The purpose of our hike yesterday was three-fold: 1) complete my remaining two peaks for my July list (the two heads, Owls Head and Galehead), 2) use a surveying altimeter to determine if there are higher elevations to the north of the sign on Owls Head, and 3) look for Roy's cannister placed years ago on the ridge of the signed high point.
We succeeded in the first two, but not the third. Using a Paulin surveying altimeter (+/- 2 ft), we detemined that a good part of the ridge for about 0.2 mi north of the sign is at least 20 ft higher than the signed summit, and one bump about 0.2 mi north is 30 ft higher. We used a decent GPS to determine the distances (excellent signal), and although the GPS also suggested that the ridge had many higher bumps to the north of the sign, the GPS elevation data are less reliable.
We bushwhacked along the ridge and then directly down to 13 Falls campsite, before heading out over Galehead and the Gale River Trail; many blow downs on the ridge, but otherwise bushwhacking was not too difficult. Total trip was about 20 miles in 12 hours.
We succeeded in the first two, but not the third. Using a Paulin surveying altimeter (+/- 2 ft), we detemined that a good part of the ridge for about 0.2 mi north of the sign is at least 20 ft higher than the signed summit, and one bump about 0.2 mi north is 30 ft higher. We used a decent GPS to determine the distances (excellent signal), and although the GPS also suggested that the ridge had many higher bumps to the north of the sign, the GPS elevation data are less reliable.
We bushwhacked along the ridge and then directly down to 13 Falls campsite, before heading out over Galehead and the Gale River Trail; many blow downs on the ridge, but otherwise bushwhacking was not too difficult. Total trip was about 20 miles in 12 hours.
