16 Sept. Tecumseh/West Tecumseh/Pk 3156'/Nancy/Duck Pond Mtn - 17 Sept. Shaw Mtn

[Oncoman]

Arrived on Tripoli Rd at 21h15 on Fri. Ranger wanted to charge me 20$ to car sleep at Tecumseh trailhead. So I slept in my car at ski center parking lot. Started on trail next AM at 05h45. Summited on Tecumseh 1h45 later. Nice clear views of nearby pks. Calibrated my watch altimeter on summit before turning back. Very enjoyable quiet morning hike.

On way back noticed 3 bumps at 3770’ by my altimeter that could qualify for West Tecumseh, all 3 slightly off trail, but the most westernly one with side trail of about 100’ to right on way up freshly improved seemed to be the highest pk by about 5' (different than one shown on TopoZone map). Had noticed 2 cairns on right side of trail on way up at 2530' & 2990', likely indicating starting point for bushwhack to 3156' pk. I choose to start my bwk at height of land indicated by 2990' cairn. Very easy bwk. Took only 35 min. to & from summit identified by moss covered cairn but no canister. Is this a NH100 or NH200 pk? (Only has 120’ of clean prominence).

Was back to my car by 10h30 & then drove off to Nancy Pond trailhead via Kanc. highway & Bear Notch Rd. Beautiful landscape with leaves all coloured up. Drove very slowly to stretch out pleasure to the fullest. Started on Nancy Pond trail at 12h15. Passed by many hikers on my way up to Nancy Pond. Greatly appreciated the views from beaver dam at end of Norcross Pond. What a great camping spot this could be, but forbidden I gather.

After a short rest I headed up the steep herd path, in reality a well trotted trail, towards Nancy, my NE100. Reached the summit in barely 20 min. No champagne to celebrate but had the pleasant surprise of having Gin & Tonic instead, alias Elaine & John, who had completed their NE76 on Nancy. We chatted for a while, admired the northern pks & then parted. I was back to Nancy Pond by 15h30. Too early to call it a day. So I decided to do bushwhack up Duck Pond Mtn following eastern part of Nancy Pond.

Not too bad initially, but as you near summit it gets very thick with numerous blowdown making for slow rough going. Found old trail near summit with yellow blazed trees. Does anyone know something about this ancient trail or is it an illegally marked one? No canister but there is a white wooden sign with black lettering nailed to tree to identify summit. Difficult to find. Fairly flat pk with very thick stuff & blowdown. Took me 30-40 min. to find sign more by luck than anything else.

Was back to trail by 18h15 tired but satisfied. Took it slowly to hike back down trail to my car. Was back at 19h55, the last 30 min. or so by headlamp. Then drove off to Shaw trailhead on Hwy 171, next morning's objective. Was off by 06h15. Nice easy 3h20 road & trail walk, thank God, since my body was still feeling the strain from my previous day's long & exhausting hike. Beautiful views on summit. Papa Bear's trail report was very helpful. Thanks again Richard. BTW the yellow trail on summit of Shaw heading south is called Gorilla trail & after going over Hodge Mtn and Big Ball Mtn it brings you to Canaan Valley about 6 m. east of Shaw trailhead on Hwy 171. Blue trail goes to Castle in the Clouds Inn. Only 8 more pks to go before completing my NEFF list. Will then tackle ADK100 (47 done so far). This winter will attempt to complete NH 48.

Good hiking everyone. Enjoy!

Pierre

 

[Rejean]

Felicitation Pierre for completing the NE100 and good report.If you
add all your list you will came close to the list of 770 peak over 3000 feet
in the NE!!!

 

[Papa Bear]

Great going Pierre. Wasn't Shaw a beauty after all those nasty bushwhacks! Did you check out that lookout (Black Snout) which gives the views over the lake towards Belknap? Gorgeous place.

Where'd you find ot about those others trails? I assume you did not follow the yellow trail all the way down to Canaan.

 

[Amicus]

Wasn't Shaw a beauty after all those nasty bushwhacks! Did you check out that lookout (Black Snout) which gives the views over the lake towards Belknap? Gorgeous place. Where'd you find ot about those others trails?

Papa Bear,

Since the Forest Trust (or a smilar group) bought the Castle of the Clouds land about 3 years ago, they've been clearing old trails and laying out new ones all around the southern rim of the Ossipee ring-dike. The AMC So. NH Guide 2d Ed. ('05) [but not the 1st] has details, and they have their own map, I've heard.

Pierre,

More remarkable hikes from the tireless one!

Regards, Mike

 

[RoySwkr]

Where'd you find ot about those others trails? I assume you did not follow the yellow trail all the way down to Canaan.

You can buy a map of the trails on Trust property (lrct.org) at the Castle in the Clouds gift shop or by mail.

Banana, Gorilla, Thunderbird, etc. trails to Canaan can be found in some editions of AMC WMG.

And anybody who makes a traverse of Moxie would find a traverse of Shaw trivial

 

[Oncoman]

Actually there are now trail descriptions on summits of Shaw & Black Snout either nailed to trees or posts, though one near B.S. is now fallen to ground.

If you want to avoid crowds on trails (I met no less than 10-12 hikers on my way down from Shaw that day), then coming up from Canaan Valley is the solution.

And yes Papa Bear the views from B.S. are truly gorgeous. I was very moved (I actually had tears rolling on my cheeks) by the grandiose beauty unfolding before my eyes as the fog was lifting off the huge lake in the valley way below & slowly unvealing nearby mountains on that early peaceful Sun. morning.

The previous day’s rough bushwhacking had not succeeded to free me of my profound disgust of humanity provoked by last week’s Columbine-like tragic event here at Montreal’s Dawson College, but Nature’s beauty did…

Pierre

 

[Raymond]

What is the NE76?

 

[Oncoman]

Hi Raymond!

I meant that Gin & Tonic had completed that day their 76th peak out of the 100 pks required for New England Hundred Highest Peaks award.

Pierre

 

[Raymond]

I get it now. I was afraid there was another list to worry about.

I just finished my 98th and 99th (The Weekses). Hoping to get the hundredth by October 8th, as that will be the 29th anniversary of my first climb.