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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: Saturday, April 6, 2019
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Plowed. Full around lunch time. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Snow - Drifts, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Not an issue yet. On Hancock Notch Trail, I recollect one crossing being open, while the others are still snowbridged. Unfortunately, an inconsiderate barebooter postholed through one of the snowbridges today, so it may not last much longer. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: A few stepovers and duckunders and a lot of brush. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes:  
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: 1-2" of new, sticky snow last night which completely obscured the trail between the peaks. With blazes buried and brush obscuring the airway, bushwhacking was necessary and I would not have made it without snowshoes. I had less issue with sticky snow on my snowshoes than others had with their spikes.

Hancock Notch Trail and Cedar Brook Trail had a decent footbed set with random postholes to watch out for. The new snow was being absorbed by the spring snow in the sun early this afternoon.

Hancock Loop Trail up to the split was not as consolidated. Noted some new postholes installed by barebooters today. Very brushy in places.

Snowpack was generally 3-4 feet up to this point, but quickly increased to near blaze level after the split. Portions of the tracked out ascent to north are off trail a bit. Snowshoes were ideal for the distributed traction and televators. Passed someone with light traction who was putting in a lot more effort due to sliding around in the sticky snow on top of the frozen base.

Still plenty of snowpack on the ridge. Was socked in this morning, so I didn't get to see the widescale views from the drifted highpoint. Trail was very hard to follow soon thereafter, and I had to go off memory. I initially tried to stay true to the trail (a few dead ends searching), then just went for the path of least resistance. The 1-2" of snow and subsequent drifting had wiped out any trace of the trail in many places. I can't imagine trying to sneak through here without flotation.

Looks like drifts have created some nice vistas near the summit of South as well, but was still socked in when I left the ridge. Descent was pretty smooth going, courtesy the new snow and Flex Alps snowshoe traction.

Blue sky started to break through in the lower elevations around lunch time.  
Name
Name: rocket21 
E-Mail
E-Mail: rocket21@franklinwebpublishing.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2019-04-06 
Link
Link: https://www.franklinsites.com/hikephotos 
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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