Sunday, November 20, 2022
Start/End: Lincoln Woods TH
Miles: 16.08
Elevation Gain/Loss: 3704′
Peaks: Owls Head
After getting up a bit before 5am, I got into my car and drove the 3 hours to the trailhead. I was hiking by ~8:45am; I took both the Black Pond and the Brewtus bushwhacks. There was a dusting of snow at the lower elevations, growing to maybe 6 inches of snow on the ground by the summit though it was packed down by past footsteps. I didn’t need anything more than traction to navigate the stream crossings and the climb. The water crossings were icy but easy enough to hop across on rocks.
I crossed trails with Stephanie, who I know from the internet. It was nice to see a familiar face and chat for a few minutes before we went our separate ways. I only saw 8 other hikers, excluding the two handfuls of walkers I saw on Lincoln Woods trail. The windchill made for a much more brisk day than the inital temperatures would have indicated. The temperature was around the low 20s for most of my day, but the wind was gusting up to 35 MPH at the summit which led to temps as low as -15 with windchill factored in. It also snowed 2-3 inches as well, which made for reduced visibility. It was a good shakedown to remind myself of the winter hiking process and how different it is from 3-season hiking.
Transcending Mountains 