Owls Head Slide

[bobandgeri]

We've done the Brutus bushwhack several times in Winter. Here is a map of one such time where we all ascended via it, and some descended via the slide and others the bushwhack - we all arrived back at the starting point of the whack at the same time.

Parts of it are easy - parts as you traverse the upper part of the trail on the side of the slope can be tricky, especially when it's ice covered, but as Kevin pointed out, lots of trees and branches to hang on too.

We'd recommend taking it in the Winter on the way up, and then checking out the slide on the way down to see if you want to do it based on conditions - best of both worlds.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Nartreb,

In your summitpost.org route, you say


In a further 0.5 miles, wade across Franconia Brook.

0.4 miles after that, wade across Lincoln Brook. The trail remains on the left side of Franconia Brook until just before the Owl's Head slide, and the remaining stream crossings are much easier.


Don't you mean "remains on the left side of Lincoln Brook"? Clearly it is to the left of Franconia Brook, you crossed that 0.4 miles earlier.

Note on Kevin's route ("Brutus Bushwhack"), resist the temptation to turn left across the contour too early. A group of us did this last November and never really got on the bootleg trail. I think we didn't push through the thicket after which it reappears. Instead we angle up the hill a bit and came out on the slide with 300' +/- to go having push through some thick stuff on a steep hillside. We had Kevin's above directions with us too. (See http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=19097)

HTH,
Tim

 

[MichaelJ]

You mention it to be after the last brook crossing. I'm trying to picture that in my head ... is that where the trail is detoured up on a small knoll and there's a low, wet area to the east between the trail and the slope up?

 

[BIGEarl]

Ed - Yes, it does. We needed to find an alternative route to the traditional slide. We tried that one winter and the slide was all iced up. After the first 100 yards or so of sketchy footing, he refused to go any further.

The Brutus Bushwhack begins about 25 yards past the last brook crossing, or about a mile (+/-) from the traditional slide route. Make a 90 degree turn from the trail, go up a steep, brushy bank for about 1-200 yards, and the woods should open up to white birches. Look for an old logging road that angles up the right. At one point it enters a thicket but will reappear. Eventually, about where the spruces begin, you turn left, and follow the contour towards the bootleg trail. At this point you'll be above the slide. Avoid the temptation to climb too high in to the spruces as there are lots of blowdowns and you'll waste time. The goal at the this point is to intersect the bootleg trail.

........

I know Dr. Dasypodidae and Big Earl as well as others have done it. Perhaps if they see this post they'll add their comments re: the pros and cons of it.

.........

I believe the "bootleg trail" referenced is also known as the Owl's Head Path that goes from the top of the slide to the summit. When we attempted this route, which is referenced in an earlier response, we cut across too low and actually came into the slide below its top. After climbing the rermainder of the slide we followed the "bootleg trail" to the summit - on this hike the objective was the traditional summit since the main interest was FTFC credit.

A while back I came through this route again and found an interesting detail by accident. If you go 100 to 200 feet downstream after the final crossing of the Lincoln Brook and then head straight uphill, you'll go directly to the old logging road at an elevation of approximately 2460 feet, and not run into any thick conditions to fight through. Turn right and follow the road - and the directions provided by Kevin.

I also found that you can start a return bushwhack at ~3500 feet, which is below the blowdown field and a couple hundred feet above the top of the slide. From this point you can either take a bearing of 210 degrees or simply use the summit of Mount Flume as your target and head straight for it (you'll be able to see it for most of the hike down). This will eventually take you through the thick spruce, the first section of relatively open hardwood, and onto the old logging road. Go right on the road and follow the road to an elevation of approximately 2460 and head straight downhill to the trail. If you turn downhill too early you'll hit the brook instead of the trail. Head upstream - an easy walk - and you'll soon be at the trail/stream crossing.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

You mention it to be after the last brook crossing. I'm trying to picture that in my head ... is that where the trail is detoured up on a small knoll and there's a low, wet area to the east between the trail and the slope up?

It's immediately after the last brook crossing. IIRC, about 50' from the water's edge, the trail begins to turn left (parallel to the brook), and goes thru a mucky spot in summer. Sometime in the next 50-100', make a right. The bowl where the white birches and old logging road are located isn't too wide. Some people have told me they've tramped along 3-400 yards past the brook crossing, and as a result missed this bowl.

For those who aren't quite as familiar with the trail - after this brook crossing the water will be on your left. This is the only time it will be there for any distance. Look at a map to see what I mean. There are numerous brook crossings (5?) when you do either of the 'whacks.

Edit - I just read Big Earl's post - it seems like you can avoid the thick stuff at the beginning by going just a bit further up the trail than I had indicated.

 

[BIGEarl]

.....

Edit - I just read Big Earl's post - it seems like you can avoid the thick stuff at the beginning by going just a bit further up the trail than I had indicated.

No Kevin, not up! Head downstream (away from the slide) 100 to 200 feet to avoid the thick stuff. Following the brook is very easy hiking. From here, head straight uphill to the old logging road.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

No Kevin, not up! Head downstream (away from the slide) 100 to 200 feet to avoid the thick stuff. Following the brook is very easy hiking. From here, head straight uphill to the old logging road.

Opps! Glad you caught that, Big Earl. Thanks.

 

[Ed'n Lauky]

Thanks so much for the discussion. It's really quite clear in my mind how it works now.

No one has responded to the question about the whack up the east side. I'm guessing that it may not be done that often.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

...No one has responded to the question about the whack up the east side. I'm guessing that it may not be done that often.

Ed - I've been on the east side, but only once (11 years ago), and a small group of us 'whacked off the top using Bondcliff as the heading. Our goal that day was Galehead hut. There isn't much detail I can provide - the top was very dense, it was steep, and you had to watch your footing as it would have been easy to tumble down small drop-offs as you could only see a few feet in front of you. As I recall, we crossed an old road 2 or 3 times and it dawned on us the road was probably heading in the same direction we wanted to go so we took it. When it gave out we could hear the river below so we just headed for it.

I think your guess that's not done often is accurate. If Owls Head is the only objective, it's a long way around. When I did it the objective on Day 1 was Owls Head with a night at Galehead, and Day 2 was a return over the Twins and the Bonds.

 

[Ed'n Lauky]

Kevin:
In a general Google of the subject I came up with this:

"The shortest route ["C" on the map below] actually climbs up the E side of the mountain, saving a full two miles each way over the all-trail route. (You substitute 1.5 miles of bushwhack for 1 mile of herd path up the slide plus 2.5 miles of trail.) Take the Franconia Brook Trail past the junction with the Lincoln Brook Trail to just beyond the crossing of Hellgate Brook, roughly 2.6 miles from the Wilderness Trail. Bushwhack across Franconia Brook and stay N of the brook coming down from Owls Head. If you don't find a trail where you hit the ridge crest, you are probably N of the summit and need to head S to find it. This route halves the number of brook crossings and substitutes a steep bushwhack for the open slide. Those who like to ski part way will find the Franconia Brook Trail easier to ski than the Lincoln Brook Trail, although snowshoes will probably be needed for the bushwhack up."


From the description it looks like it might actually be the shortest route up. But...gives no details on the whack itself, and of course even if it is shorter,if the whack is very difficult it can take much longer. Also, right now I'm working with a dog on a leash which can be difficult in a thick whack.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Ed - It might be the shortest way up, as my interpretation of their route is that they're taking the hypotenuse of the triangle, whereas other routes use the two legs (height and width). However, their route has you arcing around to the right (east) so that might add some distance which offsets the gain.

Sounds like a winter route as well. Dr. Dasypodidae does lots of winter ski routes. Perhaps he'll comment on the route description. Thom has been tramping around those hills for more years than I.

 

[DougPaul]

No one has responded to the question about the whack up the east side. I'm guessing that it may not be done that often.

Route description for east side bushwack: http://hikenh.netfirms.com/XOwlsHTr.htm.

IIRC, there have several trip reports describing descents of the east side.

Doug

 

[nartreb]

Nartreb,

Don't you mean "remains on the left side of Lincoln Brook"? Clearly it is to the left of Franconia Brook, you crossed that 0.4 miles earlier.

You're right, I'm fixing it. And as long as we're being picky about names (In another forum I've gotten myself mixed up in the Faraway Mtn kerfuffle, so now I have to be impeccable), my USGS map shows that "Franconia Br" actually stands for Franconia Branch (of the Pemi East Branch, I presume), despite the name of the trail beside it being Franconia Brook. Anybody know any history of those names? Just guessing, but is Franconia Brook a northern tributary of Franconia Branch?

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

I followed the Brutus Rooney route down from the OH summit a few days after they set it a few winters ago, as I was able to barely make out their snowshoe and paw tracks here and there, but I have never tried to follow the route going up. However, if the USFS ever allows an official trail to be built on OH, I think that the Brutus Rooney bushwhack route would be a good choice. I think that the OH slide route is a major accident waiting to happen, especially in the winter, and will require the mother of all rescue attempts.

 

[dug]

I followed the Brutus Rooney route down from the OH summit a few days after they set it a few winters ago, as I was able to barely make out their snowshoe and paw tracks here and there, but I have never tried to follow the route going up. However, if the USFS ever allows an official trail to be built on OH, I think that the Brutus Rooney bushwhack route would be a good choice. I think that the OH slide route is a major accident waiting to happen, especially in the winter, and will require the mother of all rescue attempts.

Many moons ago, I fell when some of the scree slid. I had managed to surf on it for a while but finally I took a header. After falling/tumbling maybe 30 feet, I laid there on an outcropping thinking, no lie: "What's broken? How the hell am I going to ge out of here. This will be the mother of all rescue attempts"

As I laid there gathering my chickens, my dog came up and licked my face. I realized nothing was broken and other than several bruises and some minor cuts, I was OK.

 

[RoySwkr]

No one has responded to the question about the whack up the east side. I'm guessing that it may not be done that often.

If Owls Head is the only objective, it's a long way around.

It's not done that often because most people don't like bushwhacking, but you can find several trip reports. I consider it a better winter than summer route because unless the trail is broken out, bushwhacking is not as much slower in winter as you spend more time hunting the trail.

Kevin's comment is wrong. If you measure out the route of the trail which goes E then W, the trail is maybe 1.5 miles longer each way than the E side bushwhack. I know this sounds counterintuitive, but measure it yourself before you object.

I have done the fisherman's route along the brook all on herd paths, and it was faster (for me) than either the trail or Black Pond bushwhack. As previously mentioned, trail runners will probably do better with the trail unless they waste a lot of time on the brook crossings.

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Sounds like a winter route as well. Dr. Dasypodidae does lots of winter ski routes. Perhaps he'll comment on the route description.

I know that Cath commonly skis up to the foot of the slide for winter ascents of Owls Head, as do some other folks that I know (I usually ski to Black Pond, and then switch to snowshoes). However, one winter when we thought that there might not be enough snow at the north end for our annual Pemi ski-through via Zealand Road and Notch, Thoreau Falls or Shoal Pond, and out the Wilderness Trail, we decided to ski part way up Lincoln Brook Trail. As luck would have it, the snow got better and better the higher we ascended, so we decided to complete the loop over the Height of Land and descend to 13 Falls to ski out Franconia Brook Trail. We found that the descent to 13 Falls has some of the sweetest open birch glades in the Whites, on a par with the Fire Warden's Trail on Hale. The snow was so soft that day, we were able to tele-turn with our light-weight x-c skis; I really need to get back in there with some heavier gear!

 

[DougPaul]

I know that Cath commonly skis up to the foot of the slide for winter ascents of Owls Head, as do some other folks that I know (I usually ski to Black Pond, and then switch to snowshoes). However, one winter when we thought that there might not be enough snow at the north end for our annual Pemi ski-through via Zealand Road and Notch, Thoreau Falls or Shoal Pond, and out the Wilderness Trail, we decided to ski part way up Lincoln Brook Trail. As luck would have it, the snow got better and better the higher we ascended, so we decided to complete the loop over the Height of Land and descend to Camp 16 to ski out Franconia Brook Trail. We found that the descent to Campt 16 has some of the sweetest open birch glades in the Whites, on a par with the Fire Warden's Trail on Hale. The snow was so soft that day, we were able to tele-turn with our light-weight x-c skis; I really need to get back in there with some heavier gear!

As I have mentioned previously, a friend and I skied up Lincoln Brook Tr past the base of the slide. A bit before the height-of-land, we turned up onto the NNE ridge of Owls Head and up to the summit. We returned via the same route. We took 2 days, camping N of the slide. I was on lignostone (compressed, impregnated wood) edged wooden XC skis. The skiing wasn't particularly hard--most of it was done with overnight packs.

IIRC, there was a nice glade just below where we turned onto the ridge, but I didn't know how to Tele back then...

Doug

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Kevin's comment is 100% wrong. If you measure out the route of the trail which goes E then W, the trail is maybe 1.5 miles longer each way than the E side bushwhack. I know this sounds counterintuitive, but measure it yourself before you object.

Wow, Roy! 100% eh? Not just wrong, but 100% wrong.

I have absolutely no interest into debating this topic with you or anyone else, and hope it remains a cordial discussion of our personal experiences. Ed asked a question about "a whack up the east side", and my reply described a whack down. Our goal that day was to cross Franconia Brook above its junction with Bedrock Brook in an attempt to minimize waterflow as streams were near flood stage. When we reached the Franconia Brook trail we were slightly north of the summit. A compass bearing readily shows an easterly direction off the summit, and with every step we were moving away from, not closer to, Lincoln Woods. Hence that's why I said it was the long way around. If going in an easterly direction from the summit to the Lincoln Brook Trail means its shorter for you, then so be it. As it often said in these threads, YMMV.

 

[Rejean]

Another way of doing Owls head if you are strong.

First you hike Lafayette and go in direction of Lincoln. At the Lincoln slide
you take your compass for Owls Head and go down about 2000 feets.
Hike up Owls head and you will cross the heard path .
It just hard to go back on the ridge on the return.

Total climb less than 7000 feets for a 4000 footers....

Only 1 small brooke crosing...