Percy Peaks loop

[Mike Hartigan]

Last weekend I climbed North Percy peak in northern NH and while doing so discovered what looks to be a slide climb going up the western face of the mountain. I was wondering if anybody has done this route and if it is part of the loop trail as signed just before you come out of the trees at the junction of the Old Summer Club trail. It seemed weird that a loop trail had no other end as the route from the jct is an up and back thing. The slide path starts low on the mountain approximately 1300' below the summit. I went up it alittle ways but it was raining by then and very slick so I don't know if this slide is continious or abandons you in the scrub up high somewhere. Also if it is continious has anybody done it in winter as a ski descent, is the road plowed or would you need a snowmobile to get up the Nash Stream rd. I've skiied quite a few of the slides in NY and most of the ravines/gulfs in Nh and I'm looking for something new. Any info would be great on this one as it would be big descent, 1300' on the slide if it goes and a total of 2150' to the car thru what seemed to be some decent woods

 

[el-bagr]

Not sure if you mean the old West Side route -- primarily exfoliated slabs once you're on high. A NE classic, though it can be slippery.

My tentative plans to ski North Percy have been stumped so far. Nash Stream Road is generally gated until after Memorial Day, but is usually open to sledding -- with certain exceptions in the past due to logging operations.

Got a sled?

 

[ChrisB]

The Guide book mentions the old "Underhill Route," but I had could not find it when I did N. Percy last month. It is described as a 3rd class scramble similar to Huntington ravine.

Apparently it begins 0.2 past the huge boulder on the N Percy trail. Is that near where the fixed old rope is located?

Big slides are visible on the west side of the peak, but getting to the bottom of them requires some bushwhacking I guess.

cb

 

[Mike Hartigan]

Thanks for the replies. Iwas wondering if the slabs are continious from the rope on up or if it is more of a bushwack. The slide climbs I've done in the adks are usually brutal wacks before and after but the rock is usually pretty clean. Iwas hopeful that this is not the case for Percy as I found both top and bottom of the old Underhill trail and they were both clean. I just couldn't tell about the 1000 or so vertical in between. I'm thinking of heading over there this weekend as the weather is supposed to be dry for the period, perfect slide climbing weather.