| 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, October 25, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Only a few cars in the lot when we arrived at 7:30 am. The lot was full of leaf-peepers when we left at 2:30 pm. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
After the rain last week, water crossings were high and needed creative rock-hopping to get across. Nothing unmanageable, but use caution. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
One blowdown to duck under. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
This was a great hike to finish out my fall hiking season. Very very gradual start, just a nice pleasant stroll through the woods. As mentioned, a few high water crossings, but our feet stayed dry. The hike really ramps up in difficulty the last mile, but I would say it's just run-of-the-mill steep for the white mountains. No ledges or anything sketchy when the conditions are dry.
We had some scattered frost near the top of the Hancocks and on the ridge between them, but no need to break out the spikes yet. I'd expect within a week, spikes will be necessary. The trees are gorgeous near the summit, all coated in snow and ice. We were mostly socked in, so no views from the top of North Hancock or along the ridge. Luckily, when we made it to South Hancock, we hit a break in the clouds and got a nice show at the viewpoint as we ate lunch.
Warning: the gray jays are AGGRESSIVE. We didn't eat anything on the North peak, as the birds were dive-bombing us before we even got food out. We managed to escape them on South peak, but they eventually made their way over.
Overall, a really pleasant hike. We had the trail to ourselves for the most part. I was pleasantly surprised driving up to NH - I had heard the foliage wasn't great this year, but it was far better than I was expecting. Still some color on the Kanc for the leaf-peepers. |
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 | Name: |
norwegianecho |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-10-27 |
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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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