slide trails

[richard]

I`m working on my 2nd rnd. of the nh 4k`s. But, I`ve never hiked up either the Flume or Tripyramid slides . Would they be more difficult than the Owl`s Head slide or the Caps Ridge trail? I`d like to try them this Spring or early Summer.

 

[dug]

Flume is ledgy. North Try is slabs, South is loose/gravelly. I'd equate South closest to Owl's Head, longer though if I recall.

 

[TJsName]

Flume is ledgy. North Try is slabs, South is loose/gravelly. I'd equate South closest to Owl's Head, longer though if I recall.

Flume can be wet too, making it more slippery. North has two distinct parts - the lower section is more difficult IMO. The upper part has a lot more loose rock (especially since Irene). Agreed that south Tri and Owl's head are the closest comparison. People might find Owl's head tougher, but that's because they have to go up it (generally).

 

[Ken MacGray]

What TJsName said. I found the North Slide very challenging. On my first attempt I hit some wet areas on the lower slabs which turned me back. You do NOT want these slabs to be wet:



I thought the North Slide was actually easier higher up, although far more exposed. There is an abundance of loose rock, but I found footing to be much better than on the slabs. There was at least some place to step:



In comparison, the South Slide is easier I think. No slabs, but it's gravelly:

 

[DayTrip]

I personally found Owl's Head Slide to be more difficult than South Slide. I think South Slide is the easiest of all those mentioned here. I think Owl's Head is a lot steeper and also has a lot of loose gravel so slips and falls with consequence are more likely here versus South Slide. On South Slide your likely slip will be descending and falling on your ass than plummeting off a ledge. You can follow the edges up and use the trees though on Owl's Head which helps with that.

I don't recall Flume Slide being all that hard but it has been awhile since I have done. I remember mostly very steady steep climbing with the occasional short but smooth ledge to negotiate. I think that is the distinguishing feature on this trail. The rock is much smoother and has much smaller holds than the typical scrambles on other trails which are very "blocky" and have plenty of adequate spots for holds. And these ledges are almost always wet even after dry periods.

I still think the North Slide is one of the most challenging trails out there. It isn't so much that any individual scramble is technically challenging but it is a very lengthy stretch of continuous, steep slab climbing where you need to properly leverage your body position to make progress. The lower third of the slide or so is non stop slab climbing with little relief. The upper part where it becomes more gravelly is not nearly as steep or awkward. Just a steady grind.

 

[peakbagger]

North slide also has some issues with freezing down low in the fall where the sun doesn't get to it in the morning. I dislike the north slide as its gets lot of use and many folks don't realize that rocks let loose up above turn into missiles down low. I only do it real early AM before most folks are out which is why I have learned about ice down low in the fall. Flume Slide has been badly trashed over the years ,what once was narrow footpath is now very wide and eroded in where folks head out into the woods to try to avoid steep sections.

 

[talktapes]

The difficulty of the lower slabs on North Slide has already been mentioned but I'd like to add that those slabs have a layer of moss on them, if you want to climb them while dry I would recommend waiting for run of good weather for two or three days prior to attempting. Due to the tree cover they usually take a few days to fully dry out.

 

[TJsName]

I realize I didn't mention that Caps Ridge comparison. Caps ridge has a couple of ledge scrambles. I've found those to have really good traction, even when wet. I think that the stability of grip of the rock makes Caps Ridge a lot easier than the slides we've mentioned. For what it's worth, Caps Ridge and the North Tri Slide are two of my favorite trails. I took a bad fall on the Flume Slide, so that one isn't quite as fondly remembered.

 

[Raven]

I`m working on my 2nd rnd. of the nh 4k`s. But, I`ve never hiked up either the Flume or Tripyramid slides . Would they be more difficult than the Owl`s Head slide or the Caps Ridge trail? I`d like to try them this Spring or early Summer.

All good points made. IMO.

You can define difficulty two different ways here. We could talk exposure and difficulty of footing or we could talk physical challenge of the ascent itself based on total elevation gain and grade.

1. Flume slide has the most challenging crux spot. One is a long step to a small ledge with 10 foot fall potential or so. Long legs help on the crux. The slide is often wet. You can avoid the crux if necessary. This one feels like you are climbing a rockslide to me.

2. South Tri and Owls Head are very similar in that they are loose rock, gravel and often slide as you descend. I have never found either slightly intimidating and I am not a fan of really exposed spots. I agree with the comment that Owls slide is slightly harder. You need to take care in spots in both, but these are not that tough.

3. I have not hiked North Tri slide post Irene though, The slab sections were much more sustained on North Tri than on Caps Ridge which I find is often over hyped for its difficulty.

Enjoy your second round. I liked my second round so much as I had forgotten how much I liked some of the summits the first time and I enjoyed (and still do) doing new routes to the 48.

 

[richard]

I`m working on my 2nd rnd. of the nh 4k`s. But, I`ve never hiked up either the Flume or Tripyramid slides . Would they be more difficult than the Owl`s Head slide or the Caps Ridge trail? I`d like to try them this Spring or early Summer.

Thanks Guys, for all the helpful information.