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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks North Hancock, South Hancock, NH
Trails
Trails: Hancock Notch Trail, Cedar Brook Trail, Hancock Loop Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Sunday, December 11, 2016
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Plenty of room today at the fee lot at the Hancock Overlook. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes, Light Traction 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: The crossings are starting to freeze over. The main crossing on the Hancock Loop Trail was solid ice across, though most people were detouring to a rock-hop site a few feet upstream. Some thin ice on some crossings, a tap here and there with a trekking pole revealed what was hollow and what was solid. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Pulled a blowdown out down low on the Hancock Notch Trail, and another near the summit of South Hancock. A 6" crawl-under remains a little way up the Hancock Loop Trail before the split that will become obnoxious with more snow depth. Above 4000ft there are a lot of ice-laden trees bent over the trail. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Cold, with a few damp spots to bring about paw icing. 
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: A quick hit of a couple 4Ks that allowed me to sleep in some, and still get most of the way home before dark. If one desired, it would be reasonable to snowshoe this entire hike, as there are only a few bare spots other than the stream crossings. In fact, it looked like one of the last hikers out yesterday snowshoed all the way to the road. Snow depth was about 4" at the trailhead and an average of 8" along the ridge. The trail was well-packed all the way to the loop split. It looks like most folks have done the loop clockwise, as did I. Somewhat looser snow ascending North Hancock, but Hillsound spikes provided plenty of traction. Softer trail across the ridge, and then a smoothed-out slope all the way down the South Link that took some effort to stay upright, I suspect some folks did some glissading down this link (too bony for my tastes though). I used the Hillsound spikes from the loop junction up and across the ridge and back to the car, but it probably is plausible to bareboot much of the whole hike for enterprising individuals. All of this is likely to be rendered moot after the heavy snow predicted late tonight/through tomorrow. Bring the snowshoes now! Surprised to see a set of ski tracks on the Hancock Notch Trail during my exit, someone was very determined to ski all the way to the Cedar Brook Trail and towards Hancock Notch despite some bony conditions and numerous stream crossings!  
Name
Name: madmattd 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2016-12-11 
Link
Link: https:// 
Bookmark and Share 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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