Is Nancy Pond Trail passable?

[Drumhaggart]

A colleague went in last year from Rte 302 and got turned back last year at Norcross Pond due to high water and no readily apparent 'whack around. I'm wondering if this was just a result of the weather that week, or whether something else (like beaver activity) has made that section of the trail permanently wet.

Has anyone been out that way recently?

Thanks!

-Steve

 

[grouseking]

A colleague went in last year from Rte 302 and got turned back last year at Norcross Pond due to high water and no readily apparent 'whack around. I'm wondering if this was just a result of the weather that week, or whether something else (like beaver activity) has made that section of the trail permanently wet.

Has anyone been out that way recently?

Thanks!

-Steve

Haven't been there in years, but up at the ponds, they tend to hang onto snow for quite a long time, so that probably played a part in the high water last year. This time of year, it is usually best to avoid trails at high elevations with those ponds, because they can be a mess. I went in November of 2004, and there was about 6-10 inches of snow up on that high elevation plateau. Nothing at the bottom. The snow appeared rapidly.

 

[kltilton]

I heard the FS is doing some bog bridge work up there, but I don't know if they started yet.

 

[jniehof]

Not recently, but when I was there last August it hadn't rained recently and the "trail" was knee-deep in water. Herd paths were starting to form around it, but only just starting. It certainly didn't look temporary.

Bog bridges will be nice for the Nancy pond area, but around Norcross they'll only be useful if stacked twenty deep!

 

[Drumhaggart]

Thanks to all for the info.

As it turns out, I did not attempt it this weekend. After a mostly sleepless night in the car and rain in the morning, I decided to cut my losses and head
home. Another day perhaps...

-Steve

 

[MichaelJ]

We all missed this announcement on the WMNF website:

Hikers: May experience delays on Nancy Pond trail May 17th & 18th. There will be helicopter operations for the shipping of trail maintenance materials.

 

[askus3]

I remember back in 2003, that I noted that the trail needed considerable work on its bog bridges. Seven years later... better late than never! By the way, if you go to Norcross Pond, climb Mt. Nancy, worth the climb. The herd path begins from the west end of the lake.

 

[MichaelJ]

I'm wondering if this was just a result of the weather that week, or whether something else (like beaver activity)

Beavers. Norcross Pond is one to two feet higher than it used to be. They've built a huge dam across the top of the granite slab at the western outlet and raised the elevation. Where I once sat on warm rock at the edge of the pond, this past weekend was under knee-deep water.

Where these folk were standing back in 2003:

is now this imposing beaver dam (opposite angle):

The higher water level on the northern shore has completely submerged the trail in spots, requiring a whack-around. It will be a very good thing when the new bridges go in.

 

[Drumhaggart]

Thanks Michael.

I may save Nancy for later in the season. There are mountains enough to keep me busy for awhile.

-steve

 

[Dale&Sherry]

Any update on nancy pond trail ???

Does anybody know if the Nancy Pond Trail has been fixed yet? Is it still under water We might hike Mt Nancy Thursday????

 

[LarryD]

Does anybody know if the Nancy Pond Trail has been fixed yet? Is it still under water We might hike Mt Nancy Thursday????

I spoke to a member of the work crew in late June and they were scheduled to go in there to start the work on or about June 28. They were camping overnight in the area so they could get the work done as quickly as possible.

 

[Paradox]

About a month ago Ishmael and I hiked Mt Nancy via the ponds. No hot foots but it is muddy and I did encounter the beaver dam at the western edge of Norcross Pond. I never gave it a thought at the time, but it seems to me that it would not take much to pull down a section of the beaver dam.

Beavers rebuild their dams within hours if humans are not around (I guess that is why they call them beavers.)

 

[Drumhaggart]

Does anybody know if the Nancy Pond Trail has been fixed yet? Is it still under water We might hike Mt Nancy Thursday????

A co-worker made the trip a couple of weekends ago and reported no issues.

- Steve

 

[Dale&Sherry]

A co-worker made the trip a couple of weekends ago and reported no issues.

- Steve

Thanks Drumhaggert, My dog became ill, so we weren't able to hike Thursday So we might hike Mt Nancy Monday, if she gets better?
Hopefully the water didn't rise too much after the Thunder Storms that raged through here Wednesday

 

[giff]

During the last week in June, the Forest Service rerouted the trail around Norcross pond to avoid the underwater sections. There has also been extensive work to replace the bog bridging by Nancy pond.

 

[Dale&Sherry]

Just hike it Sat 31Jul10, its in great shape New trail around Norcross Pond, and lots of new Bog Bridges.

See thread:
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=37056