On Saturday 8/18, we climbed the Percy Peaks. I parked at the Percy Peaks trailhead on Nash Stream Rd where there is room for perhaps 5 cars. There is a larger parking area at the Percy Loop trailhead one mile further north. Nash Stream was running fast after the overnight rain which was only just stopping as we arrived around 9:45 Am. The woods along these trails are incredibly lush and green right now with mosses growing everywhere like an emerald green carpet. Percy Peaks Trail is blazed in orange and well marked. It's an easy climb until you pass the big boulder and then it becomes steep as you ascend to the right of a long steeply sloping ledge. It's about 5-6 feet wide and today there is water running down it in a thin sheet, giving it the appearance of a kamikaze waterslide.
We turned right at the col and then right again for South Percy. The Cohos Trail is blazed yellow here, and the co-existing Percy Loop Trail on the other side of North Percy, is blazed red. There are several easy stepover blowdowns on the South Percy spur which is the least tended part of this day's route but still easily climbed. At the summit, we left the overcast and entered the cloud. No views but lots of blueberries. We encountered two young women, one of whom was "doing the 5 peaks" which I believe are Bald Mt, Victor's Head, South Percy, North Percy, and Stratford Mt in SE to NW order. The other was a trail runner, no pack, just flying. You go girl! Saw no one else all day on this mid-August Saturday. The climb up North Percy was a challenging ledge scramble that reached for the cloud. Though still a bit damp, and with no hand holds at all, the steep ledge lived up to its reputation for adhesion or sole-sticking. We never slipped and gained confidence with every step. We were soon at the summit but alas no views here either, and surprisingly, less blueberries than on South Percy.
We descended via the Percy Loop trial which is also very scenic down to the Cohos Trail campsite. From there to the bottom, its a very easy mostly dirt treadway back to Nash Stream Rd at Long Mountain Brook. A one mile road walk returned us to the car. I have it as 7 miles total including the road portion, and 2600 feet of elevation. I loved this hike and think the forest here is absolutely gorgeous. I would like to come back and do it again on a fair day for the views, but for now, this one is in the books.
We turned right at the col and then right again for South Percy. The Cohos Trail is blazed yellow here, and the co-existing Percy Loop Trail on the other side of North Percy, is blazed red. There are several easy stepover blowdowns on the South Percy spur which is the least tended part of this day's route but still easily climbed. At the summit, we left the overcast and entered the cloud. No views but lots of blueberries. We encountered two young women, one of whom was "doing the 5 peaks" which I believe are Bald Mt, Victor's Head, South Percy, North Percy, and Stratford Mt in SE to NW order. The other was a trail runner, no pack, just flying. You go girl! Saw no one else all day on this mid-August Saturday. The climb up North Percy was a challenging ledge scramble that reached for the cloud. Though still a bit damp, and with no hand holds at all, the steep ledge lived up to its reputation for adhesion or sole-sticking. We never slipped and gained confidence with every step. We were soon at the summit but alas no views here either, and surprisingly, less blueberries than on South Percy.
We descended via the Percy Loop trial which is also very scenic down to the Cohos Trail campsite. From there to the bottom, its a very easy mostly dirt treadway back to Nash Stream Rd at Long Mountain Brook. A one mile road walk returned us to the car. I have it as 7 miles total including the road portion, and 2600 feet of elevation. I loved this hike and think the forest here is absolutely gorgeous. I would like to come back and do it again on a fair day for the views, but for now, this one is in the books.
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