Why the q-word?

MITOC hikes often cater to getting outside and meeting new friends. Nothing against meeting new and wonderful MITOCers (you all are great!), but sometimes you just want to walk in the woods ... and up a mountain.

This trip is aimed at introverts who love hiking. If you avoided the circus because you weren't comfortable with all the people, or you like solo hiking but still appreciate the safety margin that comes from having people nearby, this might be the hike for you.

Fitness and fit

Given that it's going to be a quieter hike, and we may spread out a little more than usual, make sure you're comfortable with this route. Would you feel comfortable solo hiking this route? If not, this might not be the trip for you.

Itinerary

The hike is long, about 17 miles; in order to maximize daylight, we'll aim to be leaving Boston around 5am. Trail map here. Hiking the black pond bushwhack may be an option on the way home.

Most of the hike is flat, so it should go relatively quickly. There are non-trivial water crossings, so you may want to bring some water shoes. Note that Owl's head isn't particularly tall, but it is very steep from start to finish. About 1400 feet of elevation gain is in the last .8 miles to the summit.

Weather

Nearby weather forecast

Weather looks promising as of this posting (9/24).

Will the trip run in the rain?

It looks like there are some significant water crossings, and water above affects water below. Given that, if the weather shifts and we get a lot of rain leading up to this hike, we'll switch the hike to do Passaconaway and Whiteface.

People

If a second car is found, we'll likely lift the cap to accommodate more participants.

Pre-trip meeting

Pre-trip meeting to be held the Thursday the 28th at 9pm. Link to follow. If you can't make the meeting, let us know in advance, otherwise you'll be bumped off the trip.