Outdoor Diversion: Winter Hike to Owl's Head for W45

Summit: Owl's Head (4,025')
Trail route: Lincoln Woods Trail, Black Pond Trail, Black Pond Bushwhack, Lincoln Brook Trail, Brutus Bushwhack
Trail conditions: packed firm snow and packed loose snow
Weather: Cloudy to partly sunny with snow flurries and temps in the 20's
Total miles: ~16.6
Total time: 9:40

I was down to four more summits remaining on my Winter 48 4,000 footer list. The long hike to Owl's Head was one of them and the weather forecast looked favorable for getting this summit done today. I would be hiking to this remote summit with Kally and Jill. Marty and friends Jeremy and Bria would be following us about a half hour after we started with the thought that they would quickly catch up to us.

We all met at the Lincoln Woods parking lot. Marty pulled in and was waiting for Jeremy and Bria. Kally, Jill and I started our hike at 7:30. The Lincoln Woods Trail was well packed down so I started with trail crampons with the others using microspikes. I brought trail crampons and not microspikes because I like the extra bite if there should be some loose snow and also for the anti-balling feature if the temperatures should warm up.

The Black Pond Trail was well broke out as well as the Black Pond Bushwhack. It was a pleasant hike to the Lincoln Brook Trail. We had three miles to go before reaching the Brutus Bushwhack and this trail was also well broken out. After hiking over seven miles we reached the bushwhack. We swapped our traction for snowshoes. I was planning on using the televators once we got to the steep portion of this bushwhack trail.

We didn't have to wait long before it got very steep. It was slow going and I occasionally grabbed trees to help me up the steep sections of the trail. The trail finally leveled out and it was a winding trail to the actual summit. We had met several hikers along the way and there were two at the summit when we arrived. Marty, Jeremy and Bria arrived shortly after we had gotten there. We ate some lunch and got some photos. It was then time to start the long hike back to the parking lot.

The descent on the Brutus Bushwhack was just as challenging as going up. I found myself hugging a lot more trees while going down the steep sections and there was a lot of steep. We all made it down unscathed but tired. We still had over seven miles of hiking to get back to the parking lot. It was a pleasant but exhausting hike back down the Lincoln Brook Trail across the Black Pond Bushwhack to the Black Pond Trail and finally the rather monotonous Lincoln Woods Trail.

It's always nice to see and cross the suspension bridge over the East Branch of the Pemigewasset that usually ends a long hike. Soon after we reached the parking lot Marty, Jeremy and Bria arrived. Apparently they had done some bushwhacking of their own down the Brutus Bushwhack to try and avoid the steep, packed-down trail that was very slippery.

I have done this long hike solo in the past and I was very glad to have company today. With the completion of this hike I now have three more summits that can be done in two hikes. The remaining summits are Zealand, Lafayette and Lincoln. I'll be watching for some favorable weather and trail conditions to complete these last three summits before winter ends on March 20th.

Enjoy the photos!