Owl's Head to Bondcliff 'whack ?

[Chip]

It's probably in here somewhere, but I can't find it. I'm looking at a 3 day light backpack in Oct for peaks in the Pemi and my current plan takes me from Owl's Head to Bondcliff. Is that 'whack reasonable, would it actually save any time ? It looks like the west side of Franconia Brook could be swamp. I've never been through there. thanks

 

[RoySwkr]

It's probably in here somewhere, but I can't find it. I'm looking at a 3 day light backpack in Oct for peaks in the Pemi and my current plan takes me from Owl's Head to Bondcliff. Is that 'whack reasonable, would it actually save any time ? It looks like the west side of Franconia Brook could be swamp. I've never been through there. thanks

Papa Bear would say it isn't

The trail is probably faster unless you have a light compact pack for pushing through scrub.

 

[albee]

Here you go:

http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=14520

I've done it - it was a blast! Aim for the ridge that drops off from the west of the true summit of OH. The Franconia Brook wasn't too tough to cross, but I took my shoes off, anyway. Hellgate ravine was fun. Be careful on the talus slopes below Bondcliff.

As far as saving time, well, going around would take longer, but if you 'whack off the east side of OH it might make it about equal. It takes a bit more effort-wise to get through some of the thicker sections of Hellgate, but it was a lot more of an adventure!

PM me if you have any specific questions. Good luck!

 

[Papa Bear]

When I did it, I was aiming for the ridge off of the OH summit mentioned by albee but because I was on the "old" summit and went straight east, I ended up in a Ravine. Not good. True summit, due east is good. But there was one upside to that misdirection, this:

Not a lot of folks remember this or have ever seen it.

I got down to Franconia Brook in one piece, but ran out of time so I camped at Franconia Brook CG and got to Bondcliff the next morning over the traditional trails.

The more interesting question is not the whack off of OH, but the whack up to Bondcliff. Straight up from the west may be problematic (I think Roy is 1 for 2 by this route). Others have said to go up the Hellgate Brook drainage and scramble up the slope between Bondcliiff and Bond. Be careful on the steep talus, it's not called Bond CLIFF for nothing.

Here's my report: Cross Pemi whack (part of a longer trek.)

 

[DougPaul]

Here is a description of a BW route on the east side of Owls Head. http://hikenh.netfirms.com/XOwlsHTr.htm

Doug