C
Colossal
Guest
Date of Hike: 4-19-2009
Trail Conditions: Muddy and boggy for the first mile; then gradually increasing packed snow. Ice abundant; some very hard ice swaths in the .5 mi before the summit. No blowdowns, stream crossings easy.
Special Equipment Required: Light traction would be useful after the first mile or so. Owl's Head trail bare-bootable, but poles are necessary for steep sections which have plenty of hard ice. Spikes or crampons essential for Martha's Mile.
Comments: Absolutely perfect weather. A gem of a day. The summit of Owl's Head is snow and ice-free. If you are going to hit Mt. Martha via Martha's Mile, there are some very dangerous ice stretches coming off of Owl's Head that require spikes at the bare minimum. These are NOT bare-bootable, as I found out the hard way. Snow shoes may be useful (according to another hiker) as snow is still 15" + deep up towards Martha's summit.
Your name: M. Miller
Your E-mail address:[email protected]
Trail Conditions: Muddy and boggy for the first mile; then gradually increasing packed snow. Ice abundant; some very hard ice swaths in the .5 mi before the summit. No blowdowns, stream crossings easy.
Special Equipment Required: Light traction would be useful after the first mile or so. Owl's Head trail bare-bootable, but poles are necessary for steep sections which have plenty of hard ice. Spikes or crampons essential for Martha's Mile.
Comments: Absolutely perfect weather. A gem of a day. The summit of Owl's Head is snow and ice-free. If you are going to hit Mt. Martha via Martha's Mile, there are some very dangerous ice stretches coming off of Owl's Head that require spikes at the bare minimum. These are NOT bare-bootable, as I found out the hard way. Snow shoes may be useful (according to another hiker) as snow is still 15" + deep up towards Martha's summit.
Your name: M. Miller
Your E-mail address:[email protected]
