| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Owl’s Head, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Lincoln Woods Trail, Black Pond Trail, herd path, Lincoln Brook Trail, herd path, Owl's Head Path |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, January 4, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Only 6 cars on a Thursday morning. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Small crossing - rock hoppable, easy. Major crossings 1 & 2 - Even though the water levels have dropped, the current was still strong. We had trash bags but we were able to cross without them. All exposed rocks have snow and ice on them. Ice bridges are starting to form but are not connected, so it was like hopping on clumps of ice and praying the clumps would hold your weight! We did it but it was scary. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Lincoln Woods and Black Pond were in great shape. Lots of blowdowns on Black Pond bushwhack but can easily step over. Lincoln Brook was in good shape. Brutus had tons of blowdowns but this is not a maintained trail. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
It was a great day for Owl’s Head for Chantal’s January grid. The mud was frozen on all the trails. We barebooted until part way down Lincoln Brook when there were large ice flows and it was very slippery. There was a light dusting of snow that covered the ice, so spikes were needed to not wipe out! We kept on spikes until the return trip on Lincoln Brook and removed them after the icy section. Water crossings are described above. If the temperature stays below freezing, the crossings should get easier, but if it gets warm again, you will need trash bags to cross. Heading up Brutus, there was a lot of erosion from the storm and loose rocks that made footing challenging. Lots of new blowdowns, so this part of the hike slowed us down. The snow gets deeper, maybe 3”, once on the ridge to the summit. Lots of snow on the trees made it look much more like winter than down below. We saw no other hikers all day but did see a bear that easily crossed the river. Must still be too warm for them to be hibernating. |
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 | Name: |
Sue S |
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 | E-Mail: |
suemsullivan23@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-01-05 |
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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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