Owl's Head - Lincoln Woods Trail, Black Pond Trail, herd path, Lincoln Brook Trail, Owls Head Path - 8-11-2023

Hiking Trail Conditions Report
	Peaks	Owl's Head, NH

	Trails:	Lincoln Woods Trail, Black Pond Trail, herd path, Lincoln Brook Trail, Owls Head Path

	Date of Hike:	Friday, August 11, 2023

	Parking/Access Road Notes:	Plenty of room at Lincoln Woods at 8:30am

	Surface Conditions:	Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Significant

	Recommended Equipment:

	Water Crossing Notes:	Even with the cutoff to avoid the big crossings on Lincoln Brook, the smaller ones after where Black Pond herd path comes out were challenging. I am a small, meerkat-like person, and I had to ford water up to my thighs. It was doable, but intimidating

	Trail Maintenance Notes:

	Dog-Related Notes:

	Bugs:	occasional deer flies, some mosquitoes

	Lost and Found:


	Comments:	I knew this was not going to be the world's most fun or lovely hike, and it was not. I postholed into mud up to my thigh at one point, and the mud in general and throughout was copious. Of course, you get periodically rinsed by the intense water crossings and sections of trail that fully masquerade as streams. The slide up Owl's Head was ok. Reminded me a little of the loose gravel side of Tripyramids--the coming down rattles one a bit. I hiked down with a person named Andy whom I met by the summit cairn, and the hours passed easily in conversation about wide ranging topics--male ego, the writer Nan Shepherd, ambivalence about the 48 list as a perhaps neither pro-social nor anti-social project. Thank you, Andy. It was a pleasure and a delight I won't forget, and easily the best part of this arduous and somehow both tedious and scary hike.

	Name:	Sarah

	E-Mail:	sjcourchesne@gmail.com

	Date Submitted:	2023-08-12

	Link:	https://
		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.