Owl's Head

[loanshark]

Liz and I have been trying to get in Owl's Head for a while. W'eve put it off a couple of times, primarily due to the weather and maybe subcontiously due to it's reputation. Rocket 21 and I have been talking about this hike on and off for a couple of weeks. We arrived at Lincoln Woods a little ahead of schedule. Saw a VFTT sticker on a truck that pulled in right after us. Introduced myself and had the pleasure of meeting Old Man, who was doing a hut to hut. Jeremy pulled in right on time, and in a flash we were headed off to the black pond trail. The hike in to Black Pond took no time at all as Rocket and I pounded Liz with a liberal dose of Howie Carr. The pond was really beautiful and serene. After a couple of photos we were off on the bushwack. We stayed up a little high on the ridge in order to avoid the wet footing down low. The bushwack was easier than I anticipated as we walked mostly in a hardwood forest. Jeremy and I solved all the political issues our country seems to be struggling with before we even reached the trail. Anyway,the stream crossings were easy, and before we knew it we were facing the slide. About 200 yards up the slide a terrible oder hit us. I was about to accuse Jeremy of having day old Chinese food for breakfast, when we came across a dead moose lying right across the slide. We took a short bushwack to avoid getting too close and continued on without incident. The summit came quickly and in no time at all we were taking the usual photos. We had lunch with a nice group who recognised Jeremy from views. At this point Liz surprised me by taking a homemade birthday cake out of her pack. The group and espescially my "friend Jeremy" gave me the usual birthday jabs, complete with the song. I thanked Liz for the cake and told her that payback can be overwelming. We decided to get going as the forcast called for some rain. Took the brutus bushwack down. I think we may have started a little high as we had to fight our way through a couple hundred feet of spruce and blowdowns. Eventually we came out into some hardwoods and things got easier. The rest of the hike included the bootleg bushwack back to the pond and out by the LW trail. Thanks JEREMY.

 

[rocket21]

Thank you for making Owl's Head tolerable (I may never admit that Owl's Head is enjoyable)! It's amazing how much faster that hike goes by with good company.

And no, I did not have old Chinese Food for breakfast!

Some photos:

The lower portion of Black Pond with the shoulder of Owl's Head in the background

The last water crossing - water levels not bad at all!

A final resting place

Heading up the slide

One would think Liz was lighting the candles, but she was actually threatening to give Skip the 'Michael Jackson Pepsi Commercial' treatment

Customized Over The Hill Hiker napkins

Brutus Bushwhack in summer

 

[The Feathered Hat]

I offered to help celebrate the big birthday by singing "When A Man Loves a Woman" ala Michael Bolton at both summits of Owl's Head, but was told in no uncertain terms to hike and sing somewhere else out of earshot -- like in Wyoming.

Those loansharks must have mystical powers to get rocket21 back on this peak.

 

[MadRiver]

Rocket is a huge Phil Collins fan so should have sung something by Genesis.

 

[BIGEarl]

From the report I see you were treated to a nice change from Jeremy stinking up the place.

Congratulations to you and Mrs. Loanshark for another checkmark! Well done.

 

[LRiz]

Way to go! I was up on Owl's Head this past Saturday, and that moose certainly gave me a fright. Although I knew it was up there in advance of the hike, it was still a very sad sight to witness...

Do you have a VFTT sticker on your truck by chance? I think I may have seen you in the Lincoln Woods parking lot as you finished up your hike.

 

[loanshark]

owl's head

Thanks Earl and Steve. We had alot of fun yesterday. Jeremy has a way of keeping things spirited. LRiz, Yes we do have a VFTT sticker on the truck. Wish you said hello.

 

[rocket21]

From the report I see you were treated to a nice change from Jeremy stinking up the place.

Rocket is a huge Phil Collins fan so should have sung something by Genesis.

Sheesh! I didn't come here to be made sport of!

I offered to help celebrate the big birthday by singing "When A Man Loves a Woman" ala Michael Bolton at both summits of Owl's Head, but was told in no uncertain terms to hike and sing somewhere else out of earshot -- like in Wyoming.

Interestingly enough, the death of the moose lines up with when you (were trying to) hit the high note (brown note) of the song from West Bond a few days earlier...