Owlshead vs Flume

[SherpaTom]

Which slide is tougher?

 

[Paradox]

Owl's Head. Both can be done in a day. Neither will cause you to want to take a day off from work afterward.

 

[NewHampshire]

I say Flume. More slabs that tend to be wet. Owl's Head, however, is a little loser underfoot. So I guess its all a personal thing though.

Brian

 

[dr_wu002]

Which slide is tougher?

It depends what you mean. The Flume Slide Trail or the actual Slide on Flume (which you can climb as well).

-Dr. Wu

 

[trailbiscuit]

I say Flume. More slabs that tend to be wet. Owl's Head, however, is a little loser underfoot.

This is why I would say Owl's Head is tougher...because it is loose. I would also say Owl's Head is tougher because it's a longer hike to start it, so you're a little more tired. Plus, it's harder to find b/c of the ever changing "wilderness" or "not wilderness" or "what type of wilderness" you're hiking in and whether or not you have the right gear or legal gear....

So I guess its all a personal thing though.

That's really the bottom line, anyway. I enjoyed them both.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

This has been discussed in a handful of threads already. Search for Tripyramid Owls Head Flume Slide.

In particular, this one comes to mind.

Tim

 

[dug]

I say Owl's Head. You are a bit more tired as you have 6-7 miles under your belt already. I don't like loose footings, so I will take a slab over scree any day.

 

[JohnL]

The way I would measure the toughness is whether I would descend one or the other. Owl's Head Slide, though loose, it rather straightforward to descend. Flume Slide, on the other hand, would not be high on my list of favorite descents. There are those who may think that Flume Slide is not tough if you take the woods to either side of the slabs but then, you wouldn't be on the slide now, would you? My vote is for Flume.

JohnL

 

[wardsgirl]

My 11 year old has recently done both and says 'Flume" because of the large slabs. I agree!

 

[Rols]

I cast my vote for Flume Slide. I agree with the litmus test of which would you rather down climb. I would much rather down climb Owls Head Slide. I find Flume Slide requires far more planning of foot and often hand placement than Owls Head.

 

[timmus]

Equal.

Both are mostly trails that gets a little wider and rockier.

Flume might take more time because I believe it's wet most of the time. Fun stuff on both.

 

[sjhbos]

I consider Flume Slide to be a more difficult hike than Owls Head Slide. Have only done Flume Slide as a loop, coming down Liberty Springs afterwards and would not be too keen to decend the way I went up. Did not think Owls Head was too difficult.

 

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

The Flume Slide Trail is significantly more difficult than the Owls' Head Path in my opinion. It's steeper, often has sections of wet slab, and requires the use of hands in many places. Owl's Head Path just has a little loose rock. I'd rank it second easiest behind the South Tripyramid slide.

I've descended Owls' Head Path 15-20 times over the last few years. The Flume Slide trail is strictly one-way (UP) as far as I'm concerned....and I like slides.

 

[Michelle]

Flume Slide.

As others have said, it's usually wet, (which means slippery) and it's steep and slabby.....eeeek!! I've gone up it a couple times, but never down!

Owl's Head slide, I've only found difficult in the winter.

 

[askus3]

My rating of slides I have done from toughest to easier.

1. North Slide Tripyramid (only have gone up)
2. Abol Slide (only have gone up)
3. Flume Slide (only have gone up)
4. North Brother Slide (Old Marrston Trail- have gone up & down)
5. Owl's Head Slide (both up & down)
6. South Slide Tripyramid (only gone down)

Slides I have not done, but would like to:
O-J-I, Old Percy Peak Trail before reroute (is that a slide?) & Adams Slide (all three of these don't have current trails and are officially closed or abandoned, maybe for a good reason).

Some have bushwacked up or down Lincoln Slide and I don't know how that fits in the scheme of things.

Also, I have no Adirondack experience for comparing the slides there.

 

[Mike P.]

If you go in a dry summer & Flume is dry then I would say it's easier than Owl's head. Finding the Flume slabs dry though is uncommon.