| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
South Hancock, North Hancock, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Hancock Notch Trail, Cedar Brook Trail, Hancock Loop Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, April 14, 2021 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of room at Hancock Overlook today. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All were made with careful rock hopping. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Free of blowdowns. Some drainages could use attention. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Should be no issues for an experienced trail pup. |
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 | Bugs: |
Saw a few flying but none biting. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Found a grey knit hat, some kind of wireless device and a geocache. All were left at the trailhead kiosk. |
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 | Comments: |
I barebooted all the way up to the split on the Hancock Loop. There was a stretch on Hancock Notch Tr where snowshoes could have been worn but the monorail was somewhat stable and with the relatively flat terrain just boots were fine. Cedar Brook Tr was 70% snow free with minimal ice. Shortly after the rocky stream crossing on Hancock Loop Tr the snow cover became consistent with only a couple of bare spots. At the split I put on snowshoes and headed up to South Hancock first. There was excellent coverage and the heel lifts made the climb relatively easy. The actual summit was mostly bare but once headed towards North Hancock the coverage was good enough to keep the snowshoes on. They made the risk of postholing minimal and were much more efficient than light traction. Descending from North Hancock I left the snowshoes on for about .2 mi then it became too bare and bony so I took them off. I barebooted down with careful foot placement although light traction would be a safer choice. At the bottom, the seasonal stream was flowing well, and after crossing I put the snowshoes back on to climb back up to the split and I would keep them on until halfway back down to the Cedar Brook Tr. I saw only two others and coincidentally I knew one of them. Another great quiet day in the woods.
9.8 mi. 2700' elev+ |
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 | Name: |
IQuest |
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 | E-Mail: |
iandanner@hotmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-04-14 |
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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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