| 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: |
Thursday, February 18, 2021 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The larger crossings are mostly all bridged. Any unbridged areas are easily crossed. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Several blow downs going on the North fork of the Hancock Loop Trail. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Really three different sets of conditions. Up to the fork in the Hancock Loop Trail is well packed and can be done with microspikes. The steep sections going up and down North and South Hancock are smooth from butt sliding and really do require something more than microspikes for traction. Proper mountaineering snowshoes are probably best, but crampons wouldn't be out of the question, although crampons would probably shred the trail. Between the summits has not seen much traffic since the last snow fall, I estimated maybe 3 people in snowshoes including myself. The traverse has some powder and drifts and snowshoes are ideal. I will add that there is now a fair amount of snow on the summits and you will posthole deep if you don't have snowshoes and get off the established track, which may or may not be visible.
I wore snowshoes for the whole hike. If you're a glutton for punishment, safety is of no concern, or you don't really care what condition you leave the trail in for the rest of us, I'm sure you can do the whole hike with microspikes, but ideally snowshoes should be used on Hancock Loop Trail past the fork to the summits. |
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 | Name: |
DEL |
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 | E-Mail: |
dlefevre@tarbellpa.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-02-18 |
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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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