Get Winter Hike: Mt. Martha/Owl's Head

It was a fantastic 5.4 mile outing to Mt. Martha and Owl’s Head. Drizzle at the trailhead gave way to snow a little higher up.

Beautiful trail. Sticky snow ensured fantastic traction throughout so we did not need MicroSpikes. Watching the winter wonderland unfold throughout the day was as much of a view as anyone could want!

Mt. Martha starts out easy then steep until junction. Last .2 miles to summit easy. Trees well laden with snow. Hardly any wind! Then a quick .8 mile using Martha’s mile to Owl’s Head!

Four-thousand footer type feel to it. Had both peaks to ourselves!

Only saw three people; one heading down from Mt. Martha while the other two were starting off on Martha’s Mile heading to Owl’s head. Highly recommend this hike. A must do hike!  

Jon and I hung out by the fireplace when we returned having a few drinks and enjoying our holiday decorations! So lucky to have Jon with me during this COVID holiday season. Love you bro!!! You are the center of my universe!

Thanks to all GO members for joining us on this beautiful Thanksgiving weekend hike in a winter wonderland!  

Mike and Jon

This trip's focus is to get you familiar with layering clothes for cold weather hiking. We’ll also be carrying MicroSpikes if we encounter icy conditions. It's an exciting moderate winter hike with the open ledges of Owl's Head is home to perhaps the best view anywhere of the entire Presidential Range! You can purchase either Kahtoola MicroSpikes or Hillsounds Crampons from your local outdoor outfitter such as REI or EMS; or online.

Mt. Marth [3573'] and Owl's Head [3258'] are just 0.8 mile apart on a stand-alone ridge. From the summit of Mt. Martha, there is a good view of the Presidentials from one spot, and a superb panorama of the western White Mountains from another, with over two dozen 4,000-footers visible in one glance!

Total distance: 5.4 miles
Book Hiking Time: 5 Hours
Vertical Rise: 1,500 ft.

Pack a turkey sandwich and gather your winter hiking gear. We will have Thanksgiving lunch on the summit. We may have time on the return to visit a nearby Christmas Tree Farm where you can help us choose and cut our own Christmas tree!

We may encounter winter like conditions this time of year so be prepared! Please have the appropriate gear/clothing to hike this time of year and the appropriate amount of layers to keep your core body warm. We recommend WINTER hiking boots, MicroSpikes, wool hat, gloves, hand warmers, rain/wind gear, warm layers and NO COTTON. Carry at least 1 liter of water, lunch and snacks.

Winter Hiking Clothing/Gear Tips and Recommendations

Winter conditions will be in effect so this moderate hike is ideal for anyone on their first winter hike. Winter travel offers unique challenges to any hiker and we can provide tips and answer any of your questions during the hike. We are here to help you!

For winter hiking, you are basically wearing the same clothing/gear you did in summer except you need to have additional layers to keep your core body warm, dress in synthetic layers [no cotton], wool hat, and gloves [we highly recommend buying the chemical hand warmers for your gloves]. The only piece of gear you will have to buy is MicroSpikes [Kahtoola is a popular brand], which are essentially cleats that you attach to your boots to prevent falls from black ice encountered on the trail.  

One of the biggest mistakes beginner winter hikers do is overdress. You don’t need a heavy winter jacket since you will be heating up naturally during the hike. Wear thin, insulated layers so you can easily regulate your temperature. If you overdress, you will start sweating and actually make yourself get colder. Assess if your summer daypack is big enough to put your clothes in as you warm up and if not, then that is probably another investment you’ll have to make for this trip.

Winter hiking boots is something you may want to invest in later on, since it helps keep your feet warm, dry and comfortable. Snowshoes will not be needed for this hike, and we rarely use them in general, but are definitely needed to break trail if we recently had any significant snowfall. We like to carry a very small thermos with some sort of hot beverage which is so comforting to drink on a very cold day.

Event Coordinators: Mike Boisvert and Jon Normand