| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Owl's Head, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Lincoln Woods Trail, Franconia Brook Trail, Lincoln Brook Trail, Owl's Head Path |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, June 24, 2017 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Lots of parking at Lincoln Woods parking lot. $5 fee. Super nice ranger |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
To the best of our recollection there are 8 significant water crossings in each direction. And several minor crossings. The Franconia Brook crossing and the first Lincoln Brook crossing (coming from Lincoln Woods) are major crossings that currently require walking through high and fast currents. These are not for the faint of heart. Bring sturdy water shoes. And for point of reference, it took us significant strategizing to figure out where to try to cross Franconia Brook, the current can easily knock a person off their feet, and I am 5'8" and the Franconia Brook waters were nearly waist deep. On my 5'4" friend they were waist deep. Be careful! Franconia Brook was the worst of the two. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A huge majority of these trails are extremely wet and mudddy. Not a little mud, but the kind of mud that can suck the boot of off your foot. This goes on for 9 miles. Bring at least one full change of socks, and preferably two. Make sure the waterproofing on your boots is intact. In addition, the slide trail up Owls Head Path frequently follows running water and is especially slick on the descent. We know these trails are unmaintained, but there are many blowdowns with sharp, pointy branch protrusions to impale oneself on. Also, the path over the top of Owls Head to the summit is very unkempt. There are no blazes on any of these trails and though junctions are generally well marked there were a few instances where we had to pull out the trail description to figure out which fork to take. Finally, pay close attention to the smallish cairn that marks the start of the Owls Head Path, which is unsigned. We ran into 2 hikers today who missed it and spent many miles and hours lost in the Pemi Wilderness. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
This hike is not dog appropriate. The river crossings are much to high and swift for dogs. We saw one dog with her humans who had turned back because of the water crossings. |
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 | Bugs: |
Yep. Mosquitoes, mosquitoes mosquitoes! And other black flying biting bugs. Bring lots of DEET and reapply regularly. A head net is also recommended. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
See this great post for more info on Owls Head: https://roarloud.net/2016/09/02/worst-hike-in-new-hampshire/
Over dinner tonight we re-read it and laughed. Because it's all true! In all seriousness, Owls Head is a real adventure, even for experienced hikers. The woods and brooks are beautiful, and the view from the slide is fantastic even if short lived. The challenge with Owls Head is the water crossings, the extreme mud, the very loose slide, and that you have to do it all again on the way back out. And did I mention the the water crossings? |
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 | Name: |
KLBS |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2017-06-24 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.facebook.com/groups/LesBeInTheMountains/ |
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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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