Cross Pemi Shortcut

[Papa Bear]

I thought I'd revisit this issue, since I've now got my feet "wet" and arms scratched for this season in Maine.

Last winter in the comfort of our warm homes, there was a discussion of a day hike from the Franconia side to the Bonds side of the Pemi going across (not around) and hitting Owl's Head in the middle (originally Roy's idea I think). Naturally this piqued my interest since I like to try things the hard way or at least the non-standard way (which is sometimes actually easier as we learned in Maine). Here's a couple of the threads:
Thead #1, Thread #2. I need to climb both Owls Head and Bondcliff for my current goals, so why not do them on one trip? My idea (refined from other posts) is the following:

The Big Picture:

- Start early in the morning at Greenleaf Hut. Hut haters who care to join can likely find a stealth site down below treeline on the north side of Lafayette

- Climb to Lafayette and over to North Lincoln.

- Down the slide and through the woods to the Lincoln Woods Trail.

- down the Lincoln Woods Trail to the Owls Head Slide

- Up the slide and over to 4025'. One down!

- back across the OH ridge to the "real" Owls Head. A bushwhack Roy did a few weeks ago.

- Down the east side of Owls Head. I would work back to the stream gully that empties into Franconia Brook near Hellgate Brook. see the cross on this map: Eastside of OH map

- Go up the Hellgate Brook gully and up to Bondcliff, following the gully shown on the map to the west ridge line and then work up to Bondcliff. Two down! Bondcliff map

- Hike to Guyot Campground. Set up camp. Then trot on over to West Bond for the Sunset.

Crazy? Of course. (When I suggested this to my friends last week in Maine they all laughed.) But I think it's doable. As a fall back I will have an overnight pack and I can stealth somewhere along the Franconia Brook at the base of Bondcliff.

Here are some numbers I got from my Maptech software:

1) Greenleaf Hut to North Lincoln: 1.4 miles, +1174' -431'
2) North Lincoln to Lincoln Brook Trail: 1.6 miles, + 21' - 1907'
3) to OH slide, up and over to 4025 and back to top of slide: 2.3 miles, +1566' -661'
4) to "real" OH and then down to Franconia Brook: 2.1 miles, 154' - 2265'
5) up to Bondcliff: 2.5 miles, +2675' -226'
6) Bondcliff to Guyot CG: 1.9 miles, +846' -991'

Total: 11.8 miles, +6436' -6481'

# 4 & # 5 are the unknowns. Several folks here have done these bushwhacks in various forms and I will attempt to put them together. The short bw at the base of the Lincoln Slide has been described numerous times and should be straightforward.

Several posters (Stopher, Roy) expressed mild interest in doing some of this. I would like to pick a Saturday, either July 31 or Aug 7. My main issue, besides getting some fellow hikers, is Hut availability. I may wait and see how the weather looks and try to get a last minute reservation. I would not want to try this if weather conditions were bad.

Anyone interested? (It should at least be easier than going AROUND the Pami as several are planning).

The Bigger Picture:

I actually hope to start hiking a couple of days before;

Day 1: Cannon, Cannonballs, stay at Lonesome Lake
Day 2: Over to Francoinia Notch, up Flume, Across Liberty, L. haystack, Limncoln, Lafayette. Stay at Greenleaf
Day 3: The cross Pemi shortcut (above)
Day 4: Out via Zealand, and Hale. If there's time, energy and a car spot, Peak above the Nubble in the afternoon (hey, think big)

If I get everything I will pick up 8 more HHs.

 

[Papa Bear]

I hope to keep the pack very light. I'll be eating at the Huts and the night of the big day I'll just bring lots of food (no stove). So basically just shelter, bag, some food and the clothes I would have anyway. Shoot for under 25 lb.

C'mon. If you can hike across Rhode Island, you can do this!

Pb

 

[Tramper Al]

Yes

If you can hike across Rhode Island, you can do this!

It is true that hiking the length of this vast state does require great persistence, dedication, and a little money to buy snacks along the way.

Still, though, don't you think you are playing a little fast and loose with the word "shortcut" here?

 

[JohnL]

The bushwhack down off of North Lincoln is pretty straightforward and is not in thick forests. It is fairly wide open in those woods once off of Lincoln Slide. However, isn't there a herd path of sorts off of the summit on Owl's Head that would empty you out near Hellgate Brook?

JohnL

 

[Papa Bear]

However, isn't there a herd path of sorts off of the summit on Owl's Head that would empty you out near Hellgate Brook?

JohnL

If there is, I'd like to hear about it. I know Roy went down the east side of OH last month by way of the south end of the ridge ("real" Owl's Head). Perhaps it's been done via that faint ridge line or the stream valley just south of it: OH east ridge map.

If anyone has done one of these routes, please chime in.

Pb

 

[RoySwkr]

Perhaps it's been done via that faint ridge line or the stream valley just south of it: OH east ridge map.

I have been up the ridge where your marker is, and down nearer the brook (stay away from actual brook for easier walking). Last month there was a herd path heading E from the summit but I don't know where or how far it goes. The route over the "real" Owls Head is definitely longer and harder because it stays high for longer, generally in the Pemi there are more birches lower down. Note that camping in most of the Pemi is legal so you have no need to get to Guyot Shelter if things are going slowly.

Unlike Swans Traverse, when I thought up the cross-Pemi I actually expected to do it myself. However I have since become older and heavier and no longer consider it a good idea for myself. I wish you good luck and eagerly await your report.

 

[MichaelJ]

Crazy. Insane. I could never do it. But I'm darned jealous and wish I could ... I hope this trip happens and I can't wait to read the report!

 

[Hampshire]

Papa Bear,

A friend and myself planned a similar trip 3 weeks ago. We headed up from Lincoln Woods across Flume, Liberty, Little Haystack, to Lincoln. The information we had led us to believe that you should avoid the actual slide and head down the ridge from the summit. This turned out to be a mistake. Once we hit the shrubs there was no relief until we hit the Lincoln Woods Trail. We intended to head up Owlshead and down the east side and setup camp. The following day we were going to head up Redrock Brook to West Bond. By the time we reached the Owlshead slide we knew we wouldn’t make it over Owlshead so we went to Thirteen Falls for the night. The next day we went up Twin Brook to Galehead across the Twinway and down the Bondcliff trail to the Wilderness trail and back to the cars.

I’d like to try the bushwhack down the Lincoln slide next time. Good luck.

 

[Papa Bear]

Papa Bear,

The information we had led us to believe that you should avoid the actual slide and head down the ridge from the summit. This turned out to be a mistake. Once we hit the shrubs there was no relief until we hit the Lincoln Woods Trail.
...
I'd like to try the bushwhack down the Lincoln slide next time. Good luck.

Yeah, the slide is probably the least of the problems. A number of posters here have done it and it used to be the "standard" route to Owls Head before the Lincoln Brook Trail was there. But the krumholtz in the upper part of the mountain near the slide would be pretty tough. In fact folks complain going through the stuff just the 50 yards or so it takes to get to the top of the slide.

 

[JohnL]

When I went down the Lincoln Slide last year, I left the ridge from a point about half way between North Lincoln and Lincoln. Getting through the krummholz was really awful. At times I was suspended three feet off the ground in the stuff and my legs got seriously scraped. It took me 15 to 20 minutes to get through 50 yards of krummholz. I later found out that leaving the ridge from North Lincoln will lessen the exposure in the krummholz zone. Like PB says, once onto the slide, it gets pretty easy.

I'd like to join you on parts of this adventure but the timing is bad for me in late July and early August.

JohnL

 

[Papa Bear]

...
I'd like to join you on parts of this adventure but the timing is bad for me in late July and early August.

JohnL

JohnL

I'm looking at the weather reports and the Hut availability and it looks like I'm going to have to depart from my Saturday plan. In order to be able to do it with a reasonable chance of good weather I will have to pick the best day, even if it's a week day.

This is OK for me but I know it's harder on a lot of folks. But since there doesn't seem to be a huge rush of people chomping at the bit to join me I will go go for the best day regardless of which day of the week.

Starting towards the middle of next week I will try to guess 3 or 4 days ahead juggling weather reports with hut availability. At that point I will call in the reservation and get set to go up to NH. I will let you and any other interested parties know as soon as I figure it out myself.

Pb

 

[Papa Bear]

I have decided on a date for this adventure based on weather forecasts and hut availability.

I will be staying at Lonesome Lake Tuesday night (Aug. 3) and Greenleaf Wednesday night (Aug 4). Of course I realize by the time I get there "Partly Cloudy" will change to "Severe thunderstorms" , but I had to make a decision.

That means I hike Cannon and Cannonballs on Tuesday, Flume, Liberty, Lincoln and Lafayette Wednesday and my "Big Day" on Thursday, and hike out via Zealand and Hale on Friday.

I have also dithered with the route on Owl's Head to just go to 4025 and forget about the "real" Owl's Head, which should save distance and make the bushwhack down to Franconia Brook easier (as per Roy's suggestion). Now I'm looking at a little over 11 miles and a little over 6000' of elevation gained. A little better.

Now some practical questions:

1) Guyot: would this place be crowded on a Thursday night? What is the shelter like? Does it fill up before the tent sites? Is there good water nearby?

2) Checking in with home: Is there cell phone connectivity on Lafayette? Owl's Head? Bondcliff? Bond?

3) Shuttles: I will stay in Woodstock (Cascade Lodge) the night before and take the Shutttle Connection up 93 to start. What about getting back to Woodstock from the Zealand Road (near Twin Mountain)? Hitch? Shuttle Connection again?

Anyone wanna join me?

Thanks
Pb

 

[el-bagr]

Guyot shelter holds about 12 people, and I think there are 6 tent platforms. First come, first serve. I understand Guyot can fill up by nightfall even during midweek in summer, but if you get there by evening you will probably be OK. FWIW, I hear the caretaker doesn't like to turn people away and is likely to encourage folks to squeeze in.

 

[poison ivy]

I stayed at Guyot on two rainy weeknights about two weeks ago. On the Tuesday night all of the tent platforms were taken but there was plenty of room in the shelter (only three of us in there.) On the following night, there were six people and three dogs in the shelter and about half of the tent platforms were empty. There is an overflow camping area too just down the Bondcliff Trail.

The shelter itself is in really great shape (no doubt thanks to a caretaker being there.) There is a spring right next to the shelter.

Have a terrific trip! I can't wait to read your report when you return.
- Ivy

 

[MichaelJ]

A short way from Guyot Shelter is the open summit of Mt. Guyot. From there you have a clear view of the towers on Mt. Washington and I was able to get both a TDMA signal and an AMPS signal last year. So should you need to check in that's one place from which to try.

I was looking at the Lincoln Slide from the Owl's Head Slide last weekend - it looks like a great hike!

 

[Gris]

Do you know someone that's really gone ALL the way up Hellgate to Bondcliff ridge...? I studied that perilous venue & found only seemingly plasuible route was up ridge to right of Hellgate Brook, but there seems to be lot of open rock face there & could also be quite dangerous, though not as steep as straight up from HG Brook.

 

[Papa Bear]

I've heard of folks who have gone up along the brook to the Bond-West Bond col and others (Roy?) who went up the scree on the cliffs further east from Bondcliff (to the Bond-Bondcliff col). See this thread: Bondcliff thread. Roy has also done it from the west "face" (between the two streams).

I was planning on going up along Hell Gate Brook to the gully that starts up to the right (east) about a half mile up the brook at about 2040'. Following that up will get me to the col between 2889 and 3314. From there I would follow the ridge up to the trail, staying to the right of the cliffs (obviously). From the top Roy says this looks like ledges interspersed with scrub. If it gets too hairy I would migrate to the right. The further right I get the closer I would get to Roy's route, the main difference being the bottom part - I would start from Hellgate Brook, he started from Franconia Brook further south.

No, I wasn't even thinking of going directly up the cliff side.


Pb

 

[el-bagr]

I have ascended (and ski-descended) Hellgate Brook twice and and Redrock once. For Hellgate, I diverged from the mainstem just beyond where the brook swings north toward the Bond/West Bond col. After clicking in at the top of Bond (the second time, Bondcliff), I descended the exact same route, largely right on my ascent tracks. Of the two, the Bond route had better skiing. Bondcliff was more of a survival descent, picking my way down very slowly from ledge to sloping ledge. The one time I was out there, the obvious gully below (W) of Bondcliff summit was definitely not in skiable condition, at least as far as I was concerned; instead I traversed northward until the slopes moderated.

Redrock, I climbed the E branch to Guyot summit and dropped in the same way. Never skied from SW Twin (Peak 4357) or the southern Twin plateau above the pond, but it's on my "list" -- as is a descent from Peak 4504 (btw the two drainages -- isn't that Roy's route?)

Hellgate is steeper and more cliffy, but even Hellgate offered a decent route for ascent and descent. I really didn't diverge from the stream bed until fairly high, when it turned to broad slopes. I suspect the winter conditions made it easier to climb and descend safely. Maybe I'm a nut, but I generally prefer the protection offered by a good stable snowpack -- I haven't repeated the trips in summer. Maybe this fall?

 

[Papa Bear]

I just dug up these terraserver images of Bondcliff: Terraserver the topo shows the lower section. Switching to the photo shows an "open" area up the gully from Hell Gate to the col, and then you can work around 3314 to the south. If you then pan over to the right you will see the open stretch along the ridge. The question is, is this open stretch in the photo ON the ridge, or OVER the cliff?

We'll find out next Thursday.

Pb

 

[Gris]

Here's a link to a telephoto shot of the area I took a few weeks ago. If you go full screen on a good monitor you might be able to make out some details that may help you answer that question.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/150769555/150771004WCMPWx