Owls Head Mountain is a 4000-footer positioned deep within the Pemigewasset Wilderness. While you’ll be able to hike out and again to it in a protracted 16-18 mile day, I had a hankering to show it into an off-the-cuff backpacking journey for an opportunity to sleep exterior not less than another time earlier than the onset of winter, which may arrive any day now. While I do plan to do some above-treeline backpacking this winter within the Presidentials, that may be a utterly completely different expertise from sleeping down low within the bosom of the Pemi.
Now that we’re previous Columbus Day (October 10), the White Mountain National Forest takes on a really completely different look. Things that have been hidden from sight by leaves and understory vegetation are abruptly revealed, giving the forest a very completely different look; a renewal of types, earlier than the lengthy winter units in.
People who hike the 4000-footers all yr spherical will inform you that it’s enjoyable to expertise the identical trails in several seasons since you see various things. While I’ve discounted that considerably in my very own expertise, and I attempt to range the paths I observe to the excessive peaks, this autumn has been completely different. I actually am noticing and discovering new elements of the forest that I haven’t ever skilled.
Route
There is a reasonably customary route that the majority hikers take out to Owls Head today, though there are a number of methods to succeed in the height. For this hike, I adopted the most well-liked route:
- Lincoln Woods Trail – 2.6 miles
- Black Pond Trail – 0.8 miles
- Black Pond Bushwhack – 1.0 miles
- Lincoln Brook Traill – 2 miles
- Brutus Bushwhack – 0.6 miles (up)
- Owls Head Path – 0.6 miles (up)
- Owls Head Path – 0.6 miles (down)
- Brutus Bushwhack – 0.6 miles (down)
- Lincoln Brook Trail – 2 miles
- Black Pond Bushwhack – 1.0 miles
- Black Pond Trail – 0.8 miles
- Lincoln Woods Trail – 2.6 miles
Those bushwhacks, listed above, allow you to keep away from a number of stream crossings and an avalanche slide which might be problematic when the climate will get colder. There’s been numerous controversy in recent times about these “bushwhacks” which are actually fairly nicely outlined, however nonetheless unofficial trails. I’d estimate that 90% of the a whole lot of hikers going out to Owls Head observe them and there’s little level in banning their use since everybody makes use of GPS apps, like GaiaGPS and AllTrails, to observe them.
It was completely different when just a few guides knew the routes and the extent of visitors was far decrease. But there isn’t a level in making an attempt to ban their use at this level. Unfortunately, GPS apps and social media have made our world a a lot smaller place. The cat is out of the bag and it’s inconceivable to place it again in.
Trip
I headed up the Lincoln Woods path which was very fairly with the autumn shade and turned onto the Black Pond Trail. From there it’s about 0.8 miles to the beginning of the unofficial Black Pond Bushwhack, which avoids the 2 main water crossings required to succeed in the Lincoln Brook Trail, which runs to the bottom of Owls Head. This was the fifth time I’ve hiked out to Owls Head this yr, so I’ve an honest concept of what to anticipate.
There are two extra water crossings it’s essential to deal with proper earlier than the climb up Owls Head. In hotter climate, I don’t care about getting my sneakers moist in any of those crossings, however when nighttime temperatures drop under freezing, as they’ve for a number of weeks now, I keep away from getting my path runners moist. So for these 2 crossings, I carried a pair of Wiggy’s Waders to maintain my ft dry, though I didn’t find yourself needing them as a result of each have been low sufficient to rock hop.
While the Black Pond Bushwhack is an unofficial herd path at this level, the route it takes by means of the forest does fluctuate a bit, significantly in winter it follows the route that the final individual to interrupt it out (compress the snow with snowshoes) took. The first half of the route was completely different than the final time I hiked it in June, though the second half coincided completely. The route was additionally closely obscured by leaf litter, however I’m superb at following badly outlined trails so I didn’t have any issues determining the present “route.” I used to be nonetheless outfitted with a compass, map, and GaiaGPS although.
The bushwhack comes out on the Lincoln Brook Trail, simply after the second river crossing, which it bypasses. From there I hiked up the very moist LBT, making an attempt to maintain my mesh path runners dry. The mesh path runners I exploit, Saucony Peregrine 11’s (final yr’s mannequin) have a sock liner inside which I discover wards off moist ft to a sure extent. Of course, it does nothing for the sturdiness of the exterior mesh which will get destroyed after about 200 miles of White Mountain climbing. I’m severely contemplating transferring to a extra sturdy climbing shoe as a result of I’m sick of changing mesh path runners at $150-$200 a pop. There needs to be a greater manner.
The Lincoln Brook Trail is at all times moist, not less than when it’s not lined in ice. Despite this I made good time, hopping skipping, and leaping to keep away from the mud pits and puddles alongside the way in which. The path runs alongside Lincoln Brook which continues to be working very low due to the summer time drought, despite the fact that we’ve had numerous rain up to now month.
Since I had a full pack, I discovered a hidden campsite to stash my heaviest gear whereas I climbed the height. Some individuals depart their packs on the base of the Owls Head climb and climb with out one, however I desire carrying a minimal of security gear with me after I climb summits. You simply by no means know while you’ll want it.
I climbed Owl Head utilizing the Brutus bushwhack, as an alternative of going up the avalanche slide which is one other route. That route, which once more is now a well-established herd path, is called after Brutus, a Bernese Mountain Dog who couldn’t rise up the avalanche slide, which is principally a rocky shute that climbs about 1000 ft. That’s one other 600 ft of elevation achieve above that, but it surely’s not less than a path. This bushwhack route was created so Brutus may get to the summit. He is now not with us however his herd path lives on.
Up I went, following the summit ridge to the mountain highpoint, marked by a small cairn. I took a number of pictures, circled, and reversed my route, climbing again to my gear stashed within the woods.
It was nonetheless mid-afternoon, so I made a decision to hike again out partway and discover a stealthy campsite for the night time as an alternative of staying on the one I’d discovered nearer to the height. This proved more durable than I anticipated as a result of there isn’t numerous degree floor between the tip of the Black Pond bushwhack and the Owls Head Path. But I discovered a pleasant web site ultimately, pre-existing on this case – and arrange camp, made dinner, hung my Ursack, obtained into my sleeping bag, and fell asleep for the subsequent 14 hours. I like sleeping exterior. I may have made it again to the beginning of the hike earlier than sunset, however considered one of my chief objectives for this hike was to camp out.
I made tea the subsequent morning, however the ProBar I’d packed for breakfast was frozen, so I needed to defrost it by dipping it the new water. Then I packed up and hiked out.
This was the final 4000-footer I wanted to climb in October for the 4000 Footer Grid (12 x 48), bringing my complete to 478 summits. With 98 peaks left, there’s nonetheless numerous journey left.
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