Last weekend we joined several friends for a hike to the top of Owls Head in the White Mountains. At 4025' this peak is only just on the list of New Hampshire 4000' mountains, and it has a very long approach to get there. The shortest round trip hike is over 18 miles. Oh, and there are no views from the summit either. This is why this is a hike that you do with friends.
We set off a little later than we intended (at about 9am) and we made rapid progress on the first eight miles which are mostly flat. The path followed an old railway for much of the way, and then it followed a brook to the bottom of the unmarked and unmaintained Owl's Head trail. The final mile and a half ascends steeply up a rocky scree slope, and then turns into almost vertical dirt and trees. There are at least some good views of the famous Franconia ridge on this section! Finally the last half mile runs along a wooded ridge to the summit where there is a simple cairn.
By the time we had descended to the main path it was 3pm. We put our heads down and walked out as fast as we could and we were back at the car as night fell at 7.15pm. It was a long but enjoyable day and our feet and our legs were very sore the next day.
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