| 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: |
Saturday, January 27, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Got one of the last spots in the lot (turns out that the lot is a bit of a “lover’s lane” right around sunset…). |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Anything that wasn’t bridged could be crossed while barely breaking stride. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
At just under a mile in on Hancock Notch, there is a very large limb about twenty feet above the ground in a birch tree on the south side of the trail that is only being held up because it’s caught on a smaller limb. The limb itself is about as big around as the entire tree and if it slips, it will come straight down into the center of the trail. It is an accident waiting to happen (think impalement —that’s how it’s angled) and I only saw it because I happened to look up at the right time on the way out. I put the exact GPS coordinates in the comments below.
Other than the above, the only thing worth noting is a duck under that is near the peak on North Hancock that is relatively fresh and a little tricky to get under, especially since it’s in a steep spot. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw one other pup going the opposite direction of us on the loop but another report below mentioned a labradoodle (the one we passed was not a labradoodle). This explains why ours had her nose to the ground the entire way. Also, ours wasn’t quite sure what to make of our buttsliding. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Conditions were almost perfect. The snow was still a little soft so snowshoes are still the best bet (plus the televators are nice on the steeps). We prefer to go clockwise.
Despite blue sky directly above at more than one point … we had no views. (This seems to be the story of our lives lately.) On the plus side, there was zero wind and buttsliding down South is always fun (we made it from South to the loop junction in 11 minutes). Pics of things other than views (since there were none … I’m not annoyed, I swear) will be posted tonight on Insta @quantum.moxie
As I mentioned above, there is a major limb that risks coming down and impaling someone. The GPS coordinates for it are 44.05036, -71.51861. |
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 | Name: |
Ian D |
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 | E-Mail: |
iantdurham at gmail dot com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-01-27 |
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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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