Compass bearing for BB

[MadRiver]

Quick question: does anyone have compass bearing for the Brutus Bushwhack heading down. A quick look at the maps it seems to be around 220. I’ve done it a few time, yet always with someone else.
Thanks

 

[Becca M]

Quick question: does anyone have compass bearing for the Brutus Bushwhack heading down. A quick look at the maps it seems to be around 220. I’ve done it a few time, yet always with someone else.
Thanks

220 would be an aggregate bearing. There are a few pieces to the trek.

I have an estimate from a track I saved:

Basically, once you start to descend from the ridge (not the summit - by this, I mean when you leave the ridge on the "Owl's Head Path" heading southwest), you go about .2 miles to the "big rock" - you almost cannot miss it - you run right into it on the path.

From there, you slab around left for about .3 mi, which is just about DUE south (and ever so slightly east) heading into the gully with all the white birches. Then, you follow that gully (stay a smidge north of the gully for better footing) almost directly southwest (about .1 mi) until you hit the skidder path going almost due west and take that back to Lincoln Brook Trail.

I hope that helps!!! I know it sounds confusing!!!!

 

[RoySwkr]

Now how do I find it going up?

 

[Becca M]

Now how do I find it going up?

You go less than .1 mi past the last water crossing, cut into the woods to the right, go up STEEPLY and jump onto the skidder path within about 5 minutes of leaving the trail. Follow directions in reverse - skidder will take you right up TO the birch gully at which point to go diagonally left and continue as described above!!!!

Or, you wait for a good winter track and follow it!!!

 

[Paradox]

Here is the GPS track on Wikiloc for the route we took in March 2008.

http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=111832

 

[bikehikeskifish]

I overlaid your track, John, with one that was recorded going with some gridiots (Hiker Ed and Becca among them) and yours goes more easterly before heading north, missing the boulder entirely, and from the looks of it, the "Owl's Head Path" above the slide.

ETA: The slide tops out about where the tip of the "Hiker Ed" red arrow is.

Tim

 

[MadRiver]

Thanks everyone. Becca, that was the exact trek we took last time I did the BB with Earl et al.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Looks good to me. By favoring the track which is labeled "Hiker Ed" you avoid a fur wave, and pick up the summer trail above the slide. Depending upon the snow cover, staying below this fur wave may involve some serious side-hilling.

I think Brutus would agree.

 

[Jason Berard]

WRT the two tracks above, Paradox and I did hit the top of the slide path, but we did have to go through a narrow-but-nasty fir wave.

I'd try Hiker Ed's variation next time as well.

 

[Tom Rankin]

WRT the two tracks above, Paradox and I did hit the top of the slide path, but we did have to go through a narrow-but-nasty fir wave.

I'd try Hiker Ed's variation next time as well.

So if we combine them, we'd have the ParEdox Route!

 

[MichaelJ]

By favoring the track which is labeled "Hiker Ed" you avoid a fur wave

Brutus' legacy: a fur wave.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

If you take the Hiker Ed track above, you want the northeasterly bit where the back track splits slightly from the there track... The side hilling on the return track was less obnoxious.

This trip included no fewer than five grid completers, so I'm pretty comfortable that they got the route mostly right. That is not to say the Paradox/Jason route is no good, of course.

Tim

 

[Kevin Rooney]

This trip included no fewer than five grid completers, so I'm pretty comfortable that they got the route mostly right. That is not to say the Paradox/Jason route is no good, of course.

Tim

Jim Towle were there when we worked out the first 'whack, so if he was on the hike above, I'd agree.

The track of the original BB is below:

 

[Becca M]

I wouldn't be against a couple of memorial plaques/cairns honoring Brutus at the start and end of the bushwhack!

 

[RoySwkr]

Thanks, everybody! I may do a memorial hike in May.

If you put a physical object in the middle of the bushwhack, would the rangers find it?

 

[freighttrain48]

were does the BB start looks like quite a ways from the herd path to the slide?

 

[bikehikeskifish]

I'd try Hiker Ed's variation next time as well.

If you do, don't forget to stop in the middle of a snow bridge and tell a story. That's Becca in the background looking at the ground. Probably heard the story at least a few times

Tim
p.s. Kevin - at a glance I'd say the major difference in the tracks is that Brutus stopped at the traditional summit, otherwise the shape looks nearly identical.

 

[Tom Rankin]

were does the BB start looks like quite a ways from the herd path to the slide?

The start is depicted above. It IS quiet a way from the slide, (which is way around to the West),that's the whole point. It saves mileage (and time?).

As a a guess, the slide herd path is here.

 

[Raymond]

Looks like six of one and a half dozen of the other, to me, distance-wise, but I haven’t tried the bushwhack, which I first heard of when I was on Owls Head Mountain in October. I actually wondered if it would be worth dropping off the summit to the east, and trying to get down to Franconia Brook Trail, but it looks like there are a lot of waterways at the bottom, and I had no idea how much of a mess that would be for trying to get across to the trail.

It was difficult enough getting across Franconia Brook at the usual place, as it turned out (boots got soaked, and I was probably lucky I didn’t get knocked over by the flow), but I didn’t know that when I was on top of the mountain.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Here is a 3D picture:

Tim