Have you done the "Nasty" hike yet? If so, tell us about it in your log. A winter rite of passage for local geocachers is the hike to Camp Nasty. Camp Nasty is an old hunting camp located in Spruce Swamp about 1000 feet (as the crow flies) from the Rockingham Recreational trail.
The terrain rating for this cache is reflective of the conditions you might encounter depending on what time of year you go for this cache. In the winter, with deep snow, snowshoes are recommended due to the length of the hike. In the warmer months, depending on rainfall which affects the level of water in the nearby swamp, there may be a water crossing.
Spruce Swamp and its surrounding forest are one of the few wilderness areas remaining in southern New Hampshire. The Swamp is an 824 acre fen (a type of wetland) nestled in a 1706 acre forest. This forest and wetland combination is one of the highest quality wildlife habitats in the state. During the warmer weather, Spruce Swamp is a wet marsh tangled with pepperbush undergrowth. In the winter, Spruce Swamp is frozen over which makes the bushwhack a little easier.
Personally, I have visited Camp Nasty a few times over the years during both the summer and the winter seasons. The primary gear I used during the June hike was waders and during the February hike the gear was snowshoes. Regardless of when you visit Camp Nasty, it will be a trip to remember.