| 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: |
Sunday, April 14, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Lot is mostly plowed (there were 2-3 spots which still had snow piles in them). I was the only car when I got there at 6:45AM and it was ~full when I finished at 2pm, probably half people there for the viewpoint. Things were definitely less busy than usual for that lot. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow - Spring Snow |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Water is quite high and there's still a lot of snow depth so you wind up with 1-2 feet of snow to scramble up to get back on the bank - this is actually worse for the drainage streams than the crossings themselves. There were tracks that suggested some people going up or downstream to cross. I mostly crossed at the trail but did a bit of wading in ankle-deep water. It might be better to wait if you're not interested in getting wet at the crossings. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A fair number of blowdowns throughout though all are pretty easy to get around. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw one great big German Shepherd who seemed to be doing great. Smaller dogs might have trouble with the crossings. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Found one Unigear brand gaiter - looked like it was for someone fairly tall. I left it under a rock on the shelf below the trailhead map in the parking lot. Hopefully the owner can pick it up. |
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 | Comments: |
Started at 6:45 and managed to have a nice crusty/solid trail on the way up. I was surprised to find that there is still a ton of snow on the ground starting at the trailhead. Probably at least a foot even at the beginning. Bare-booted to the North/South fork and then put on snowshoes to climb South Hancock. Kept them on until the first river crossing on the way back. The snow on the loop at the summit is very deep (probably at least 3 feet) and there was some fresh snow and lots of drifting which made navigating the loop a little bit of a challenge. By the time I started down, everything was softening up and the snow was a soft mess on the way back. |
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 | Name: |
Joanna |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-04-14 |
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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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