Hiking in the White Mountains: Lincoln Slide

Date of Hike: 6/25/16

Skookumchuck Trail: 3.9 miles / Garfield Ridge Trail: 0.7 miles / Franconia Ridge Trail: 0.5 miles / Truman-Lincoln Slide & Bushwhack: 2.0 miles / Lincoln Brook Trail: 0.6 miles / Owl's Head Path: 2.2 miles / Lincoln Brook Trail: 3.6 miles / Twin Brook Trail: 2.4 miles / Frost Trail: 1.0 miles / Twinway: 0.8 miles / North Twin Spur: 1.2 miles / North Twin Trail: 4.1 miles
Total Miles: 22.8 (9,479 feet elevation gained) Garmin Forrunner 910XT

Trip Report
- With my Grid finish coming up next month I'm planning out a route for my finish and making sure I'm familiar with the off trail section of the endeavor. Having not been on the Truman/Lincoln Slide in almost two years, along with Kyle never having been on it, I figured it was a good idea to revisit it and for Kyle to enjoy one of the best off trail slides in the White Mountains while putting together another big mile big elevation gain day deep in the Pemigewasset Wilderness.
- With the lack of rain and warm weather we had a pleasant time heading down the slide and a rather easy hike in and along the Lincoln Slide stream on the way to its end at the Lincoln Brook just below a beautiful little cascade.
- From here we headed south to the Owl's Head Path, summited Owl's Head, retraced our steps before continuing north along the Lincoln Brook Trail to 13 Falls. At the campsite we hooked onto the Twin Brook Trail and enjoyed the relative easy grades and excellent footing for the climb out of the Twin Brook Valley, even making a short side trip up the Frost Trail to Galehead's summit.
- We took a nice break at the Galehead Hut before making our last big climb of the day, the relentlessly steep ascent up to South Twin Mountain. The trail climbs 1,100 feet in just 0.8 miles over some nasty footing in spots. However, the heart-pounding ascent is rewarding as the summit of South Twin has 360 degree views that is one of the best in the White Mountains.
- We took in the phenomenal views and refueled for a few minutes, we would have spent a little more time up here but the bugs were nasty on all the summits on Saturday, luckily most were not the biting variety but were very annoying.
- The rest of the hike was pretty straight forward as we made our way back to the Jeep which we spotted at the North Twin trailhead in the morning. We started off with an easy descent and short ascent up to North Twin's summit and took in our final views of the day form the summit outlook and the outlook just north of the summit. Once back in the woods for good we made quick time of the descent back down to Little River and easily made all three crossings while staying on the trail instead of jumping on what has become the more popular route, a herd path which bypasses two of the water crossings.
- We made it back to the car around 6:30ish ending another great day on and off trail!

Route for the day, click here for details

Elevation over distance profile

Heading up the Skookumchuck Trail. A nice alternative to hiking Mount Lafayette during the summer months, a lot less crowded

Heading up the broad northern shoulder of Mount Lafayette along the Garfield Ridge Trail

Eagle Lake, Greenleaf Hut, Cannon and Kinsmans

It's a zoo up here! Hikers taking in the views from Mount Lafayette's summit

Classic Franconia Ridge picture

Next up the slide that leaves Lincoln and Truman

Heading down the top of the Truman 'branch' of the slide

Kyle taking it all in on the upper section of the slide

After a few tenths of a mile the Truman and Lincoln branches funnel into the lower end of the slide

Bottom of the funnel

Kyle heads through the halfpipe!

Kyle hopping from boulder to boulder at the bottom of the slide

Nearing the foot of the slide where the stream starts

Following the slide stream and passing by a cascade

Kyle descending the stream

Kyle figuring out his next move

Sign of life!

Another decision to make!

Lincoln Brook Cascade. This is where we popped out at the bottom of the slide stream. From here we crossed the Lincoln Brook and found the Lincoln Brook Trail

Owl's Head Slide

Looking back at the slide

The Lincoln/Truman Slide. We headed down the Truman branch (right)

Zoom-in of the Truman Slide section

Owl's Head summit

Lincoln Brook Trail

13 falls viewpoint

Kyle on the summit of Galehead

Galehead Hut and South Twin

Galehead Hut

Twin Brook Valley

North Twin as seen from South Twin

South Twin summit

Along the North Twin Spur with the summit in sight

Pemi Wilderness!

Looking towards Zealand with Carrigain and it's notch lining the horizon

Willey Range cooling off in the shade

Presidential Range

Date of Hike: 8/30/14

Lincoln Woods Trail: 1.4 miles / Osseo Trail: 4.0 miles / Franconia Ridge Trail: 4.1 miles / Lincoln Slide Bushwhack: 2.5 miles / Lincoln Brook Trail: 4.2 miles / Franconia Brook Trail: 1.6 miles / Lincoln Woods Trail: 3.0 miles
Total Miles (GPS): 20.75 miles (5,075 feet elevation gained)

Trip Report:
- On Sunday, Kelsey invited me to do a long out n' back of Mount Lafayette from Lincoln Woods. I told her that sounded good but let's make it a little more interesting by dropping down the Lincoln Slide once past Mount Truman (a sub summit between Lincoln and Lafayette) and looping back to the car via the slide, bushwhack, Lincoln Brook Trail, Franconia Brook Trail, and Lincoln Woods Trail. Kelsey, always the adventurer was up for the wild descent deep into the Pemigewasset Wilderness.
- This hike would be Kelsey's 'Welcome Back to the White Mountains Moment.' As she had not hiked in the mountains since January because of nagging injuries.
- We Started hiking around 7:30am and made the quick flat walk to the start of the Osseo Trail by way of the Lincoln Woods Trail. On the Osseo Trail we made the gradual climb to the steep ladder section and took a break to enjoy the views from the downlook before making our way up to Flume Mountain's summit. The summits were in and out of the clouds between Flume - Liberty - Little Haystack where as luck would have it the clouds blew off and made for some really incredible views. Kelsey and I have now been lucky enough that on our two mega-hikes together we had undercast while Presi Traversing followed by Saturday's clearing off while on the Franconia Ridge above treeline.
- Once we made our way to the summit of Mount Truman I dropped us off the ridge and took us on the easiest path to the top of the slide. Basically, if you know the right spot to head to the slide you only have to go through a short fifty foot in the scrub section. However, I've heard that if you don't know where to go the whack over to the slide can be hellish even though it's a short one. Luckily, I know where to go so I never had to experience this.
- The Lincoln / Truman Slide is massive at the top, then funnels down into a drainage, and ends where a brook begins. The slide is easier to descend then ascend because of all the loose rock and gravel. It's similar to the South Tripyramid slide in steepness but the footing is worse. At no point do I find the slide dangerous, however, it can be tedious if you are not a fan of lose rock that moves in the gravel.
- Once past the wide open upper section the slide narrows and travels through a boulder field with rock ledge. It becomes a rock hopping affair for a few tenths of a mile as water starts to flow through the slide and eventually the slide ends and the brook proper begins.
- Here is where the fun ends and the bushwhack begins. I have done this route twice before, the method to my madness is stay in the brook and rock hop through the brook as much as possible. However, most hikers do not feel comfortable doing this because it's slippery and there are spots where the brook becomes steep.
- I decided to try and take Kelsey out of the brook but every time I did this the whack was thick and relentless. I remember last year finding much more open woods both times I had to leave the brook. So I kept dropping us back to the brook then back out. It was slow going, and this being Kelsey's first bushwhack it got old fast for her. I felt bad as I was unable to get us a decent bushwhack in the woods that I was able to do for Denise and Whitney last October on Whitney's wild 48 finish.
- Eventually we made our way to the Lincoln Brook and crossed it and hit the Lincoln Brook Trail about one hundred and fifty feet up an embankment, about 0.7 miles north of the unofficial path up to Owl's Head.
- Lincoln Brook Trail had some new minor washouts in a spot or two, and was a muddy mess in the usual spots. Kelsey caught a second wind about two miles before hooking onto the Franconia Brook Trail and we trail ran the last six miles back to the trailhead. It was a lot of fun to run with Kelsey, she is an ultra-runner who is able to finish strong even after a tough couple of hours spent trudging through the middle of nowhere.
- Kelsey needed to be back to the car by 4pm and we made it there by 3:45pm, perfect timing! It was great to see Kelsey again, she's enthusiastic and her positive attitude is contagious.