Nancy and Norcross Ponds - 6/10/09

It was another rainy day, but I still wanted to take advantage of at least one of my days off, and neither was supposed to be nice. I had already decided to get in another waterfall hike, but which one to do? After some deliberation I chose Nancy Cascades along Nancy Brook in Crawford Notch. I had seen some great photos of this waterfall and was excited to visit it. I was also in the mood for a longer hike, so I thought I might climb further past the falls and visit Nancy and Norcross Pond.



The hike to this waterfall itself is a little longer than the trip out to Arethusa Falls, but it isn’t overly strenuous, though the section from here to the top of cascades, 800 feet higher is a breathstealer. While it’s not as tall as Arethusa, Nancy Cascades is now my favorite waterfall. It’s similar in shape to Arethusa, but it’s snugly tucked in a little nook with a deep, beautiful pool at the base. A gorgeous sight, even (maybe especially?) on a gloomy day. Not to mention that this spot is one of the ones described in Haunted Hikes of New Hampshire.

Nancy Cascades

I continued up past the top of the falls, a short but stiff climb, but once over the high point it levels off. The walk from here to the ponds is a nice and mellow without much elevation gain. It was too cloudy to see much of the ponds, but it was a lovely stroll nonetheless. I continued to the outlet on the far side of Norcross Pond, which under better conditions is supposed to afford a great view of the Pemi Wilderness. Today it was viewless, but a good spot for lunch. Here I turned around and began the trek out, planning to return on a nice day.

Nancy Pond

Norcross Pond