Nancy Pond
Location: Livermore, New Hampshire
Mileage: 7.25 Miles
Elevation Gain: 2220 Feet
Trails Used: Nancy Pond Trail
Views: From Nancy Pond
Difficulty: Moderate
Hiking Lists: None
It was another bitterly cold morning, with the trailhead temperature at -16 degrees. On days like this, you’d think only the daring would venture out, yet there we were. Our plan was to climb Mount Nancy first, then bushwhack over to Mount Bemis before descending via the old abandoned fire warden’s trail (Bemis still holds the remnants of a fire tower). Brian and I had been to these peaks before, but never in winter or with the promise of clear views. Unfortunately, the snow would prove to be the real challenge of the day.
Mount Nancy sits in Livermore, New Hampshire, surrounded by Mount Bemis, Mount Anderson, and Duck Pond Mountain. Most of these peaks are trail-less, except for Mount Nancy and Mount Bemis. Mount Nancy can be reached by a herd path from a nearby campground, while Mount Bemis has an old fire warden’s trail that’s still mostly followable up to the remains of its fire tower. The true summit of Mount Bemis offers no views and requires a bushwhack to reach.
We started at the Nancy Pond Trailhead off Route 302. The trail stays fairly steady until you reach the Nancy Cascades, where it gets steep before climbing up to Nancy Pond and Norcross Pond.
It seems a hefty amount of snow has fallen recently, ranging from over two to three feet with some drifts. This is a shot of the first water crossing.
At times the older snowshoe track disappeared completely, especially around Nancy Brook crossing. It was fun trying to find a route to hike across without falling in the water. This is the hardest water crossing to do, especially after heavy rains.
The view of Nancy Cascades wasn’t very lively today, with only a gentle flow, but it’s still a lovely spot to visit on a warm summer day and relax by the water.
Soon the steep climb began, and the old trail vanished, giving way to powdery snow that reached up to the shins and, at times, the knees. Brian was trying to get a closer shot of the Nancy Cascades.
The views toward Stairs Mountain and Mount Resolution from an open spot just above Nancy Cascades along the Nancy Pond Trail are stunning.
We were getting close to Nancy Pond, but the snow was knee-deep, with a few drifts nearly waist-deep, slowing us down since there was no visible snowshoe track.
Our first look at the frozen Nancy Pond, sitting at an elevation of 3,114 feet.
Brian snaps a photo of Nancy Pond, with Mount Anderson towering in the background.
Despite all our efforts snowshoeing in these conditions, the 3.5+ miles of trail-breaking proved too much for just the two of us. By then, our energy was fading, the day was slipping away, and reaching the Mount Nancy herd path was no longer a realistic goal. With the cold only growing harsher, turning back felt like the smart choice. A little past the east end of Nancy Pond, we decided we’d had enough and retraced our steps to the car. Even though we didn’t meet our original goal, it still felt like a solid effort.
About 7.2 miles of challenging snowshoeing to kick off the year, with plenty more hikes ahead. Sometimes you achieve exactly what you planned; other times, you simply do what you can. In the end, as long as you’re having fun, nothing else really matters.
About 7.2 miles of challenging snowshoeing to kick off the year, with plenty more hikes ahead. Sometimes you achieve exactly what you planned; other times, you simply do what you can. In the end, as long as you’re having fun, nothing else really matters.
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