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Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Hitchcock - East Peak, Mt. Hitchcock - South Peak, Mt. Hitchcock - Middle Peak, Mt. Hitchcock - North Peak, Mt. Hitchcock - West Peak, NH
Trails
Trails: Hancock Notch Trail, Cedar Brook Trail, bushwhack, roadwalk
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Friday, October 14, 2016
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Plenty of parking at Lincoln Woods and Hancock Notch Trail (fee areas).  
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: All easy hops this morning on trail. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Good going on trail, off trail is a mess.  
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes:  
Bugs
Bugs: Haha.  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: My sanity.  
 
Comments
Comments: What better way to make the challenge of doing all 5 Hitchcock peaks in a day even more awesome, add in the difficulty of short days! Spotted a car at Lincoln Woods, and started up Hancock Notch Trail right around sun-up, probably should have started earlier. Fast going in the morning chill up to the height of land on Cedar Brook, where we headed almost due west to pick up the south ridge of East peak. Decent going to East, though not as open as some reports would have you think. From East, we headed due south for a while before turning with the ridge and ascending the "East Knob of South Hitchcock", where there is a jar (last sign in from 3/1/14). From the "Knob" to South was the worst of the day. Thick woods dominated, with heavy blowdown patches, before easing up approaching the summit. Some minor cliff bands to work around. Better woods (though mostly of the not ideal variety), with some short lived thick patches up to Middle, and more of the same over to North, which has a thick band just before the helipad and repeater station. Dropped back to the col and stayed on roughly the 3000' contour for a while, in generally scrappy woods (though we did find and follow a logging road along the contour for a short distance before it petered out), before dropping toward 2800 and starting the ascent of West. Junk woods to start with lots of blowdown, then improving toward the peak. Decent woods most of the way out to FR420 and the Kanc, some areas of thick hobblebush, but mostly good going. A bushwhack for the ages! Thanks to Theresa for joining in on this crazy day.  
Name
Name: Bill Robichaud 
E-Mail
E-Mail: bill.robichaud@gmail.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2016-10-14 
Link
Link: https:// 
Bookmark and Share 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.

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