Many White Mountain hikers went to Nancy Pond and Norcross Pond a long time ago, and haven’t returned. I was one of those uniI I went back last summer.
Sometimes my choosing a hike is a mystery, even to me. I fly over the mountains in my mind, pick one and head. This time it was to the Nancy Pond Trail.
kAmx’> 8=25 x 5:5] pD $E6G6 $>:E9[ 65:E@C @7 E96 p|r (9:E6 |@F?E2:? vF:56[ D2:5 :? 9:D 3=@8 “|@F?E2:? (2?56C:?8[” “u6H EC2:=D :? E96 (9:E6D A24< 2D >F49 D46?:4 G2C:6EJ 2D E96 }2?4J !@?5 %C2:=] u@C 2 72:C=J CF8865 g]e\>:=6 C@F?5 EC:A[ H:E9 a[a__\7@@E 6=6G2E:@? 82:?[ J@F 42? E2<6 :? E@H6C:?8 H2E6C72==D[ 2? @=5 8C@HE9 DACF46 7@C6DE[ 2 A2:C @7 9:89 4@F?ECJ A@?5D[ 2?5 2 F?:BF6 G:6H :?E@ 2 C6>@E6 4@C?6C @7 E96 !6>:86H2DD6E (:=56C?6DD]”k^Am
kAmp3@FE hib_ 2]>] x AF==65 :?E@ E96 >@56DE }2?4J !@?5 %C2:= A2C<:?8 =@E =@42E65 @? E96 =67E 23@FE f]d >:=6D ?@CE9 @7 q2CE=6EE G:==286 @? #@FE6 b_a] x 7@==@H65 E96 =@H6C EC2:= FA 2 H6==\>2C<65 2DD@CE>6?E @7 5:CE C@25D 2?5 A2E9D] pE @?6 A@:?E[ x A2DD65 2 D:56 A2E9 E@ E96 }@E49=2?5 x??] x? `]e >:=6D[ x 4C@DD65 E96 DF3DE2?E:2= }2?4J qC@@<] x H2D BF:E6 DECF4< 3J E96 A:=6D @7 3@F=56CD =67E E96C6 3J wFCC:42?6 xC6?6 324< :? a_``] %96 EC2:= 92D =@?8 D:?46 366? 5:G6CE65 2C@F?5 E96D6]k^Am
kAmpE E92E A@:?E x H2D 6?E6C:?8 E96 `bgd\24C6 }2?4J qC@@< #6D62C49 }2EFC2= pC62] %9:D :D @?6 @7 E96 =2C86DE EC24ED @7 G:C8:? 7@C6DE :? E96 ?@CE962DE H:E9 @=5 8C@HE9 C65 DACF46 2?5 32=D2> 7:C] xE :?4=F56D E96 DF>>:E @7 E9C66 >@F?E2:?D 2?5 }2?4J !@?5 :ED6=7]k^Am
kAm%96 EC2:= 27E6C E96 4C@DD:?8 H2D A=62D2?E[ 2 86?E=6 5:CE A2E9 H:E9 @442D:@?2= C@@ED 2?5 C@4<D] x? `]g >:=6D[ x ?@E:465 2 76H @55 A:646D @7 @=5 CFDE65 >6E2= 2?5 E96? E96 C6>2:?D @7 2 =@H 3C:4< DECF4EFC6] %9:D H2D E96 {F4J |:==[ CF? 3J r@?H2J’D {F4J 72>:=J[ C64@G6C:?8 E:>36C 27E6C E96 `hbg 9FCC:42?6]k^Am
kAm%96 EC2:= C6\4C@DD65 }2?4J qC@@< 2?5 x C624965 E96 32D6 @7 E96 :>AC6DD:G6 H2E6C72== 42==65 }2?4J r2D4256D] x 4=2>36C65 5@H? E@ E96 A@@=[ D2E 2E :ED 32D6 2?5 A2FD65]k^Am
kAm(2D :E E96 A6?6EC2E:?8 D@F?5 @7 72==:?8 H2E6C E92E 42FD65 >6 E@ C642== E96 DE@CJ @7 }2?4J q2CE@?[ ?2>6D2<6 @7 3@E9 3C@@< 2?5 A@?5n $96 H@C<65 @? 2 72C> :? y6776CD@? :? `fgg] $96 3642>6 6?82865 E@ 2?@E96C 72C> 92?5[ E@ H9@> D96 82G6 96C 6?E:C6 5@HCJ] qFE 96 =67E @?6 52J :? E96 62C=J H:?E6C 2?5 962565 5@H? rC2H7@C5 }@E49 E@H2C5D E96 4@2DE] $96 7@==@H65[ 7@F?5 9:D 42>A7:C6 4@=5[ 3FE 4@?E:?F65] $96 >256 :E 2D 72C 2D {F4J qC@@<[ H96C6 D96 =2J 5@H? 2?5 7C@K6 E@ 562E9[ =2E6C E@ 36 7@F?5 3J 2 A2CEJ 7C@> y6776CD@? =@@<:?8 7@C 96C] (96? 96C =@G6C 7@F?5 @FE 96 H6?E :?D2?6[ 5J:?8 D@@? 27E6C] ~7 4@FCD6[ 9@H 4@F=5 DF49 2 DE@CJ @E96CH:D6 6?5nk^Am
kAmp3@G6 E96 72==D E96 EC2:= 3642>6 DE66A 2?5 8?2C=J] %96 C@4< H2D >:42 D49:DE[ A2CE @7 E96 {:EE=6E@? u@C>2E:@?[ >@C6 <?@H? :? E96 !C6D:56?E:2=D 7@C :ED C@F89 492C24E6C] x A2DD65 2 8C62E @FE=@@< @G6C E96 FAA6C D=:56D @7 {F4J r2D4256D[ H:E9 :ED C:33@? @7 H9:E6H2E6C]k^Am
kAm%96? E96 EC2:= H@F?5 :ED H2J FA E@ 2 >@DD\42CA6E65 G:C8:? DACF46 7@C6DE[ H:E9 EC66D @7 >@56C2E6 96:89E] uC@> E96? @?[ :? $>:E9’D H@C5D[ E96 EC2:= H2D “BF:E6 E96 C@@E\76DE]” xE =6G6=65 2AAC@249:?8 }2?4J !@?5[ H:E9 2? @442D:@?2= 3@8 3C:586]k^Am
kAmpAAC@249:?8 2 DF32=A:?6 A@?5 42? 36 2D 8@@5 2D 2 DF>>:E] x DE@@5 @? E96 D9@C6 @7 E96 c\24C6 }2?4J !@?5[ 3C62E9:?8 :? :ED 492C24E6C] %96? x 4@?E:?F65 @? E96 7=2E EC2:= :? E96 H@@5D 3J E96 D9@C6[ 9625:?8 E@ }@C4C@DD !@?5] x A2DD65 @G6C 7C6BF6?E 3@8 3C:586D >256 @7 AC64FE 3@2C5D]k^Am
kAm~? @?6 52J :? a_`_[ >2E6C:2= 7@C `a_\3@8 3C:586D 7@C E96 }2?4J !@?5 %C2:= H6C6 7=@H? :?[ 2:C=:7E65 7C@> $2HJ6C #:G6C #@25] rC:DE:? q2:=6J[ 7@C6DE D6CG:46 EC2:=D >2?286C 7@C E96 $24@ s:DEC:4E[ H2D :? 492C86[ 2?5 G@=F?E66CD 2DD6>3=:?8 E96 3C:586D :?4=F565 42>A6CD 2?5 =6256CD 7C@> r2>A !2DBF2?6J @? }6H7@F?5 {2<6 2?5 E96 }6H w2>AD9:C6 r@CAD @7 E96 $EF56?E r@?D6CG2E:@? pDD@4:2E:@?]k^Am
kAmx D@@? A2DD65 {:EE=6 }@C4C@DD !@?5[ H9:49 :D 2 5J:?8 =2<6 2?5 >@DE=J >2CD9[ E96? 2CC:G65 ?62C E96 D@FE9 D9@C6 @7 E96 f\24C6 }@C4C@DD !@?5] x H2=<65 5@H? E@ :E 2?5 6?;@J65 E96 F?:BF6 G:6H] %96 H2E6C H2D 5@EE65 H:E9 J6==@H H2E6C =:=:6D[ E96 52C< A@:?E65 EC66D @7 2 4@?:76C 7@C6DE DFCC@F?565 :E[ 2?5 E96 8C66? DF>>:E @7 E96 ?62C3J EC2:=\=6DD |@F?E p?56CD@? C@D6 E@ E96 H6DE] ~? E96 72C 6?5 x 4@F=5 D66 H96C6 E96 H6==\ <?@H? G:6H 7C@> E96 }@C4C@DD !@?5 @FE=6E H2D[ H:E9 3=F6 D<J 36J@?5[ D@ x C6EFC?65 E@ E96 EC2:= 2?5 H2=<65 E96C6]k^Am
kAmx 962C5 G@:46D 367@C6 2CC:G:?8] %H@ 4@FA=6D D2E @? E96 3@F=56CD @7 E96 @FE=6E] x ;@:?65 E96> 2?5 925 =F?49] %96 @FEH2C5 G:6H H2D 8C62E[ H:E9 E96 C:586 @7 E96 q@?5D C:D:?8 :? E96 5:DE2?46] ~?6 H@>2? >6?E:@?65 766=:?8 2D :7 H6 H6C6 :? 962G6?[ 2?5 H6 2== 24<?@H=65865 E92E 766=:?8 H:E9 2 8C:?]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.