Mount Hancock (North Peak)

Trail: Hancock Notch Trail, Cedar Brook Trail, Hancock Loop Trail, bushwhack, Cedar Brook Slide

Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock

“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.”

Trail: Hancock Notch Trail, Cedar Brook Trail, bushwhack, Hancock Loop Trail

Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant

“The standard route for the Hancocks was in great shape and are very easy to follow. The steep ascent and descent on the loop are loose and gravelly, but with careful footing it is very manageable. East Hitchcock related notes: I was unable to find a herd path for East Hitchcock. However, the forest is not too difficult to navigate for much of the walk up from Cedar Brook trail. My approach was to go past the height of land (~3120ft) and down to about 2950ft, as I had read in past reports that there was a herd path there last year, I was hoping that the same would be true for this year. From this point of entry into the woods, I would be taking a more direct route up the steeper part of the east side of the mountain. Here, there are some rocky steep sections and there were heavily moss covered logs and rocks which covered holes in the ground and make the terrain unpredictable. The foliage in the section up to about 3270ft is relatively open, and the biggest challenge was finding a hole-free route up the steep and rocky terrain, but after that it was much denser and required a lot more maneuvering and creative route finding. One silver lining of this sub-optimal route was that I managed to pop out in a shrubby clearing with nice views over to the Hancocks, which added a nice view to the otherwise wooded summit. My route down from the summit was much better, as I took a route more to the south and finished closer to the height of land at around 3025ft. This route avoided most of the rocky terrain with unpredictable holes, was more gradual, and made for a smoother experience overall. The biggest challenge was navigating areas with a lot of Spruce and Hemlock saplings, as these areas were dense and it was hard to see the terrain I was stepping on. Today was a great day for a hike, and I was happy to get some grid progress and add a 5th month for the Hancocks!”

Trail: Hancock Notch Trail, Cedar Brook Trail, Hancock Loop Trail

Conditions: Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant

“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.”