North Percy via Underhill/West Side Trail, 7/29/15

It had been many years since I last climbed this spectacular route with Neighbor Dave and The Human Moose. The West Side Trail was originally laid out by White Mtn legends Robert and Miriam Underhill. I wish it were still an official trail, but alas it is not, the powers that be having deemed the steep ledges unsafe. There is a trail description in my 1987 WMG, and the subsequent edition mentions it being closed... accompanied by a near rant by the editor lamenting its closure!

Amazingly, the paint blazes are still pretty easy to see; however, the scrub is growing in a bit. Unlikely you will emerge without a few scratches. Near the top we did err a bit and didn't go far enough to the left (north) and thus negotiated some even more sporty maneuvers. This route is probably a Class 3 and has 2200 feet of climb in 1.7 miles. The rock is quite grippy and was nice n dry today. I would not do this route if the rock were wet!

The main goal of the day was blueberry picking, and we were not disappointed. We ended up with 3 quarts before the Nash Stream beckoned. It was HOT on those ledges! We descended via the Notch Trail followed by a refreshing soak in the river. A fine day and a grand route on a spectacular dome!