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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks South Hancock, North Hancock, NH
Trails
Trails: Hancock Notch Trail, Cedar Brook Trail, Hancock Loop Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Friday, March 30, 2012
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: No other cars when we got there. One additional when we left. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Postholes, Snow - Spring Snow 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Light Traction 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Larger ones are open but water levels are low for this time of year so they weren't a big deal. We used rocks and tree stems (after knocking the new snow off, spikes assisted on the way in but unused on the way out) and in one place a still useful crusty snow bridge supported by a log to get across. I'm glad I had relatively waterproof boots, gaiters and poles. Pepper definitely got his paws wet. We used the winter bypass to avoid a couple of crossings. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: A couple low blowdown going in, a couple of higher but still easy to get over blowdowns across the trail 5-10 minutes or so before the loop trail, and one on the trail down from the main peak in its lower section. None of them a problem. Some water standing in a couple of places on the trail, but the big mud pools on the ridge are still easily walked over on the packed snow. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Pretty easy day for Pepper, but he did get some paw and lower leg iceballs from the new snow. I didn't apply vaseline to his paws and should have, but I did carry him across the road on the way in due to the obvious salt on the road. Pepper had a ball being able to run free on or off the trail. 
Bugs
Bugs: None. Ain't winter grand? 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: None 
 
Comments
Comments: Bare booted on new snow to the streams on new snow over solid but slightly rough monorail. But the sides were as solid as it, and with little depth anyway if one dug a posthole. Put on spikes at the cdrossings for the snow crusted rocks and logs and left them to the main peak on even though the one good one broke through one of the chain-elastomer connections. The only place they helped besides the crossings was going up to the south peak, since it still had a crusty monorain with patches of ice, and on the ice they weren't all that helpful. I almost put my MSRs on, or Hillsounds, but was too lazy to stop. The ridge was firm but rough, sometimes postholed, monorail. Easy going. The trail down from the main peak must have been nearly clear before the new snow; it was pretty easy going and no traction was needed except if one liked coming up at the end. The hike out was all bareboot, fast and easy.



To me it was a wintry hike until hiking down from the main peak, when it turned into early spring, and by the drive home it was full spring. It's pretty easy going right now. On the main peak we met up with some purple finches, pine siskens and a Canadian Jay who was oot and aboot. We didn't see anyone all day, but saw bootprints of others going up the south loop when we got back to where the loops meet. Some of the prints were small so I imagined it was the Intrepid 3 Ladies having a grand time hiking together. It sure was a great day to skip work and the computers, and share the trails with the mighty mutt.  
Name
Name: Pepper and Me 
E-Mail
E-Mail: windriversjohn at gmail.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2012-03-30 
Link
Link: https:// 
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