INTRODUCTION:
Every
year around this time, I reminisce about an adventure to Duck Pond that I did
way back in July 2010. This pond is
situated in a very remote area of New Hampshire’s White Mountain National
Forest on the west side of U.S. 302 in Grafton County.
This was
one of the more arduous bushwhacks that I’ve done. It
involved about 6.5 miles (round-trip) of on-trail hiking, and a bit over 1.5
miles (round-trip) of challenging bushwhacking through some very gnarly
terrain.
Although
no lurking dinosaurs were seen😏, Duck Pond did have sort of a prehistoric
feel to it. The shoreline was generally
swampy and dotted with numerous carnivorous plants (Purple Pitcher plants to be
exact). Also, several amphibians (frogs)
and reptiles (snakes) were seen, and biting, blood-thirsty insects (mosquitoes,
etc) were abundant . . . and very annoying!
Shown
below is a map of where this adventure took place. My route is highlighted in yellow.
And
shown below is a Google Earth screenshot looking from EAST to WEST. Duck Pond is seen at the center of the image.
PHOTOS:
~ THE END ~
4 comments:
I love this trip back in time. The photos you took on this trek are spectacular. The frog on the lily pad could be a prize-winner.
Have you considered a return trip to Duck Pond?
I ask because yesterday Tim and I returned to a location we had hiked to way back in 2006—Powderhorn Lakes. And we were aghast at the damage climate change has wrought. The alpine lakes themselves are still gems, but the spruce and fir trees in the surrounding forests are 90% dead, all beetle-killed due to the increasingly warmer winters.
It's a monumental tragedy to see the hulking dead trees. And many of them have fallen, blocking the trail in numerous places. The Forest Service no longer maintains the trail through this 60,000 acre wilderness. Perhaps they consider it a "loss" due to the beetle-kill and the danger of hiking there. As a result it was a sad trip down memory lane for us!
Tomorrow we're hiking another trail we haven't hiked in a decade—Crystal Lake Trail. I hope we're not disappointed!
Anyway, after that rant, thanks for such a nice post! I hope Duck Pond still exists in all its prehistoric grandeur!
Wow Rita . . . what heartbreaking news about the current conditions at Powderhorn Lakes. Hopefully, you will not find a similar situation when you hike the Crystal Lake Trail.
You asked if I’ve considered a return trip to Duck Pond. Umm, probably not. I’m thinking it might be better to leave well enough alone, rather than do a return visit and risk spoiling my fond memories.
John
Hi John,
I have to report that the Crystal Lake Trail along most of its length appears much as it did in 2010. The aspen and ponderosa pine forests are still healthy, and the views from the trail are magnificent.
However at 11,700 feet—along the lakeshore—the majority of trees in the once lush spruce/fir forest are dead. I've read that most of Colorado's lodgepole pine forests and the spruce/fir forests above 11,000 feet elevation will be consumed by beetles in the coming decades. Not a pretty picture. But we humans only have ourselves to blame.
I agree with your decision not to revisit Duck Pond. It's best not to tamper with fond memories!
Rita . . . thank you for the follow-up! I’m delighted to read that the Crystal Lake Trail appears much as it did in 2010. But it is such sad news about beetles destroying the spruce/fir forests. What a pity! At least you can be grateful for having experienced the splendor of these forests in times gone by.
John
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