The Percy Peaks

The road north had been long. I had arrived here near the Canadian border, to hike these mountains. It’s bald dome rose above the nearby small town. In the back of my mind, something just didn’t feel right.

The Percy peaks are located in the far north of New Hampshire. The rugged landscape attracts far less tourists than the south. I was here for North Percy for my 52 list. Spotting the peaks is easy. They rise above the roadway and dominate the landscape. They are quite distinctive in their appearance, and my heart quickened with the idea of hiking up the open ledges.

I was hiking solo, and planned to hike both North and South in one go. I wouldn’t be back this far north again soon, and I did not want to leave South Percy without checking it off my personal hike list. The road out to the trailheads is long and winding and “unimproved.” It was early morning, with wet road and trail surfaces.. A fog had lifted, but moisture clung to root and branch.

I did not have my emergency beacon with me, which gave me pause. These mountains might not see another hiker for days or more, and If I became incapacitated, things could become unpleasant for me. Temps at night were now dropping to just above freezing.

I located the trailhead with out fuss, and began my way along the trail. It was slippery and slick with the dew, and I chose my foot placement carefully with poles in hand.

North Percy would be first. I wanted to be sure to get what I needed before heading to the south peak on my way out. It’s not a particularly long hike, roughly 5 miles to both summits. I would return the same way for a nice out and back.

Your old buddy Jack is not a fan of heights. (Funny eh?) There was a bit of open scrambling up North Percy which gave me rubber legs, but resting on the open ledge was not a good idea, so I made haste to the top. My descent from North Percy was a mix of crab walking and a crouched shuffle. South Percy was clearly less traveled, but a clear herd path existed. I climbed and descended without incident,taking my time on the mossy roots and rocks. It was a fine hike, but I didn’t breathe easier until I was off the dirty road and back on pavement. I think I was more worried about getting stranded with the car on that narrow rough road than the hike itself.

Good bye Percy Peaks. I will always remember you, but I won’t be back.