Velvet Rocks - Velvet Rock Trail, Velvet Rocks Loop, Hanover Center Trail - 2-13-2016

Hiking Trail Conditions Report
	Peaks	Velvet Rocks, NH

	Trails:	Velvet Rock Trail, Velvet Rocks Loop, Hanover Center Trail

	Date of Hike:	Saturday, February 13, 2016

	Parking/Access Road Notes:	The Trescott Rd parking area can easily hold a handful of cars. It is not signed, and there are no signs to alert drivers they are coming to the trails until one is looking right or left at the trail for the orange DOC signs, so it is easy to drive right by this parking area. I didn't see any good winter parking where Hanover Center Trail crosses the Hanover Center Road or the "local" trails that go down to Trescott. There is room for a few cars where Hanover Center intersects Three Mile Rd. Driving to the trailheads I noticed that most road intersections only signed one road, so having a road map might be helpful. I say might because my 1996 era copy of DeLorme's NH Atlas has some wrong road names.

	Surface Conditions:	Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Snow/Ice - Small Patches

	Recommended Equipment:	Light Traction

	Water Crossing Notes:	I only recall the one near Hanover Center road; which is bridged in one place and easy to get across on the other. Otherwise drainages were few and small, and not an issue.

	Trail Maintenance Notes:	There were no significant blowdowns. There are several "local" trails that intersect with Velvet rocks; these are mostly signed, but for someone who hasn't hiked this trail previously I recommend bringing the AMC Guide or notes on it, or a map from here: http://www.hanovernh.org/Pages/HanoverNH_BComm/conservationcomm/trails

	Dog-Related Notes:	Easy trails for Pepper today, with only 1-2" of snow and only a couple spots with wet stuff, so his legs and paws stayed ice/snow free. It was cold but not bitterly so, and the wind in the woods wasn't bad, so his regular sweater was all he needed. I applied Vaseline liberally to his paws and made sure he didn't get salt on his paws at the roads. We saw two other dogs including Zola.

	Bugs:

	Lost and Found:


	Comments:	I started in bareboots but put the microspikes on rather soon due to patches of ice under the inch or two of snow. The only significant ice was on Velvet Rocks on the loop and further down and west, on steeper sections facing west. My microspikes had little or no grip on the hard ice, however, so I went down them very carefully. I thought about putting my Hillsounds on, but the icy sections weren't long enough to make me stop to do the swap. We parked at Trescott, took Velvet Rocks to the Food Coop road in Hanover, came back and then took the Hanover Center trail to Three Mile Rd and back. There was only 1-2" of snow on these trails, and they had been well booted in places, presumably from trail runners and walkers using the "local" trails and AT to do loops. I was surprised in searching this site that there were no trail reports for the Hanover Center Trail. It is a pleasant walk in the woods with stone walls, old field Pine, a major cleared blowdown area, and a couple of views over fields. We ran into and chatted with one local walker on it, and a couple trail runners on Velvet Rocks. The weather was much better than forecast; there were a few brief light snow showers, cold but not bitter temps, and little wind until afternoon and even then there was sun. I anticipated needing my warmest mitts, balaclava and maybe even some hot hands, but once hiking it was pretty comfy. These trails are rather low and well wooded, so they shelter a hiker from the winds that are out there. They are also pretty easy and fast hiking for winter right now, with little snow. only a couple stretches of tricky ice and only a few modest slope sections. Thanks Pep for a delightful day on the trails.

	Name:	Pepper and Me

	E-Mail:

	Date Submitted:	2016-02-13

	Link:	https://
		Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense.