Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
North Hancock, South Hancock, NH |
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| Trails: |
Hancock Notch Trail, Cedar Brook Trail, Hancock Loop Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Friday, January 15, 2021 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of spaces today |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction, Traction |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
Easy |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
North Loop was packed and super grippy up & down in spikes. South Loop was corrupted by yesterday's butt slider and was somewhat powdery with minimal grip. I put crampons on for the trip down because traction was sketchy. Any ice was easily negotiated in spikes and was all well below the Loop junction. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
2 bigger dogs coming down a more difficult pitch on South peak but they made it OK. The growly one was actually a big baby! |
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| Bugs: |
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| Lost and Found: |
Somebody dropped a mask which is sad because NOBODY is going to pick that thing up! |
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| Comments: |
I wish all days could be like this with perfect trail conditions and minimal snow depth! But heavy snow is coming so the party will be over for at least a week. I almost forgot what it's like to break a trail in snowshoes! Anyway, I'm getting old and I didn't run at all today but was still able to do the entire hike in just under 4 hours. I couldn't decide which direction to do the loop so I decided to go up & down BOTH peaks and skip the easy traverse between them. North Loop is a bit longer with a steep but steady ascent and the snow was like velcro today for a super-quick up/down in micro spikes. South Loop is definitely steeper in the middle section (for about .2 mile) but much shorter. It took me about the same time to go up and down each one mainly because South was much less grippy although switching to crampons helped greatly on the descent. Snow conditions aside, I liked North Loop a LOT more because it's just more pleasant with better views on the trail and it's uniformly steep. There were a lot of people moving well today, not just me. This marks peaks #20 & 21 in my quest for the single-season solo Winter 48. I wish I started earlier this morning, I could have driven down the road and also done Mt Tecumseh today! |
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| Name: |
Bob H |
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| E-Mail: |
hynoskyb@aol.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-01-15 |
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| Link: |
https:// |
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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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