| 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: |
Saturday, January 28, 2012 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
4" ice crusted powder, not plowed in the morning, and still a mess after the hike. Greeley Pond lot was plowed, don't know why the Hairpin turn lot wasn't? |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction, Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Most Ice bridged of easy rock hopping. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Few blowdowns easily negotiated. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Found a hat on the trail, hung it on a branch at the parking lot. |
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 | Comments: |
The trail was 4" of crusted powder. I'm sure snowshoes were the way to go, we saw 5 other hikers, and including us, 8 total and only 2 were using MSR snowshoes. The rest of us used microspikes which made for a fun filled day of little grip and a lot of slip!
By the end of the day, Hancock Branch and Cedar Brook were well tramped with hikers and XC skiers. Hancock Loop approaching the N & S slides is now well packed. The slides were challenging to say the least in microspikes. Crampons would definitely helped as the crusty conditions with little grip underneath overwealmed the micros. I now know what a tree hugger is, as that was the easiest way up the North slide trail. The ridge trail was rough but easy enough to follow. South slide down was a fun little adventure.
Views from South Hancock of the Franconia Ridge and to the east from the lookout were nothing short of spectacular making for an awesome day in the mountains! |
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 | Name: |
Adam |
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 | E-Mail: |
local29bm2@verizon.net |
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| Date Submitted: |
2012-01-29 |
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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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