Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Mt. Nancy, NH |
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| Trails: |
Nancy Pond Trail, herd path |
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| Date of Hike: |
Saturday, June 24, 2017 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Ample room on Rt. 302 southbound side for several cars. |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
The 4 crossings were all pretty straight forward. Poles were very useful. Water level was moderate. |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There are several broken bog bridges. One in particular was on a significant slant and deemed too slippery to use given the wet conditions. In one spot of the trail a log stairs was constructed with a very narrow tread. Speaking as a trail maintainer the design of this structure is very dangerous in wet conditions and should be avoided. Despite the extremely wet conditions I managed to avoid falling down on the hike until on the return trip I made the mistake of stepping on the top step of this structure and fell all the way down the stairs-slipping on each step. Fortunately, no injuries. The log stairs should be removed or rebuilt with wider treads or stone. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
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| Bugs: |
Very few given the cool temps and brief shower just before the hike started and one shower while climbing Nancy. |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
We had a variety of weather from cloudy to rain shower to sunny for what turned out to be a great 10 mile hike. There were different trail types to reach the summit. The hike begins with a wide logging road trail then narrows to a more typical NH trail. There are bog bridges (some in need of repair) above the cascades and 4 significant stream crossings. The trail from Norcross Pond outlet to the Mt. Nancy summit is an unmaintained trail. It is fairly easy to follow but you have to push thru tree branches in places and it gets very steep at times. There were several blow downs to work around. We were about halfway up the mountain when the clouds lowered and thickened and it began to rain so unfortunately there were no views on the summit. But there were other attractions on the hike that made up for a viewless summit. We had sunny weather on the return trip so took time to explore the Norcross Pond outlet - a series of flat ledges with a great view to the west. One of the biggest attractions of the hike was the 300+ foot Nancy Cascades. The trail allows you to enjoy it from several vantage points. The trail is steep here as you ascend from the bottom to a point near the top of the cascades. The trail then levels out as you continue on to pass Nancy and Norcross Ponds. |
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| Name: |
dexhiker |
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| E-Mail: |
dexpcdoc@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2017-06-26 |
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| Link: |
https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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