michael
New member
Owl’s Head
Myself, Pete (aka Hans) and Andy W (sir Andrew of Wyatt) started our day in the Lincoln Woods parking lot around 7AM. The air had a crisp ‘minus’ quality to it but the day promised to be sunny and not so breezy as originally predicted. We set off down the Lincoln Woods trail eager to acquaint ourselves with the Black Pd BW somewhere up yonder through the early morning light.
Right off the bat we met a guy hauling a sled and walked with him (turns out to be Shizzmac a fellow vftt’er) until Black Pd.
When we got to Black Pd we met another vftt’er donna (aka Hot Donna) and we made small talk about various hiking pursuits we all have in common. She and Shizzmac were hiking with MtnPa and Frodo (although Frodo pretty much lapped everybody headed to Owl’s Head that day, which is, I guess what he does on a typical 16 plus mile day!).
We all were heading to Owl’s Head this day and the weather could not have been better. As previously mentioned, the wind ceased its constant pummeling and pretty much laid down for the day allowing the sun to works its warming magic more directly. A key for the summit beer session and Ceremonial Sake Toast!
Thankfully we caught up with Frodo before he headed overland on the true Black Pd BW because the beaten path we were following was more a Fisherman’s whack, not the true Black pd whack. I had done the Fisherman’s in reverse some 9 years previous so was otherwise new to the BP BW. We wandered past where he strapped on the snowshoes to begin the whack just because we had to convince ourselves Frodo was right.
Ultimately we decided to follow his lead. Good call as his path was very direct with a bit of uphill (and down), but at the end of the whack you were pretty much due south of the Owl’s Head rock outcropping. From here it was a straightforward trail with a couple tricky crossings
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(one that proved a little damp for a certain Hot gal who lost a ski pole in the process). Still lots of water out there.
We then broke for lunch at the base of the so-called Brutus whack in a warm sunny spot. After hydrating ourselves and munching some grub out of the feedbag
we were chasing Frodo’s tracks up the hill. Steep but nothing we couldn’t grip with our snowshoes.
A short time after connecting with the Owls Head side trail we met Frodo on his return. The last we would see of him this day. About 20 minutes later we were on top the ridge and heading to the summit. I do not recall many views last time out here but then again today we had a couple feet of snow to boost our standing with the surrounding spruce and fir. We had some pretty fine views of Franconia ridge this day.
We settled in a sunny protected spot for some extended summit time with celebratory beer and grub.
A little while into our break the man who must have been MtnPa sauntered by on his way to the summit.
Donna and Shizz were not to be seen until our descent. We met them not too far from the OH side trail. Donna, who mind you had plunged a leg about knee deep into one of the many streams, was still in good humor though lacking one ski pole – which my much lighter brother risked life and limb to pluck from the icy clutches of that same raging torrent. We placed that pole across the trail at the crossing so really hope you found that ski-pole donna on your return
.
Once safely back across all the water crossings we put it into high gear and marched our butts back towards civilization in the gathering darkness.
Much thanks to Frodo for recognizing the need to depart from the beaten path we would have otherwise followed and making our day that much shorter. Also a pleasure to meet Shizzmac and Hot Donna – MtnPa’s identity was not known until the next day when Andy and I met Dr Wu and Swamp up on Hancock. But that’s another story….
pics are here
Myself, Pete (aka Hans) and Andy W (sir Andrew of Wyatt) started our day in the Lincoln Woods parking lot around 7AM. The air had a crisp ‘minus’ quality to it but the day promised to be sunny and not so breezy as originally predicted. We set off down the Lincoln Woods trail eager to acquaint ourselves with the Black Pd BW somewhere up yonder through the early morning light.
Right off the bat we met a guy hauling a sled and walked with him (turns out to be Shizzmac a fellow vftt’er) until Black Pd.
When we got to Black Pd we met another vftt’er donna (aka Hot Donna) and we made small talk about various hiking pursuits we all have in common. She and Shizzmac were hiking with MtnPa and Frodo (although Frodo pretty much lapped everybody headed to Owl’s Head that day, which is, I guess what he does on a typical 16 plus mile day!).
We all were heading to Owl’s Head this day and the weather could not have been better. As previously mentioned, the wind ceased its constant pummeling and pretty much laid down for the day allowing the sun to works its warming magic more directly. A key for the summit beer session and Ceremonial Sake Toast!
Thankfully we caught up with Frodo before he headed overland on the true Black Pd BW because the beaten path we were following was more a Fisherman’s whack, not the true Black pd whack. I had done the Fisherman’s in reverse some 9 years previous so was otherwise new to the BP BW. We wandered past where he strapped on the snowshoes to begin the whack just because we had to convince ourselves Frodo was right.
Ultimately we decided to follow his lead. Good call as his path was very direct with a bit of uphill (and down), but at the end of the whack you were pretty much due south of the Owl’s Head rock outcropping. From here it was a straightforward trail with a couple tricky crossings
(one that proved a little damp for a certain Hot gal who lost a ski pole in the process). Still lots of water out there.
We then broke for lunch at the base of the so-called Brutus whack in a warm sunny spot. After hydrating ourselves and munching some grub out of the feedbag
we were chasing Frodo’s tracks up the hill. Steep but nothing we couldn’t grip with our snowshoes.
A short time after connecting with the Owls Head side trail we met Frodo on his return. The last we would see of him this day. About 20 minutes later we were on top the ridge and heading to the summit. I do not recall many views last time out here but then again today we had a couple feet of snow to boost our standing with the surrounding spruce and fir. We had some pretty fine views of Franconia ridge this day.
We settled in a sunny protected spot for some extended summit time with celebratory beer and grub.
A little while into our break the man who must have been MtnPa sauntered by on his way to the summit.
Donna and Shizz were not to be seen until our descent. We met them not too far from the OH side trail. Donna, who mind you had plunged a leg about knee deep into one of the many streams, was still in good humor though lacking one ski pole – which my much lighter brother risked life and limb to pluck from the icy clutches of that same raging torrent. We placed that pole across the trail at the crossing so really hope you found that ski-pole donna on your return
.Once safely back across all the water crossings we put it into high gear and marched our butts back towards civilization in the gathering darkness.
Much thanks to Frodo for recognizing the need to depart from the beaten path we would have otherwise followed and making our day that much shorter. Also a pleasure to meet Shizzmac and Hot Donna – MtnPa’s identity was not known until the next day when Andy and I met Dr Wu and Swamp up on Hancock. But that’s another story….
pics are here
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