Winter Bushwack to Owls Head

[CINDERSMOM]

We are contemplating the winter bushwack to Owls Head on Friday and wonder if anyone has been there yet this winter??

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

If you mean the Brutus Rooney bushwhack alternative south of the OH slide, a lurker friend snowshoed it last week. But, whether you will be able to find those tracks now is a good question. There are threads if you search VFTT that describe the route.

 

[Jim lombard]

Bob & Gerri's trip report of Owlshead a couple of years ago shows a GPS track of the Brutus Bushwhack route http://rbhayes.net/latest/Owls-Head-02-11-06/index.htm I was on the hike and it was through some nice open woods, pretty steep but not like the slide.

 

[Mad Townie]

Or do you mean the Black Pond bushwhack? In its simplest form that one is:

Go to Black Pond. Follow a (roughly) zero degree (magnetic) heading to the stream. Bang a left and walk until the trail crosses the stream and joins you. When we did it a couple winters ago, the walk along the stream was about 50 feet until we came to the trail.

 

[CINDERSMOM]

The other bushwhack

Thanks for the input. What we were looking at was Lincoln Woods to Franconia Brook Trail then bushwacking up the east side (Opposite side of the slide), Where Hellsgate (or Hells-something) brook enters (don't have the map with me and forget the brook name).

 

[peakbagger]

I second your choice of the east approach from Hellgate. The run up the valley is nice on a sunny day, good views back to the bonds on occasion. The one caveat is to not summit the ridge immediately, as its quite thick. Its been awhile, but I seem to remember following the edge of the thick fir band along the side of the ridge and then slabbing up after passing the head of the next valley north worked the best.

 

[DougPaul]

has anyone ever looked at the crag at the south end of Owls Head and said, "wow, that does look like an owl's head" ?

I don't think I wowed, but I recall it looking like an owl's head from the Cedar Brook Tr in winter. (Makes a nice ski loop with the Hancock Notch Tr.)

Doug

 

[Papa Bear]

Thanks for the input. What we were looking at was Lincoln Woods to Franconia Brook Trail then bushwacking up the east side (Opposite side of the slide), Where Hellsgate (or Hells-something) brook enters (don't have the map with me and forget the brook name).

I went down that route a few years back, but got into a drainage south of the ridge line. Make sure you head up the ridge line that leads up to the "true summit" (aka the "new summit"). The "true summit" is close to the "x 4025" point on the topo map. To do this you need to start several tenths of a mile north of Hellgate Brook (maybe 1/4 mile).

The drainage OTOH, leads to the old summit (Which is where I started down).

Of course take peakbagger's advice into consideration as well. Just don't go up the drainage.


Edit:

Here's a map: Map

The ridge I'm taking about is the one between the two northernmost streams coming down from the west (from Owl's head). I assume peakbagger is talking about the same ridge. I put the push pin approximately where you start the bush whack.

 

[CINDERSMOM]

I went down that route a few years back, but got into a drainage south of the ridge line. Make sure you head up the ridge line that leads up to the "true summit" (aka the "new summit"). The "true summit" is close to the "x 4025" point on the topo map. To do this you need to start several tenths of a mile north of Hellgate Brook (maybe 1/4 mile).

Good info, we wouldn't of had it in time except we didn't make it today (See the link). We will use it next time though. Hopefully next week.

http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=27288