Trails Used

Hancock Notch trail, Cedar Brook Trail, Hancock Loop Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

I tried to start relatively early to beat the heat and did pretty well. The Hancock Notch trail had some areas of wet trail and some pretty impressive mud in the usual spots. There are limbs to keep you out of most of it. It is not currently supportive. Please don't ask how I know. The waterfall area on the Cedar Brook trail was super easy today with only a few wet rocks that I needed to step on. The steep climb up North Hancock wasn't too bad - the dampness of the trail actually helped with footing. The ridge walk was lovely as usual and the steep descent off South Hancock went by quickly today which was nice. I saw a handful of other happy hikers out today enjoying the lovely clear skies.

Parking

There were 5 cars in the lot when I arrived a little after 7am. The lot was fuller when I finished but there was still room for a few more cars.

Water Crossings

All easy rock hops today.

Wildlife

There were a few being annoying at the summit of South Hancock but really weren't much of a bother overall.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Hancock Notch, Cedar Brook Hancock Loop

Trail Conditions

Notes

Another nice OTHH outing. A number of hiking pairs were out there. Around 3pm, on the lower part of the loop trail, we encountered two groups of very young (pre-teen) hikers, most in sneakers, each with an adult leader, planning to do the loop. None of the kids had a pack, and just a liter water bottle. It seemed to us that they would be cutting it close, in terms of daylight remaining, if they did indeed do the whole loop. They weren't equipped to spend the night in the woods, and there already had been a period of very light rain, with localized downpours elsewhere, such as at the parking lot (big puddles there). As we approached the parking lot, we could hear a lot of loud motorbike traffic in the vicinity of the hairpin turn on the Kanc. On arrival at the road, what we saw was a group of bikers, wearing full crash suits, and especially beefy knee pads, tearing around the turn at high speed one at a time, leaning far over into the turn and off to the side of the bike, with those knee pads actually dragging on the pavement. I guess they must have been "training" for some sort of bike event elsewhere. We waited for a break, then hustled across the road.

Parking

There was plenty of room at the hairpin turn view area lot at 8am, and still that way late afternoon.

Water Crossings

All crossings were easy, due to general lack of rainfall.

Wildlife

None, really, even without repellent and hardly any breeze.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Hancock Notch Trail, Cedar Brook Trail, Hancock Loop Trail, Bushwhack, Cedar Brook Slide

Trail Conditions

Notes

Two of us set out for a fast hike followed by a patient one since one of us needed the Hancocks for July and the other needed NW Hancock for Trailwrights. The trail is in good shape despite the ongoing erosion the climb up to south. Take it slow and you'll be fine. The bushwhack from roughly the north summit (we actually went ~100 yards towards south then turned in) over to NW Hancock is an adventure. Sections have clear herd / moose paths that are easy to follow for decent stretches, but then you end up in thickets of spruce wondering why you are the way you are. Just as you're about to convince yourself that professional help is probably a good choice, you find a herd path again and laugh at the silliness your mind just went through. Do that at 1 mile an hour and you'll be at NW Hancock. Make sure to go further right than you think and keep an eye out for the very impressive cliffs on the north side of the trail. At the NW summit you'll be rewarded with a stove door, telephone wire and canister with plenty of paper, pens and pencils. To get to the slide we took the herd path back to the col then went hard right. Stay on the spongey stuff for a while and eventually you hit Cedar Brook slide. The top is loose and slow going. The middle splits into three fingers, the middle one being the most stable. And the bottom is faster going than the top sections. The views from the slide were stellar and worth taking in. At the bottom of the slide, follow Cedar Brook to the trail that bares its name. Then go left through wet stuff for just under 2 miles until you pop back out at an intersection you never thought you'd see from this direction. From there march out and chuckle at the fellow hikers that only did the standard loop, and not your anxiety fueled version to check a box on yet another list.

Parking

3-4 spots open before 8am. Jam packed lot in the afternoon.

Water Crossings

All easy to cross with clear rock paths for hopping.

Wildlife

Swarms here and there but none were biting

Trails Used

Hancock Notch trail, Cedar Brook Trail, Hancock Loop Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

Either NOAA was off or I forgot how to read a weather report because I thought I had a weather window this morning but did not. It rained the whole morning on and off and at times it was rather heavy. The trail was very wet and muddy and there were many areas of running water. The water crossings were not unsafe but for those with short legs, it was impossible to stay dry so I didn't. The steeps on the Hancock Loop trail were very wet which required care both ascending and descending and the wind was howling up there. I think even the Grey Jays were not messing with this weather since none came out to say hello. I bumped into Barry on the way out which was lovely and we walked back out to our cars together. It really wasn't a bad day at all and I saw quite a few happy and friendly hikers also embracing the weather.

Parking

There were 3 cars in the lot when I arrived and when I finished the lot was full.

Water Crossings

I would say they are rock hoppable but I had to use submerged rocks on several of them so my feet got wet pretty much right out of the gate. I had waterproof boot covers with me but the trail was so wet that I figured it didn't matter.

Wildlife

They returned to Hell just for today.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Hancock Notch, Cedar Brook, Hancock Loop

Trail Conditions

Notes

Nice morning out. Water was flowing. Trail up to North Hancock has had some work done to it recently and made for a fun climb. A couple of blowdowns on the ridge that will need to sawed. One section had a double blowdown so prepare to do a little ninja warrior action. Going down South was pleasant and it appeared that some work had been done on that section as well.

Parking

Sunday morning tourist trap. Get there early and make sure you leave yourself with an exit strategy so you can get out before you are parked in.

Water Crossings

All water crossings were able to be rock-hopped. Take your time as some are slippery or just bull through. The choice is yours.

Wildlife

A few at the start, a few near the muddy sections on Cedar Brook. Swallowed a couple. Big spray seemed to help keep them from biting.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Hancock Notch, Cedar Brook, Hancock Loop, Bushwhack

Trail Conditions

Notes

I went counterclockwise. I don’t think it makes much difference which way you go since having climbed these peaks multiple times, either descent is terrible IMHO. The bushwhack is challenging. I went in at the right turn beyond the summit. Fairly open woods at first, but drifted to east and then struggled through spruce and many blowdowns to get back on ridge crest. No obvious herd path descending to the col that I could find. At col, a vague herd path became somewhat apparent. Found canister; note that papers are all loose in it. Going back to north I tried to stick to the ridge crest, but the going wasn’t much better. Interestingly, this approach brought me back to the North summit. 3 hours round trip for the bushwhack.

Parking

No issues

Water Crossings

No issues

Wildlife

Where I was out in the breeze there were no issues, but the sheltered spots were well populated with bugs.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Hancock Notch Trail, Cedar Brook Trail, Hancock Loop Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

Nice morning for the Hancocks. Views for days from the viewpoints of North and South Hancock. Crossed paths with seven others enjoying the day. Trace amounts of spring snow remained just enough to make a snowman

Parking

Parked at lot opposite trailhead-scenic overlook. Good sized lot no vehicles on arrival three on return

Water Crossings

All slightly up but no issue at all

Wildlife

No bother today

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Hancock Notch Trail, Cedar Brook Trail, Hancock Loop Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

Perfect moist wet soggy Sunday for a little lap up these peaks. Stream crossings were very tame and the trail only really started puddling down low after it poured again early afternoon. Winds were mean at both summit outlooks and really made us grateful for not choosing to venture above treeline today, that would be absolutely miserable in todays conditions. We went up South and down North and passed a surprising number of people ascending as we descended. Curious to see how trails react to todays rain in the am tomorrow

Parking

Lot 1/2 full

Water Crossings

All rock hops

Wildlife

N/A yesssity yes

Trails Used

Hancock Notch trail, Cedar Brook Trail, Hancock Loop Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

This was my redemption hike. Exactly 1 month and 1 day ago, I fell on the first water crossing thanks to some glaze ice and really messed up my knee. I managed to make it all the way up to the Loop where I realized I needed to turn back because there was no way my knee was going to agree to the steepness. Today was a night and day difference. The trail down low is mostly dry with some areas of standing or running water and some minor mud. The ascent up North was fine. No slick wet rocks. There were 2 small areas of snow on the ridge and I took a moment of silence to say goodbye to them. 2 bum touches on the descent down South which is pretty good for me. No wet rock on that side either, just the usual moving rocks under your feet. Glad to finally redeem myself and grab these for this single season project.

Parking

Plenty of room today and if folks are smart about parking, quite a few cars will fit. No fee.

Water Crossings

Even #TeamFunSized managed to rock hop them today.

Wildlife

No bugs out today. Shhhhhhhh

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Hancock Notch, Cedar Brook, Hancock Loop

Trail Conditions

Notes

After a couple days of rain there was a lot of running water on the trail. Still a considerable amount remaining at the end of the day. Water crossings were tricky in the morning but much easier late in the day after the water went down. Two of the crossings on the loop trail, you will either have wet shoes or need shoes off. Some very loose gravel on the way up North with running water still on trail. Some monorail on the ridge which was easily walked on top of. With melting conditions I'm guessing people will soon be falling through. No spikes needed at any time. Despite the yucky morning conditions, it was still a great day out! Enjoyed the trail!

Parking

Parking lot full at 9:30. Noticed on our way out that there are additional spots to pull into along the road.

Water Crossings

Many tricky crossings in the morning, shoes off for two with water mid-calf.

Wildlife

Some. Only bothersome while sitting at North overlook.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Greeley Ponds Trail, Mt. Osceola Trail, Hancock Notch Trail, Cedar Brook Trail, Hancock Loop Trail

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Greeley Ponds Trail had only a couple small patches of ice. Then mixed bare ground and short stretches of snow/ice starting around 3k ft. increasing as you climb. After the lookout below the ledge the snow/ice becomes consistent and unavoidable. I used well used Hillsounds up and down. Between the peaks had some bare rock. I took the bypass, but chimney was dry. Hancock Notch Trail was bare at the start then a thin ice monorail starting maybe a half mile in. Cedar Brook Trail was mostly bare. Snow/ice is consistent Hancock Loop Trail nearing the junction. I polled about two dozen people asking which direction they took, most said counter clockwise, and most of those who went up North first said they should not have. Going up South is still consistent ice. It was soft enough for spikes going up, but was getting a layer of grease by mid day. Between the peaks was mostly monorail, at times a tight rope, but always stable. Going down North was mostly ice-free.

Parking

I parked at the westbound pulloff between the two trailheads. Greeley Ponds lot was almost full by 9am. The entrance to the lot is pretty rough, cars would bottom out.

Water Crossings

All crossings were easy today.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

North twin Trail, North Twin spur, twinway, frost trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Gale River Trail

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Going up north twin, the snow starts around 3200 feet, but becomes more consistent around 3400 feet. I didn’t need to put on my micro spikes until just below 4000 feet. See my comment above about the water crossing: the Pemi river gauge said 750 for its water discharge, and I still needed to go Shin deep with three steps between rocks. I would wait for the discharge to get to around 500 if I didn’t have waterproof boot covers. The monorail is sometimes good, and sometimes a long Toblerone shape with very little to step on. Just before the north twin Summit, the branches will try to push you off of this teetering pyramid, which is a less than fun game, but the conditions between the twins are excellent and going down from South twin towards Gale head was great. The area around the hut is bare, but the way up to Galehead still has plenty of snow. There’s quite a lot of standing water on the flat section of Gale River Trail. My tracks were the first ones going up to north twin coming from seven dwarfs hotel. Met about five people once I came down from Galehead. One person spent the night at 13 Falls Campground, and told me there was bear activity down there. Happy spring!

Parking

I parked across from the entrance to Gale Loop Road in a parking lot, and used grasshopper shuttles to bring me a little past seven dwarfs Motel

Water Crossings

The Little River crossing to North twin is still pretty bad even though it hasn’t rained in a week. I covered my boots and waterproof booties that went up to my knee, and luckily, they were high enough when I had to submerge at least three steps in the water. Even still, I had to go a little higher up to find a suitable crossing. The crossings on Gale River were all easily rock ho.

Wildlife

Not yet!

Trails Used

Hancock Notch Trail, Hancock Loop Trail

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

I'm doing a seasonal grid (12 x 48) and hoped to get up North Hancock, as I had climbed South Hancock in the spring some years ago. But given the geography, I thought I might climb both. A great day, with lunch at the top fending off the jay. Only saw five other people, one of whom had turned around with a hurt knee: hope you got home ok! The walk up to the loop junction was not too difficult, except for the second water crossing (see above): plenty of decaying monorails and mud, mixed in with rocks and dry soil. So: rock spikes. I decided to climb North Hancock and decide then. Got good advice from a couple (with the lovely dog) who were dropping down from North Hancock; they had gone up South Hancock first and looked doubtfully at my micro-spikes. So, even though I was carrying crampons, I decided to avoid South Hancock and just go up and back North Hancock. But the climb up, and down, North Hancock wasn't too bad. Snowshoes and crampons not needed; but microspikes are recommended.

Parking

One other car parked at the TH end of the lot at 9:30am, and (a different) one at 4pm. Tourists stopping to look at the overlook, coming and going.

Water Crossings

Three significant crossings: 1: A swollen stream just before the fork with Hancock Notch and Hancock Loop, at 2491 ft elevation. I managed to cross here without significant water infiltration. 2: At 2687 ft elevation, there is a water crossing at which I got both boots, socks, and feet completely wet. Impossible to cross without simply walking across, as the stream was deep and all visible rocks had ice on them. Maybe take trash bags? So, for me, wet feet. On the way down it was easier as water level had dropped enough to hop over, with two poles. 3: at 2780ft elevation, there is an area of rocks with a stream of water falling down them at an angle. In the morning, this crossing was very complicated: most surfaces were icy. I put on my rock spikes here, at mid-stream, which required some dexterity! It was somewhat easier in the afternoon, descending. But I had spikes on that time all the way across.

Wildlife

Not yet.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Hancock Notch Trail, Cedar Brook Trail, Hancock Loop Trail

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

A FINE day in the forest was had. My favorite season for trip reports - it's basically every box. Generally exceptional conditions throughout, spotty mix of bare ground, rotting rail, and mud for the first mile. After this it firmed up to a stable monorail, and gave way to still full blown winter. Drag strip conditions this morning with the freezing temps. We opted to ascend North first, and given the current conditions, I would say this is the preferred method. There is a LOT of blue and black ice flows due to how the sun hits it. I had not the sharpest spikes, but not rock spikes, and was having to be careful or work on my Tarzan swinging from tree to tree moves. Ran into hiking royalty on the descent, both Melissa and Rachel where out for some gluttony as well. Was lovely to see them! Across the ridge was still quite firm with no issues. Descending South Hancock was better than expected, due to sun angle again (not as much). The vast majority has not turned to ice flows yet and had bite. Not a walk in the park, still a good puckerfest, but manageable. If you have K10's, I'd bring them, crampons for the ascent/descent would not be overkill either. No issues on the way out, but as typical, conditions changed. Noticeable melting and corn snow for the way out. Everything still rock solid. With temps predicted in the 60s/70s next week, the delight of April hiking will be in all its glory.... Only saw 5 others. Of the 9 out, 4 were grid finishers, and a pair of 366! As an avid snowshoe person, I saw nothing here that indicates them anything being more of a hindrance at this time

Parking

No issues parking today

Water Crossings

All crossings hoppable with ease. Ice was present this morning and still spotty on rocks in PM, likely will change

Also on this trip

Trails Used

South Moat Mountain Trail, Moat Mountain Trail

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

A group of us decided to hike the moats after seeing the wind speeds that would take place on higher summits. My partner Catherine & I were hosting an AMC young members event where the bunkhouse there was booked out, so we left from there with two other interested people. In the spring the moats usually offer a decent hike that gives the impression one is higher up than they are with the exposed sections. The trail after south moat is definately not clear yet. The monorail held up fairly well i must have post-holed one time. The people i was with bare-booted, but i brought & used rock spikes versus play the confidence game of not being sure if i would slip or not with every step. Looking back it appears every april this is a go to hike while 4ks become less than fun....

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Hancock Notch Trail, Cedar Brook Trail, Hancock Loop Trail

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Quiet day on the Hancocks, one other person ahead of me who I never saw. Bare booted for the first 1/2 mile, was able to avoid the ice patches but then the ice became more consistent so I switched to Kahtoola Ghost micros...my first time trying them. Ultra light but gripped very well on the ice. The spikes are fairly short so the only place they weren't great was in deeper slushy snow spots, but they were surprisingly good in most spots even up the very steep climb up to N. Hancock, which is mostly hard packed snow with only a few solid ice spots. At S. Hancock I switched to the much more aggressive Hillsound Trail Crampon Pros which are "crampony" with longer and more aggressive spikes than microspikes. I was very glad to have them for the descent from S. Hancock, which is consistently steep and icy, with enough new snow on top of the ice to make it interesting. There are enough trees that you could carefully navigate it with microspikes, but a slip on this section would be not great. Crossings were all very low today and easily rock hopped, but they will likely vary considerably in the next few weeks as there is still a lot of snow up high. Round 11 on these guys for me (and the last time doing it on snow), and every time I forget just how steep the climb is!

Parking

Free parking, best parking lot view of the 48. Only 1 other car today.

Water Crossings

Easy hops