at Lincoln was around 700cfs). Just before the herd path up Owl's Head the trail was a bit difficult to follow, but we quickly found it again and soon found the two cairns marking the herd path up Owl's Head. The slide was very loose, but fun and offered great views on the way up. The trail continued steep above the slide to the summit ridge with a monorail in places, but could be straddled. We had traction, but did not use it. Once on the summit ridge we did not notice a sign at the old summit as seen in other pictures. The trail to the true summit was fairly easy to follow, but had several blow downs that needed to be bypassed. There was still snow in spots, but not much on the trail. We contemplated bushwhacking down Brutus, but ended up going back down the slide. Headed south on the Black Pond bushwhack we followed the herd path almost half of the way before losing it. Using a compass, we just missed Black Pond and ended up hitting Birch Island Brook at a beautiful waterfall. We walked down the brook a couple hundred yards, then saw the Black Pond Trail just above us, so hopped back on that and headed out. Round trip took just over 8 hours. It was a really nice and interesting hike to round out our 4000 footers. |
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| Name: |
Dan |
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| E-Mail: |
danthetopdogg@hotmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2017-05-21 |
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| Link: |
https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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