Jay H
07-06-2009, 07:52 PM
Date 7/4/09
Route: From the parking lot on the Kanc, a lollipop hike via the Hancock Notch to Cedar Brook loop, clockwise on the Loop trail. about 10 miles.
Hoosier (ahp.com) and I left the parking lot with only 1 car there and headed out on this little flatish 1.8 mile section to do the Hancocks on this independence day. The first section seemed flat and straight enough to do blindfolded and backwards. After the left turn onto the Cedar brook trail, the 4 stream crossings were manageable only by removing one's boots and fjording across, or with water shoes, despite the little herd paths that I could see that seemed like it avoiding the useless crossings of streams. Hoosier had water shoes and I just went barefoot and we made it up to the start of the climb in no time. One more stream wading, we would be in and out of mud on the entire cedar brook trail, which was more brook than trail in some parts. Nothing to compare to ADK mud but still bad in parts.
The climb up next to the Arrow slide was a nice warmup and we made it to the summit around 11am to fog and clouds, with one short fleeting view on the viewpoint before we left to mosey onto south Hancock. We ran into a ranger on this part and warned him of the 2 giant mud puddles coming up and he returned the favor and mentioned one coming up. These were the most mud we saw on the trail but were fairly manageable, especially for ADK veterans.. South Hancock had clearing skies and good views towards Chocorua, which I think I recognized from hiking the Tripyramids last year. A couple of well timed boomers scared us off the summit though and we made it down the "unbelievably steep" south hancock trail (that are the exact words of my 26th edition White Mtn Guide) and back to the junction in no time. Ran into a few late starters on the way down and got to the main Hancock Notch trail before the deluge began... Rained like it meant it and we donned our rain jackets and made it out to hide under the gazebo there along with a few motorcyclists and other bikers...
http://picasaweb.google.com/cycleslugyahoo/Hancocks
Jay
Route: From the parking lot on the Kanc, a lollipop hike via the Hancock Notch to Cedar Brook loop, clockwise on the Loop trail. about 10 miles.
Hoosier (ahp.com) and I left the parking lot with only 1 car there and headed out on this little flatish 1.8 mile section to do the Hancocks on this independence day. The first section seemed flat and straight enough to do blindfolded and backwards. After the left turn onto the Cedar brook trail, the 4 stream crossings were manageable only by removing one's boots and fjording across, or with water shoes, despite the little herd paths that I could see that seemed like it avoiding the useless crossings of streams. Hoosier had water shoes and I just went barefoot and we made it up to the start of the climb in no time. One more stream wading, we would be in and out of mud on the entire cedar brook trail, which was more brook than trail in some parts. Nothing to compare to ADK mud but still bad in parts.
The climb up next to the Arrow slide was a nice warmup and we made it to the summit around 11am to fog and clouds, with one short fleeting view on the viewpoint before we left to mosey onto south Hancock. We ran into a ranger on this part and warned him of the 2 giant mud puddles coming up and he returned the favor and mentioned one coming up. These were the most mud we saw on the trail but were fairly manageable, especially for ADK veterans.. South Hancock had clearing skies and good views towards Chocorua, which I think I recognized from hiking the Tripyramids last year. A couple of well timed boomers scared us off the summit though and we made it down the "unbelievably steep" south hancock trail (that are the exact words of my 26th edition White Mtn Guide) and back to the junction in no time. Ran into a few late starters on the way down and got to the main Hancock Notch trail before the deluge began... Rained like it meant it and we donned our rain jackets and made it out to hide under the gazebo there along with a few motorcyclists and other bikers...
http://picasaweb.google.com/cycleslugyahoo/Hancocks
Jay