| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Owl's Head, NH |
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 | Trails: |
East Side, Lincoln Woods, Black Pond, Bushwhack, Lincoln Brook, Bushwhack, Owl's Head |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, October 8, 2026 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Lot was pretty empty in the morning, but quite full with leaf peepers by afternoon. It will be worse over the weekend. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Franconia Brook crossing on oak tree was fine, others are all simple rock hops. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Removed a few blowdowns on the Lincoln Brook Trail. There are a few large ones remaining, but they're easily avoided. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Didn't see any except on the East Side trail. This one is doable for an experienced dog. |
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 | Bugs: |
Surprisingly, saw a few today, but they weren't a bother. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Found a brown knit winter hat on the Lincoln Brook Trail. Brought it to the Ranger Station. |
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 | Comments: |
I think I was the only one on Owl's Head today. That's pretty rare, and I enjoyed it. The river crossing on the oak tree was quite easy. Stay on the EST through the campsite, and bear left on the wide path just before the Pemi Wilderness sign. The tree is visible as soon as you hit the river, just a bit upstream. I looked for other places to cross so I wouldn't have to backtrack, but didn't see anything good. Plus, the key to surviving in the woods is making good decisions. The tree was a good decision. This route adds about 1.2 miles to the "normal" 17 miles, so I had 18.3 when I finished. The flatter parts of the Black Pond trail, and especially the bushwhack, can be hard to follow due to the thick layer of leaves. You can see the erosion damage and exposed roots on the steeper parts :( so that's easier to follow. I heard a loud rumble of thunder, or maybe a rockslide, from the Franconia Ridge direction at almost exactly noon. Did anyone else experience that? |
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 | Name: |
Andy |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-10-08 |
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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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