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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: Monday, December 27, 2021
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Lot not plowed. Mushy messy snow from car traffic but I didn’t see anyone having a issue. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes, Light Traction 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: All were either snow/ice bridged or rock hoppable. No issues today (except that I tripped over my dog and fell and a glove got wet!). :-) 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: There is a head height blowdown that someone partially sawed about 5/10ths of a mile from the trailhead. There is another head height blowdown (I’m 5’1”) about 1.5 miles from the trailhead. There is an overhead/high blowdown about 1/10th of a mile from the left turn to Cedar Brook trail heading towards Hancock Loop. There is a chest height blowdown a few steps after the high blowdown at about the 1.9 mile mark. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Took mine and saw one other. Trail conditions fine - no visible ice. I Mushered mine up and she had fun. 
Bugs
Bugs: None 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: Saw a frozen water filled lime green Nalgene about 1/2mile up the North Peak trail. Hung it on a branch. Saw a black printed buff hanging on a tree not far from the turn onto Hancock Loop - after the water crossing. 
 
Comments
Comments: Temps were below freezing and the trail is packed snow from the trail head to the junction of North/South loop. Both the trail going up North and the trail down from South had folks with butt sleds today. I went up North and it was tricky footing on the sled tracks. Had to use trees at times. Reports of the same for those ascending South. Still mostly packed snow covering the ice and not very boney if you want to use snowshoes for extra traction and the televators on those two sections for ascent/descent.

The ridge walk was mostly packed snow as well - until about 2/10ths of a mile before South Peak where there is drifting and deeper soft snow. I think the ridge could use a little bit of love from a snowshoer or two to pack the snow a bit more. Saw one guy with snowshoes coming from South Peak and where he had stepped had a beginning of a nice track in the deeper drifted section. I really didn’t see much visible ice in general - just in a few spots where the butt sleds had been. There was no avoiding some unintentional butt sliding coming down from South Peak because of all the sled tracks.  
Name
Name: thegingerhiker 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2021-12-27 
Link
Link: https:// 
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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