adamiata
New member
I started my day when I departed my girlfriend's house in Laconia at 4:45 AM. I wanted to leave early to beat the Motorcycle Week traffic and because I was expecting a long walk ahead. I arrived at the Lincoln Woods trailhead at about 5:30 and was on my feet and headed out before 5:45.
The last few days have been hot and humid, with thunderstorms and heavy showers in the afternoon, and this day was no exception. My early start let me avoid some of the heat and I made good time along the Lincoln Woods Trail, pausing every now and again to snap some pictures. As I passed the junction with the Osseo Trail and neared the clearing of an old logging camp I heard a stick snap in the woods. Startled, I turned to look and saw a black shape moving quickly through the brush. At first glance I thought it was another hiker moving quite fast, but then as I got a better look and my mind caught up I saw that it was a black bear beating feet away from me fast. Too bad, I would've liked a picture.
Shortly after my bear encounter, I arrived at the Black Pond Trail Junction and started up on it, clacking my trekking poles together every few steps so as not to surprise any more wildlife with claws. As I passed the old ice pond clearing I noticed some lady slippers along the trail...dozens of them. More of them, in fact, than I had ever seen in one place before. I stopped at the South end of Black Pond to snap a few pictures, the water was smooth and quiet, before threading my way through the downed trees to begin my bushwhack.
At first, there was a clear herd path follow, but it soon faded as everyone must have had a slightly different idea of which way to go. I chose to plot a Northeasterly course, so I would be sure to hit the Franconia Brook. The bushwhack was very wet. I followed some old logging roads for part of the way and often sank to my ankles in muck. There were clumps of fog hanging near the ground and nearly everything was wet. Before I went too far, I was soaked through. I felt like I was in a rain forest. After about an hour I emerged about a quarter mile from where the Lincoln Brook Trail first crosses the Lincoln Brook. After walking West on the LBT I realized I could've safely gone due magnetic North from Black Pond without much chance of missing the trail entirely.
The crossings of the Lincoln Brook were not difficult. I was able to rock hop the first crossing and ford the second one at about shin depth. I found it safest to make the second crossing about 100 yards upstream where the water was wide, shallow, and relatively slow moving.
My climb up the slide was relatively uneventful, despite some of my reservations. I'd never climbed a slide before, and found my heart beating quickly at times while scrambling up some of the wet slabs, but soon got over it and made my way to the top. I made the summit at about 10:30 and spent a quiet half hour alone eating my lunch, resting, and refilling my CamelBak from my Nalgene bottles. After snapping a few pictures I heard thunder in the distance and hurried down, not wanting to descend the slide in the rain. On my down I met up with several other hikers...the first other people I'd seen that day. One had a very friendly dog with a tongue that seemed to hang 12 inches out of his mouth. After chit-chatting for a few minutes he told me this was his last of the 48. I congratulated him, wished him good luck, and was soon on my way.
For my return trip I chose the Franconia Falls bushwhack. There was a herd path that came and went, sometimes forcing me to push through the brush. This route was unmistakable to follow though, with the river's sounds to my left the whole way. About a quarter mile down the brook, thunder began to rumble and crack loudly over my head and the rain came down in buckets. I was as wet as if I'd jumped in the river itself. I hope the people summiting Owl's Head after me got down the slide alright.
After emerging from the woods at Franconia Falls I hurried on down the trail, and arrived back at the car at 2:45. A nice early afternoon end to a long hike.
There were a lot of motorcycles on the highway on the way back to Laconia, which gave me a novel idea. I think I'll make a sign for Bike Week that says "Show us your Uncanoonucs!"
The last few days have been hot and humid, with thunderstorms and heavy showers in the afternoon, and this day was no exception. My early start let me avoid some of the heat and I made good time along the Lincoln Woods Trail, pausing every now and again to snap some pictures. As I passed the junction with the Osseo Trail and neared the clearing of an old logging camp I heard a stick snap in the woods. Startled, I turned to look and saw a black shape moving quickly through the brush. At first glance I thought it was another hiker moving quite fast, but then as I got a better look and my mind caught up I saw that it was a black bear beating feet away from me fast. Too bad, I would've liked a picture.
Shortly after my bear encounter, I arrived at the Black Pond Trail Junction and started up on it, clacking my trekking poles together every few steps so as not to surprise any more wildlife with claws. As I passed the old ice pond clearing I noticed some lady slippers along the trail...dozens of them. More of them, in fact, than I had ever seen in one place before. I stopped at the South end of Black Pond to snap a few pictures, the water was smooth and quiet, before threading my way through the downed trees to begin my bushwhack.
At first, there was a clear herd path follow, but it soon faded as everyone must have had a slightly different idea of which way to go. I chose to plot a Northeasterly course, so I would be sure to hit the Franconia Brook. The bushwhack was very wet. I followed some old logging roads for part of the way and often sank to my ankles in muck. There were clumps of fog hanging near the ground and nearly everything was wet. Before I went too far, I was soaked through. I felt like I was in a rain forest. After about an hour I emerged about a quarter mile from where the Lincoln Brook Trail first crosses the Lincoln Brook. After walking West on the LBT I realized I could've safely gone due magnetic North from Black Pond without much chance of missing the trail entirely.
The crossings of the Lincoln Brook were not difficult. I was able to rock hop the first crossing and ford the second one at about shin depth. I found it safest to make the second crossing about 100 yards upstream where the water was wide, shallow, and relatively slow moving.
My climb up the slide was relatively uneventful, despite some of my reservations. I'd never climbed a slide before, and found my heart beating quickly at times while scrambling up some of the wet slabs, but soon got over it and made my way to the top. I made the summit at about 10:30 and spent a quiet half hour alone eating my lunch, resting, and refilling my CamelBak from my Nalgene bottles. After snapping a few pictures I heard thunder in the distance and hurried down, not wanting to descend the slide in the rain. On my down I met up with several other hikers...the first other people I'd seen that day. One had a very friendly dog with a tongue that seemed to hang 12 inches out of his mouth. After chit-chatting for a few minutes he told me this was his last of the 48. I congratulated him, wished him good luck, and was soon on my way.
For my return trip I chose the Franconia Falls bushwhack. There was a herd path that came and went, sometimes forcing me to push through the brush. This route was unmistakable to follow though, with the river's sounds to my left the whole way. About a quarter mile down the brook, thunder began to rumble and crack loudly over my head and the rain came down in buckets. I was as wet as if I'd jumped in the river itself. I hope the people summiting Owl's Head after me got down the slide alright.
After emerging from the woods at Franconia Falls I hurried on down the trail, and arrived back at the car at 2:45. A nice early afternoon end to a long hike.
There were a lot of motorcycles on the highway on the way back to Laconia, which gave me a novel idea. I think I'll make a sign for Bike Week that says "Show us your Uncanoonucs!"
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