Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
South Hancock, North Hancock, NH |
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| Trails: |
Hancock Notch Trail, Cedar Brook Trail, Hancock Loop Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Sunday, March 5, 2023 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The trailhead is plowed, but the snowbanks take up a lot of spaces. Probably 15 spaces available, more if people park efficiently. |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
All bridged |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
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| Bugs: |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
A tough hike with the fresh snow. About 8" at the start, ~15" at the top (Loon reported 17"), either way, a lot! I was the "moose than man" the Teal Goat mentioned and broke trail from the car, up South Hancock and across the ridge to North Hancock. Up until the north/south split the trail breaking was reasonable, other than stopping every 5 seconds to knock snow off trees before it got dumped on my head! At the split the hike really started and my pace slowed to a crawl. Climbing up South peak the previous track was fully drifted in with knee deep powder and was extremely tough. I was considering calling it quits at the summit, due to a time constraint, when The Teal Goat and crew caught up with me. After chatting with them a bit (it's nice to be able to put a face to the trail reports!), I decided to go for North, knowing that there would be help breaking trail if I got tired. The ridge was slightly less deep and more consolidated, making it much easier than the climb. From North Hancock it was a quick exit, with the trail from the split to the trailhead being well packed from traffic. 5'ish hours to North Hancock and 1:15 out, that's winter hiking for you!
Despite a decent amount of traffic today, the trails are still soft and snowshoes are definitely needed. |
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| Name: |
Ben |
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| E-Mail: |
partlowbp@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-03-05 |
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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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