| 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: |
Saturday, December 28, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The Hancock Overlook lot has some packed snow, but it was no trouble getting in and out. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
There is one where you have to step in an inch of water - no problem for waterproof boots. The rest have snowbridges or are easy, though one or two of the snowbridges had evidence of boots punching through them. We took care where we stepped and didn't have a problem. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
One climb-over blowdown about 1/2 mile up Hancock Notch Trail, light brown and maybe 8" diameter. There are also a few duck-unders on the ridge that might become a problem in deeper snow.
The Hancock Notch Trail crosses Kancamagus Highway at the hairpin turn, where visibility is not great. I wonder whether the state could put up a "HIKERS CROSSING" sign here for cars approaching this turn in either direction. Maybe even a painted crosswalk? |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Fine for dogs. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
The segment on Hancock Notch Trail is a packed snow track, best done with spikes (bare boots are also possible). Snowshoes could be used for much of this, but are not the best choice here because there are several brief bare rock sections (usually when the trail crosses or coincides with a stream bed), and in other places there are occasional isolated exposed rocks or roots.
The same holds for the segments on Cedar Brook Trail and Hancock Loop Trail up to the fork, though these are not as flat so spikes definitely work better than bare boots.
From the fork up to South Hancock the trail is very steep, so we switched to snowshoes for better traction - there was enough snow here, and although many people had been butt-sliding down it, the snowy track was not frozen but wet enough that the crampons under our snowshoes could dig into the snow enough to prevent sliding backwards.
The ridge from South Hancock to North Hancock had deeper snow (about 2-3 feet just off the trail); here the snow on the trail was not packed enough - anyone using spikes will make postholes - snowshoes worked best here.
We switched back to spikes while descending North Hancock - this is about as steep as the ascent to South Hancock, but has more exposed rocks and roots, which seemed to have discouraged butt-sliding in most places. Also, the snow on the descent of North Hancock was not solid - it would sometimes slide when stepped on, so descending was difficult and slow - we sometimes held on to trees and sometimes made posthole-like steps on the edges of the trail in places where stepping on the steep trail directly would cause us to slip.
The loop is difficult no matter which way one goes around it. If the steep trails up to the summits on Hancock Loop Trail freeze, then crampons may be necessary. |
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 | Name: |
mathbp |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-12-28 |
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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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