| 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: |
Sunday, January 18, 2015 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The lot was full when we got there around 10:30 but we managed to park along the side of the lot across from the benches. The parking was a bit hap-hazard as there seemed to be apt of space between the cars. The lot will be an ice rink if it freezes - it was flooded with 2-4 inches of water when we finished. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Slush |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All of the major crossing are bridged while some of the smaller ones are easily crossed by rock hopping. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There were a few blowdowns on the way up to South Hancock but someone had already cleaned them up. There is one big one at the Ceder Brook Trail junction that people have gone around - it needs more than the little folding saw I carry with me. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
There were dogs out there today and they seemed to be doing fine. |
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 | Bugs: |
There were no bugs. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing lost but did find a nalgene water bottle on the way up to South Hancock - likely slipped out of a pack while sledding down. |
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 | Comments: |
We got a late start - the only plans were to summit, beat the rain, and get home in time to watch the Patriots game. The only one that we achieved was the first one. We got rained on, snowed on, then rained on again. With all of the rain and cool temperatures the roads were a mess so the drive home was slow - listened to the beginning of the game on the radio.
The trails will be a mess for a while - they were soft and slushy down low and soft and sticky up high. On the way up we barebooted until almost the split where the Loop Trail goes to North or South. There we put on our snowshoes for the climb up to South. It's steep and I like going up that way more than up North because I like the challenge. We wanted to use the heel lifts.
They worked but the snowshoes needed constant attention because the soft sticky snow clumped up underneath. It made the climb easier but as soon as we got to the summit we put them back on the pack where they stayed for the rest of the day.
The warm temperatures and all of the rain will make the conditions challenging if it freezes since there was no way to avoid chewing up the snow. We would have preferred to wear snowshoes but with the snow clumping underneath it was difficult to walk in them a we opted for barebooting. |
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 | Name: |
Michael & Monica |
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 | E-Mail: |
michaelfblair@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2015-01-18 |
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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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