My new bushwhack objective in the Pemi

[Hillwalker]

Over the years I have "sled road whacked" into Red Pond under the brow of Mt Guyot, and Carrigain Pond under the brow of Mt Carrigain. My next target is the tiny set of ponds located 2 km 123 degrees true from the summit of Mt Hancock. N44.07354 W71.47169

The area looks like it may harbor numerous logging drag roads similar to what are used to access Red Pond. Initial entry point would be off the Sawyer River/Hancock Notch trail.
I am looking for information and or partners to make this foray once Black Fly season is over.

Anyone?

 

[NHClimber]

Definitely looks cool. You plan to hug the Sawyer river? I would expect there to be logging roads or skidder tracks along it since the grade should be mild. Could also check out the NH stone wall Lidar mapper, which will often show roads that are otherwise hidden by tree cover. The logging road that comes from Sawyer River Rd looks to get you within a few miles of the ponds.

 

[Hillwalker]

In answer to your question, yes. I have hiked through Hancock Notch on the Hancock Notch trail at least four times and distinctly remember looking at the stream that enters the Sawyer River with the feeling that something was up there. At the point I would leave the HN trail it is only about 150 feet from my intended river crossing. Then the hunt for logging drag roads that head in the proper direction. I think I will plan for a couple of days camping at the ponds once I locate them. It looks like a nice large bowl up in there.

Here is a clip from the Windy app:

 

[peakbagger]

There was some real serious washouts from a heavy rain event down near the river. My guess is wait for dry weather later in the year and hike up what I think will be a very wide stream bed. I think my bushwhacking this summer will be very limited

 

[JoshandBaron]

This one has been on my list for a while. In the Pemi I've done Bear Pond a dozen times or so, Carrigain Pond a few times, and the short whack to Boyle Pond. Also on the list are the ponds up on Field, Duck Pond, and the one a short distance west of Ethan Pond trail by Whitewall. From the limited research I've done on this one, it doesn't appear to have the trunk roads going up the drainage that Red Rock has. On paper using the Lidar layer, if you stay in the drainage of the pond, it looks like it might be a whack closer to what one might expect if you caught the wrong drainage on the east side of the Captain going up to Carrigain Pond. That could be an adventure. I'd probably use a route paralleling the drainage on the east side by about 500 feet. You'll probably find yourself climbing from tote road to tote road until the slope starts to ease for the final 1000 feet or so to the pond.