Owl's head?

[Kevin Rooney]

... There seem to be a cohort of Owl's Head "purists" who prefer the trail and summit unmarked.

If so, I think most of them are wearing a USFS Ranger shirt ...

 

[una_dogger]

"
Frankly, if you are basically on the ridge, who the heck is going to know if you were at the "true" summit or not? I don't think that there is any real deception in checking it off your list either way.

I agree. That's why I will only refer to it as the new-troo summit, to me its like Froot Loops.

A once quiet and untrampled ridge turned into a mess of herdpaths all because of judgements passed on others as to whether or not they achieved something or the desire to be on the very very highest point according to xyz...I think its ridiculous. Its not Everest, its Owls Head!

>end rant<

 

[kaseri]

The new "true" summit area is very different than the old summit area. There is always a chance you wont find any summit carin. Last time I was on Owls Head the carin looked as you see it in my photo. It might not be there now.. who knows. Either way have fun!

 

[Mike P.]

Hopefully the new volunteer at the LW can convince them to leave it. (Some of the us have hiked with him before)

Seems more & more people are doing the Black Pond Bushwhack, at some point it will be a decent herd path & not eally a bushwhack at all.

My first Owl's Head trip was in 1997 & the trail north of the slide was pretty easy to follow. The last was a couple of years ago & there's not much there.

The Twin Brook trail from Galehead is real nice, I suspect the north end of the trail towards Owl Head slide may not be bad but I wouldn't go that way.

From LW, you should do much faster than yor average time. I've average 2.5 to 3 miles per hour to the slide, it's almost suburban park walking. (My average on other hikes then was 1.8 - 2.1 MPH depending on terrain.)

 

[una_dogger]

Seems more & more people are doing the Black Pond Bushwhack, at some point it will be a decent herd path & not eally a bushwhack at all.

Its about as pedestrian as the rest of the hike, IMO. Just keep my eye on the craggy cliffs of the Owl and keep walking. I tend to go a little higher on the contour than the Fisherman's path and come out a bit beyond the second crossing. I've taken the "trail" route twice and don't much care for it.

I'm also interested in some redlining beyond the slide path, but I think I'd personally wait until fall when things are dryer and the brush has started to die back. Owlie always ends up being a off-weather choice for me, it would be nice to view it as a side trip on a more extended excursion into lesser travelled areas of the Pemi.

Whatever you chose, HikeswithHim, be sure to report back!

Was there a large tree at head height, right there across the trail?

No comment. (inside joke)

 

[MichaelJ]

Was there a large tree at head height, right there across the trail?
No comment. (inside joke)

No comment. (inside joke)

I certainly don't remember one. I don't remember several minutes after it, either.

 

[Ed'n Lauky]

A once quiet and untrampled ridge turned into a mess of herdpaths all because of judgements passed on others as to whether or not they achieved something or the desire to be on the very very highest point according to xyz...<

The destruction of the Owl's head ridge is not the fault of hikers. There are many ridges that remain pristine despite a large number of hikers. The responsibility for the destruction lies with those who obstinately refuse to allow a trail to be constructed there, thereby forcing hikers to pick and choose their own way.

Someone with the responsibility to do something up there and who really cares about the wilderness needs to bite the bullet and accept that Owl's Head has been discovered and the way to protect it is with an official trail.

 

[smitty77]

The destruction of the Owl's head ridge is not the fault of hikers.

Not their fault totally. I'll repost my response on another hiking forum to this "Wilderness" fiasco:

All sarcasm aside, when I read this report on Views last night I was appalled and saddened when I read this bit of text:

"We went over to Black Pond and followed the bushwhack route, which is blazed, and with which I am less and less happy every time I take it, as it is a drunkard's walk. In the future I'm just going to take a compass bearing due north and shoot it. In any event, the trail was very muddy in places, and was not always the easiest to follow."

-and-

"Frankly, the whole thing has become a mess and is very meandering and hard to get through. I certainly hope that at some point a brave crew of yeomen will make a new trail (I know, I know) from farther along the Lincoln Brook that shoots more directly at the new summit."

So, in the USFS's strict adherence to Wilderness guidelines to provide us with a more natural experience we have "rogue" hikers blazing popular bushwhack routes so that often dangerous brook crossings can be avoided. A bushwhack route that has become so popular it has seemingly become yet another unauthorized trail scarring the wilderness instead of a bushwhack.

Also, this relentless denial that a route exists up a peak, even though it is "unofficial", has led to a meandering labyrinth of herd paths across the spine of a mountain that is so bad we now have people questioning whether another rogue trail be constructed to make the access more direct. Now don't get me wrong, I have no qualms with Brian, his opinions, or the fact that he expressed them in an open forum. I DO have problems that the USFS hard-line approach to this situation has led to this. It's not going to get better. People can say: "If you can't handle primitive Wilderness travel, then you shouldn't be out there." but the fact is, the masses have come and will continue to come in greater numbers. Brian's trip occurred in the "shoulder season" for summer hiking, and yet they ran into 8 people on the hike (3 of whom planned to sleep on the ridge) and encountered a full house at 13 falls, complete with an illegal fire and no caretaker.

I'll save my "conspiracy theories" on the true motives of the USFS, but IMO it's not to protect the Wilderness based on what I see happening. I see complaints on this forum (and others) about the needless destruction of terrain as herdpaths are created around blowdowns or swampy trail, but why the Owl's Head mess hasn't stirred a similar outcry puzzles me.

 

[una_dogger]

The destruction of the Owl's head ridge is not the fault of hikers. There are many ridges that remain pristine despite a large number of hikers. The responsibility for the destruction lies with those who obstinately refuse to allow a trail to be constructed there, thereby forcing hikers to pick and choose their own way.

Someone with the responsibility to do something up there and who really cares about the wilderness needs to bite the bullet and accept that Owl's Head has been discovered and the way to protect it is with an official trail.

These are all good points.

Not to dredge up any controversy, but I have to ask -- has there been any official statement from the AMC regarding going to the new summit ?

With regard to "blazing" on the BPB --- its my understanding that the lower route is not the BPB but is the "Fisherman's Path".

 

[MichaelJ]

With regard to "blazing" on the BPB --- its my understanding that the lower route is not the BPB but is the "Fisherman's Path".

The fisherman's path is what runs along Lincoln Brook between the first and second crossings (where the Lincoln Brook Trail is on the far side of the brook). It's what you pop out on if you've done the 'whack but strayed too far east. I've not heard any name assigned to the orange-blazed travesty in the woods.

I've often said that this is managed Wilderness, and it needs to be managed. For one, the trails DO need to be minimally maintained. The other is that if something like this happens, something has to be done about it. Clearly, they did not choose wisely when they decided the problem was just blazes and cairns on something that used to be a published, documented route and was simply left out from the list of trails when the Wilderness area was declared.

 

[sierra]

I kind of find the "cult" loving of owl's head funny, its one of the few 4k's ive done only twice, one winter, one summer. To be frank I have never had the urge to threepeat owls head, mind you if you love it by all means do it, I have peaks I love as well that Im sure some would not choose to ascend as often as I do. As far as the markings of trails and summits, in this case owls head, Ive always remained ambiviliant (sp) on the issue, heres why, I climb because I love the mountains and leave all the so called issues to those who choose to fight them, I could care less, I climb all summits as i see them. This issue reminds me of the 3000ft rule in CO, there are a few peaks that fall short, one example is MT. Bierstadt (a 14er). The trailhead is at the top of a pass logically and the overall elevation gain is less then 3000ft, Ill be dammed if Im going to park way down the road and roadwalk to be at exactly 3000ft, I count the summit as done and sleep very well at night as do many others. Now in the same vain on another 14er MT> Evans, you can drive up the auto road and use trailheads that cut the elevation gain way below 3000ft, that I will not do, grey areas, but everyone decides whats best for them.I didnt mean to digress here just went around perty's barn to make a point, make decisions in the mountains that make sense to you, but try to be somewhat reasonable, either way its hiking dont get to serious, its about climbing and being alive , not worrying about all the ******** we should leave at the road. Be well, man that triple expresso I had was greattttttttttttttt.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

What's happened on Owls Head with the herdpaths is similar to what has happened over the years to many of the ADKs. It's inevitable - lots of hikers, no defined trails - presto, multiple herd paths, at least at the beginning of the 'whack.

Personally, I don't get too cranked over multiple paths, and words like "destruction" are overstated. Northeastern forests are extremely productive, and re-vegetate quickly, unless above treeline.

 

[bobandgeri]

Last year the Forest Service agreed to allow the carin marking the turn for the Slide trail and the carin at the new summit to stay.

 

[MichaelJ]

met three Rangers at the base of Owls Head slide path, after they had done trailwork on Lincoln Brook Trail ... they had just rebuilt the cairn marking the beginning of the slide path, saying they intend to leave it there, and they'll leave the summit cairn in place, but don't want any other stuff marking the path or summits

Maybe we can all work together to spread the word about this, to maybe calm down the rogues putting up signs and blazing, so as to come to a peaceful cease-fire in the war on Owl's Head?

 

[smitty77]

met three Rangers at the base of Owls Head slide path, after they had done trailwork on Lincoln Brook Trail ... they had just rebuilt the cairn marking the beginning of the slide path, saying they intend to leave it there, and they'll leave the summit cairn in place, but don't want any other stuff marking the path or summits

It's about time! It makes me cringe when I hear talk of hacking/blazing new routes especially when we're all supposed to be practicing "Leave No Trace". This concession will go a long way to establishing a (mostly) singular route to the true summit for the purists that feel the need to be at the exact highpoint.

Two thumbs up to the USFS on this one.

 

[peakbagger]

IMHO - The cynic in me thinks that one of the higher ups in the Pemi district got promoted to another forest. Very rarely do the rangers in the field sets prioroties, usually its a new manager than comes in and establishes new priorities. The enforcement at Owls head reeked of some manager on a crusade. The timing is just about right as its been a a few years since the effort started to restore Owls head to pristene condition.

Its good that a reasonable compromise was worked out.

 

[Tom Rankin]

war ? more of a game, really ...

"rogues" keep hiking up and posting homemade signs in the woods ... rangers keep hiking up and taking them down ... they could all be sitting on a couch watching tv every day, at least they're getting out

can't blame anyone for trying to keep a wilderness area in it's natural state

who hung the sign on Couchie ? looks homemade compared to other "trail-less" ADK High Peaks, but it's been there a while

We're getting off on a tangent, but the old sign was approved by DEC, so replacing it is not the same as putting up a sign on a previously un-signed mountain.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

A cairn at the bottom saves some thrashing around looking for the slide, however, there is no marking from the top of the slide to the the cairn on the "new" summit. I'm not convinced it protects the area between the slide and the new summit, but at least it lets you know you've arrived and maybe avoids some trampling in the new summit area and beyond.

Disclaimer: I've been to the new summit once, in winter, with people who know the route.

Tim

 

[bobandgeri]

Disclaimer: I've been to the new summit once, in winter, with people who know the route.

Tim

Sounds like it's time for a visit in Summer!

 

[KPMMBM]

I've been following this thread with some interest as I've been thinking I'd head down from Galehead hut this weekend and bag Owls Head and finish up by heading out Lincoln Woods. I've been going back and forth thinking the northern section of Lincoln Brook Trail may not be an easy trail to follow plus I've not been there before. Does anyone out there have a GPS track or know of where I could download one? I'd use that as a last resort, I have a good map, a compass, and a pretty decent sense of direction/trail following.