Swimming in the White Mountains?

There are some nice spots along the Zealand river by the trail of the same name. We took our time there once with kids and spent the whole day playing in the river. Also some great spots above Z-hut at the top of the falls. Those cascades will be more crowded than down lower on the river.


While Basin Pond at the Basin Campground near the Baldfaces looks inviting, it is full of leeches

Good swimming, or at least a refreshing dip, is where you find it. Nothing like a spontaneous dip on a hot day.

Just below the falls on the Nancy Pond Trail.

We cooled off in a pool in Slide Brook after coming down South Pyramid. Our objective was mainly a respite from an extraordinary combination of black flies, mosquitos, gnats,deerflies and heaven knows what the other things were.

Skinny dippers have been duly, if not gleefully, noted near the lower end of Falling Waters Trail.

If you're in and out of most ponds after a short swim, the worst thing is a few leeches and, even when you can see them in the water, they may not find you or catch up with you before you're out. It helps to have a friend remove them from difficult to find or reach places ... it could be the start of a beautiful relationship!

EXCELLENT ideas and suggestions so far... I CANNOT wait for swimming weather!!! Also, I'm not really familiar with leeches, growing up in suburban NOBO (north of Boston, yet in NH) and all... are there any tricks to dealing with them? Do you only know they're on you when you touch them???? How many is too many???? ICK.

ick says it all.....

one is tooo many

Leeches have an anesthetic and an anti-clotting / thinning agent which means you generally don't feel them bite you and you will generally bleed a bit longer than you might otherwise for a similar wound. You are supposed to break suction with your finger nail and detach them that way. Don't squeeze, burn, etc., as they may regurgitate into your blood stream--this is what can get you in trouble. Many leeches are scavengers, some go after wounds, few bite live animals. That said, I have no idea how you tell which ones are which when looking at them in a pond.

Tim
p.s. they make good bait

Leech

They sit by the boat landings in Maine and wait for the tourists.

bikehikeskifish said:

Many leeches are scavengers, some go after wounds, few bite live animals. That said, I have no idea how you tell which ones are which when looking at them in a pond.

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You put your foot in the water to see which ones swim toward it...

p.s. they make good bait

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p.p.s. So do you.

Doug

Another way to determine if there are leeches in a pond is to put some warm water in a plastic bottle, secure a string around the neck of the bottle and place the bottle in the water. Tie the string to the shore. Wait about ten minutes and slowly pull the bottle in. If there are leeches they'll be on the sides of the bottle.
Jay

As far as I know leeches do not transmit any pathogens to humans and need very good water quality to survive.

brianW said:

As far as I know leeches do not transmit any pathogens to humans and need very good water quality to survive.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leech says that both Hepatitis B and HIV have been found in leeches in Cameroon. It also says they do not have any inherently dangerous parasites.


Tim

I'll probably get slammed for this but...I've always enjoyed swimming at the Lower Falls on the Kanc. Always refreshing and always fun.

Sorry, just my opinion.

I have too.

Lower Falls: LOTS of fun!!! Last year I slipped down the rocks and bashed my knee pretty bad - pretty bloody given the wet surroundings - got a LOT of scared looks....like, "WHAT the heck happened to her?!"

Watch for the croks.

Lady's Bathtub

Behind Riverside Condominiums on the kank near lincoln.

time for swimming!

For those swimming fans out there: took the first full-submersion of the year in the Gale River today - guessed the temp was in the 60's - not all that bad!!!! Yay!!!! Skin was a little pink after about 5 minutes, tho!!!

A couple that come to mind right away are Lincoln Brook by the boulder and the pool half way up Cascade Brook before you get to the Kinsman Pond Trail. Emerald Pool is also a nice dive from straight over the falls.

On route 16 between Glen and Gorham the swimmin holes are pretty obvious... either there is a marked or paved turnout or a well used gravel turnout, and that goes for both the Ellis River and the Peabody. Pretty much the same on the Kank.

There were some enthusiastic souls having a great time late this afternoon at Libby Pool in Gorham. Brrrrrr, they just filled it over the last few days and it comes straight out of the Peabody.

Breeze

My first swim.dunking of the year today along the base station road after a Southern Presis hike today..water levels were reasonable and the temps were ok..pretty good May swim!!!

Silverfox said:

My first swim.dunking of the year today along the base station road after a Southern Presis hike today..water levels were reasonable and the temps were ok..pretty good May swim!!!

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NICE!!!! Sounds like a great spot!!!!