| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Owl's Head, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Lincoln Woods Trail, Franconia Falls Trail, bushwhack, Lincoln Brook Trail, Owl's Head Path, herd paths, Black Pond Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, July 26, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Open spots in the Lincoln Woods parking at 7:15AM. The portable toilets have been removed. I suppose the rest rooms were open but I didn't check. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Liberty Brook and Lincoln Brook crossings on rocks. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Maintained trails in good condition. Some mud sections on Lincoln Brook Trail that frequently have alternative routes on the adjacent higher ground. All tree falls were easy to get by. The Owl's Head Path has some badly eroded spots since the trail is not an officially constructed and maintained trail. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Owl's Head Path may be difficult for some dogs as there are lots of loose rocks on a steep slope. |
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 | Bugs: |
Very few. No problem. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Lincoln Woods : Franconia Falls : Fisherman's Bushwhack : Lincoln Brook : Owl's Head Path : Brutus herd path : Black Pond herd path : Black Pond
The start of the Fisherman's bushwhack at the end of the Franconia Falls Trail is obvious. However the pathway becomes less obvious further in. Keep a course parallel to Franconia and Lincoln Brooks until you reach the Lincoln Brook trail at a large clearing. The clearest corridor was usually a bit away from the river banking. The Brutus and Black Pond bushwhacks are essentially herd paths that are easy to follow. The Black Pond herd path is a bit indistinct on the southern end. The Brutus herd path begins to the right of the Lincoln Brook Trail just after crossing Lincoln Brook (uphill from Liberty Brook). The Brutus herd path ends at the Owl's Head path at a boulder. The Owl's Head Path has loose footing in places and the ledges can be slippery when wet or icy. There was some seepage on the rock surfaces in the woods above the slide that caused no problems. The summit of Owl's Head currently has a small cairn. There is a viewpoint toward the Bonds just beyond and below the summit. There are views through the trees of the Franconia Range and the Bonds at points along the ridge. The bottom of Owl's Head path is marked by two small cairns. The Lincoln Brook Trail has small rocks in the pathway as it approaches the Owl's Head Path.
There were many hikers out to Owl's Head today. However, nobody completing the 48 on Owl's Head today. One hiker reported seeing a bear near the lower Lincoln Brook crossing. It was gone when I arrived. |
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 | Name: |
WAUMBEK |
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 | E-Mail: |
waumbek@roadrunner.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-07-26 |
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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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