| 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 3, 2021 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking lot was full at 11AM when I showed up, I parked in the next pullover down the road. My tires did not like the mushy snow but people with all-weather and snow tires seemed fine. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Black, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Slush |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All crossings had pretty obvious rock-hopping paths to follow. Some rocks were icy! |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Yellow blazes the whole way, very easy to follow the trail |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw 3 dogs on the lower trail, all polite and friendly. Their footprints were at the summits so they were able to make it up there I guess. |
|
 | Bugs: |
None |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
Hat by the map in the parking lot. Gray striped with a pom-pom. |
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|
 | Comments: |
This was my first hike of the new year, and may have been the perfect winter hike. The trail was mainly snow, packed down enough for easy walking but still soft and not icy. There were only a few patches of ice or water. I put on my microspikes partway up the loop trail, and they came in handy a few times but mostly they didn't do much in the soft snow.
I saw maybe 15 people on the trail, and asked a few which way they had done the loop. Responses were about 50/50, but one girl told me she'd done it clockwise and then glissaded down from the south summit. That sounded fun so I took her advice and did the north summit first. The ascent was brutally steep but not icy, just soft snow that was a little slippery at times.
The trail between the two summits was very pleasant, not too steep and out of the wind. At the south summit I found two Canada jays who conned me out of some snack crumbs by being extremely cute and perching on my hand.
As promised, the trail from the south summit was snowy and just the right steepness for sledding. I sat down and slid almost the entire half mile which was more fun than I had in all of 2020. Things are looking up! |
|
 | Name: |
Ellie B |
|
 | E-Mail: |
ebayles1@gmail.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2021-01-04 |
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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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