| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Owls Head, NH |
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 | Trails: |
East Side Trail, bushwhack, Lincoln Woods trail, Black Pond Trail, Herd Path, Lincoln Brook Trail, Herd Path, Owls Head Path |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, July 17, 2026 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of room at Lincoln Woods at 7am. The lot was pretty full by the time we finished. $5 to park or the WMNF pass. Restrooms are open. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
We crossed just beyond the Franconia Falls tentsite. The discharge rate was just over 120cfs. Luke and I crossed upstream slightly near the downed tree. George crossed lower with a straighter line. The water was knee deep for me and Luke, and higher (mid thigh) on George who is quite tall. The current was moving but with poles, careful footing, and trail runners, we all made it just fine. All other crossings were super easy rock hops. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There are a few step overs but nothing notable. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
No puppers seen today. The water crossing could be challenging for some dogs. Others may cross more easily than their human counterparts. Plenty of water all along the way. |
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 | Bugs: |
We were all pretty stunned but they were not much of an issue. I killed a few mosquitoes but never needed bug spray. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing lost and nothing found. |
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 | Comments: |
We had been watching the water levels closely and things looked low enough for us to feel comfortable with fording the Pemi. The East side trail is a quick walk. We overshot the spot to cross and backtracked and made the call for where we felt comfortable crossing. We saw the downed tree that some folks had used but both agreed that was not going to work for us. We switched into old trail runners and crossed easily near the tree, then bushwhacked up to Lincoln Woods trail. We back tracked on Lincoln Woods to the Black Pond trail The trail was mostly dry with the usual wet and muddy spots. The bushwack was squelchy in spots but was mostly dry. Lincoln Brook Trail was muddy in the usual spots as well but much of it was dry and made for fast hiking. Brutus Bushwhack had good footing since the rain dampened things some and gave us better traction. Owls Head Path was the usual slog that feel way longer than it should. This route is a bit longer than the usual route but was by far the lesser of the evils to tag Owls Head while LW is closed. HUGE HUGE HUGE congratulations to Luke, who gridded out July today and we celebrated with an epic summit dance. :) |
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 | Name: |
Uki |
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 | E-Mail: |
ukisukinaminanu@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-07-17 |
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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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