Owl's Head Mountain is one of the most difficult NH 4000-footers to reach because of its remoteness, deep inside the Pemigewasset Wilderness. Although the summit itself is wooded without views, the route has scenic trails alongside rivers, with views of Franconia Ridge that many people never see, from the eastern side.

For anyone trying to complete their Winter 48, now is the best time to hike Owl's Head, just before the spring equinox and after we are in Daylight Saving Time, when the sunset is relatively late. Also, to help make it doable, we will be taking advantage of well-established shortcuts: the "Black Lake bushwhack" and "Brutus bushwhack". Still, however, it is 16.2 miles with 2900 ft. elevation gain (much of it in a steep section near the summit): https://caltopo.com/m/1A60A

This will be a day hike on Saturday March 18 or Sunday March 19; we'll decide the date based on the weather. The plan will be to leave Cambridge very early so that we can hike at a comfortable pace. We expect to use microspikes and snowshoes, though this could change. This is an unusually long hike, so participants should be in very good physical condition.

There will be a required pre-trip meeting Thursday March 16 at 7pm on Zoom.

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