| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Kancamagus, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Bushwhack |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, November 20, 2021 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
If headed EAST along the Kanc (so headed from Lincoln TO Conway) you hit the Pass, continue south, then east, then a bump to the north, then a bump to the south in the road. We parked at this first bump to the north, on the south side where there was no guardrail. There was a bit of ice on the Kanc in the morning so we took it slow in places. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
We crossed a handful of small drainages that were easy enough to get across with dry feet. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
N/A |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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 | Comments: |
Day 20, Peak 18. A chilly morning at 22F at 7:45am. Gaia clocked us at 2.25mi and my friend’s GPS had us at 2.9mi. I’m going to guess 2.5mi. About 1100ft of elevation. Took us just over 4hrs.
We dived into the woods, took a bearing and headed up. We started just west of the drainage and the plan was to basically make a straight line, due south, between us and the col. By starting where we did, we had nice grades to start. Practically flat for a ways. We started in softwoods of course but the woods weren’t bad to start. We followed what could maybe be loosely called a ridge to start for a ways, then angled a little more toward the drainage, crossing back and forth between a couple. The snow was a trace amount to begin with. Shortly after the grade steepened the woods got worse and we got snow in the face and all. Nothing nightmarish and the trees were alive so they were soft rather than scratchy so it wasn’t anything nightmarish but it still wasn’t pleasant. We found the occasional open spot though, then, as we neared the col, we found an open patch that remained open all the way up to the col. The grade was steep to get here but nothing crazy and no cliffy areas of anything of the sort.
As we approached the col, I began cutting toward the peak to save a wee bit of distance. The col, ridge, and summit are generally more open than the way up as others have noted but we still hit some young, thick growth as we headed east toward the peak. Grades along the ridge were mostly moderate. We saw a sign or two of moose as we approached the col but we saw many more while along the ridge including one very fresh pile of scat. We thought we might run into it but no such luck. We hit the north side of the highest contour shown on Gaia and had to walk south a ways to find the RHP, following moose tracks most of the way. We found the canister easily though and signed in. It took us just over 2hrs to get here and we stayed about 15min around the summit before heading down. A partial view(northeast) right around the summit. The snow was a bit deeper here but never more than a few inches.
After admiring the summit area, which we both thought was very beautiful, we headed down to the col, following our tracks. Once in the col, we considered going down a different way, but opted to follow our tracks down instead. This proved to be very quick and easy. Of course we dealt with the same thickness and steepness as we did on the way up but at least we knew what we were getting ourselves into. Took us between 1.5-1.75hrs to get out.
We later found out through social media that another pair of hikers had been there about an hour after us but had come in via Livermore Pass instead. I couldn’t get the canister lid off as it was screwed on so tight but luckily my friend could. Don’t screw ‘er on too tight! |
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 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-11-24 |
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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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