| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Owl's Head, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Lincoln Woods Trail, Black Pond Trail, bushwhack, Lincoln Brook Trail, bushwhack, Owl's Head Path |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, April 25, 2019 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
First and smallest was reasonable; Dan crossed on a log at the bottom near the junction with Lincoln Brook on the way out, I walked through. On the return, we both walked through.
Second crossing was trickier. Took a line slightly upstream of the marked crossing--big stretch/yoga poses, but poles helped. Tied Piper off to my waist for safety, but he was just fine without it...was just me being a worried dog owner. We both dunked a foot, but nothing terrible.
Third crossing was easier than the second. Took a line about 30' downstream of marked crossing and managed to keep our feet dry on the outbound and inbound crossings. Again, tied Piper off, but it ended up being unnecessary and probably more clumsy than just letting him do it.
NOTE: this is all null and void as I stare out of my office window at the rain. The rivers will go back up today so this is really not helpful. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A few blow downs on Lincoln Brook trail, but overall it's in pretty good shape. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Piper came with and did great. I was worried for him in regards to the water crossings, but I brought a couple of different length leashes and a harness to tie him to my waist for security. At the end of the night all the worrying was unnecessary, but still warranted. I wouldn't take any dogs out there again until the water goes down--I'd hate to hear of a dog getting swept down stream.
He was also a pro Bear Sniffer on the way up Owlie after Brutus. Fortunately, no bear was seen, but he smelled/heard it and we followed the tracks most of the way to the ridge. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
A few snow baskets along the way. |
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 | Comments: |
Lets be clear--a night time attack of Owlie on a Thursday in April is not ideal, but with the impending rain storm and only a few days left in the month, it was time to make a move. Dan M accompanied me, which was very helpful.
LW is a mix of bare dirt and very hard packed snow/ice. We bare booted, but spikes could be used for better traction.
Black Pond trail was a mix of bare and wet trail along with periodic sections of unstable monorail. Most of this monorail will probably disappear with the Friday rain storm.
Black Pond Whack is virtually snowless and difficult to follow. We utilized a GPS and old tracks to navigate on the way out and on the way back. The woods are fairly dry, but there are a few areas that'll suck you in up to your knees, so be wary.
Lincoln Brook is where the fun started. 50/50 stable/unstable monorail. Some places were very narrow, while some were very wide. Large, unavoidable sections of standing/running water and mud and 3-4 feet of snow in areas where there is still snow. A couple of sections where the trail skirts the river were the most frustrating--deep, soft snow that swallowed us. We didn't wear any traction because of the variability of trail conditions and at this point I'm not sure that it's worth it. See crossings for info on water.
Brutus/Owl's Head Path--Brutus sucked to follow on the way up; no snow after the hard left turn off of the old road grade. We shot low on the way up, which was worse, but fared better on the way back. The very top section of Brutus where it levels out was BRUTAL--deep, unavoidable post holes on a narrow monorail. Yuck. Owl's Head Path was better on the climb as the monorail was much more stable, but it is very steep and slippery--microspikes advised. There is a bear up there somewhere that we followed for quite a while...fortunately, we didnt have any encounter. I'll thank Piper for that. The high ridge was pretty miserable with a narrow, unreliable monorail that seems to go on forever. Snowshoes might help here, but they might also be more trouble than they're worth.
These are my two-cents. With the rain storm on it's way in this is probably pointless, but if there are any brave souls out there who are dead set on banging this one out before the end of April--good luck and be careful.
See Strava for photos. |
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 | Name: |
Nate Weeks |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-04-26 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.strava.com/activities/2319666280 |
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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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