Mt. Nancy via Nancy Pond Trail and Herd Path

[marty]

Trail Conditions: trail wet due to morning rain, but easy to do up to Nancy Cascades, except for a couple of tricky stream crossings. Cascades crossing was very difficult, due to a steep embankment with 4 feet of snow. The Cascades themselves were spectacular though! Steep switchbacks up to top of Cascades were ridiculously treacherous due to up to 6 feet of loose granular snow and steep angles off a thin monorail from the few people who ventured the trail this year. Above the Cascades, it was easier, but postholing to the waist was common, even with snowshoes. Spruce traps were virtually everywhere. Herd path from Norcross Pond to summit started out snowy, but was bare above the slide area. We ditched our snowshoes there and bare booted it up the summit, encountering some nasty postholing in the snowy spots. The path was hard to follow in a couple of open woods areas, but still not too bad.

Special Equipment Required: Snowshoes, rain gear and waterproof boots essential. Poles helpful. Our MSR snowshoes were not gripping the loose granular snow at all on the steep, slippery switchbacks of death. Our crampons may have been a better choice, but we never tried them.

Comments: Our second attempt at Nancy this spring. Tried it 4 weeks earlier and turned around. Should have done it again! This hike was a true death march due to the conditions; much harder than a normal 10.5-11 mile hike with 3,000 elevation gain. There were thrills, chills and a few spectacular (but thankfully not injury causing) spills. No views today. Just glad we made it out in one piece. Nancy is #77/100 for me and 72/100 for Ray.

Marty and Ray