Mount Hancock day hike

This day hike involved hiking the Hancock Notch Trail to the Cedar Brook Trail to the Hancock Loop Trail. We had originally planned to go up the north peak first but after talking to some people on the trail who said the trail to the south peak had some icy patches we decided it would be easier to go up that way than come down. So we did the loop counter-clockwise going up to south peak, then across the ridge to the middle peak and then the north peak, and then back down. We returned to the parking area using the same route we used coming in.

Parking area - 2,129' Cedar Brook Trail - 1.75 miles - 2,560' Hancock Loop Trail - 2.45 miles - 2,750' Base of loop - 3.55 miles - 3,270' South Hancock - 4.05 miles - 4,319' Middle Hancock - 4.4 miles - 4,200' North Hancock - 5.3 miles - 4,420' Base of loop - 6.0 miles - 3,270' Cedar Brook Trail - 7.1 miles - 2,750' Hancock Notch Trail - 7.8 miles - 2,560' Parking area - 9.55 miles - 2,129' Total distance round-trip - 9.55 miles Total elevation change - 2,291 Trail map - 700 x 992 - 507K Trail map - 964 x 1366 - 950K

The starting point for this hike was the Hancock Trail parking lot on the Kancamagus Highway (NH Rt. 112) about 10 miles east of Lincoln.

I had already done Mount Hancock once back in July of 2008 but I was invited along on this hike by Pam and Katie, the women I met on my Owl's Head hike about a month prior. This was the first hike that we had planned to do together and it worked out quite well. We met up at the Dunkin' Donuts in Lincoln for breakfast and then drove to the Hancock Trail parking area on the Kamcamagus Highway to start our hike.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 View from the Hancock trail parking area 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Pam & Katie and some snow along the trail 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Some snow along the trail 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Stopping to take some photos 600 x 400   1024 x 683 One of several stream crossings 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Snow on a log 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Pam & Katie at the Cedar Brook trail junction

The hiing along the Hancock Notch Trail was very easy going. There were some stream crossings to deal with but nothing major. There were some snowy patches off to the sides of the trail but no snow at all on the trail iself. We had started hiking right around 800 and we reached the junction with the Cedar Brook Trail right around 900 so it took almost exactly one hour to cover those first 1.75 miles.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 Another stream crossing 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Ice formations along Cedar Brook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Ice formations along Cedar Brook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Ice formations along Cedar Brook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Ice formations along Cedar Brook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Small cascades along Cedar Brook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 A patch of snow 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Ice formations along Cedar Brook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 At the north peak/south peak trail junction, Katie showing her crampons 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Mighty Moose & Brian at the north peak/south peak trail junction 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Mighty Moose & Brian at the north peak/south peak trail junction

Hiking along the Cedar Brook Trail was pretty much more of the same. There were a couple more stream crossings that were again nothing major. We stopped a few times to take photos of the ice formations in the stream. We also started seeing more snow and some icy patches on the trail so we decided to put on our crampons. The STABILicers that I had purchased for this purpose turned out to be a complete waste of money as they would not stay on my boots. I know I had the right size for my boots but after only a few dozen steps or so one side or the other would come off. Pam and Katie both had Kahtoola MICROspikes and those seemed to work very well so I decided I would trade these things in for a pair of those as soon as I could. I ended up not wearing anything on my boots as it was just a pain in the butt to have to keep stopping to put them back on.

We arrived at the trail junction with the Hancock Loop Trail right around 1030 and after a short break, we started up to the south peak.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 Closing in on the south peak summit 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Closing in on the south peak summit 400 x 600   683 x 1024 Closing in on the south peak summit 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Brian & Mighty Moose at the south peak summit cairn 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Brian & Mighty Moose at the south peak summit cairn 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Katie, Pam, Brian & Mighty Moose at the south peak summit cairn 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Number 30 on the 4000-footer list for Katie

The climb up to the summit of south peak had many snow and icy patches and I did a little slipping and sliding but I never went over. The boots did pretty well with it on their own but I was very glad that we would not be going back down this trail and that the trail descending from north peak was suppsoed to be a lot better.

We arrived on top of the south peak just a little before 1130.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 View from the overlook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 View from the overlook

After a short stop at the summit to take some photos we wandered down to the overlook to check out the view from there, take some more photos, and have a little snack before continuing on to north peak.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 Number 31 on the 4000-footer list for Katie 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Pam & Katie at the North Peak summit 600 x 400   1024 x 683 View from the overlook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Katie, Bob & Pam at the overlook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Katie, Bob & Pam at the overlook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Having some lunch at the overlook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Mighty Moose & Brian

We arrived at the north peak around 1230, took more photos and had our lunch there. A few other people arrived at the south peak while we were there and by the time to left the north peak it was starting to get quite crowded.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 Snow along the trail 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Snow along the trail 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Back at the north/south trail junction

There was not much snow at all along the descent trail from the north peak but we did run into some snowy patches near the bottom of the descent in some areas that obviously don't get a lot of sunlight.

We arrived back the the north peak/south peak trail junction just a little after 130.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 Small stream feeding into Cedar Brook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Ice, small stream feeding into Cedar Brook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Late afternoon sunlight, rocks, Cedar Brook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Snow along the trail 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Snow along the trail 400 x 600   683 x 1024 Trees & beautiful blue sky

The walk back down along Cedar Brook in the fading afternoon sunlight was very pleasant. This was the first day that we would be off daylight savings time though and we knew it was going to get dark earlier than normal so we kept up a good pace.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 Snow covered rocks 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Crossing the brook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Katie & Pam, Cedar Brook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Cedar Brook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Elder berries 600 x 400   1024 x 683 North Fork 600 x 400   1024 x 683 The day in numbers, back at the parking area

The stream crossings were no real problem on the way in but on the way back we really didn't even need to stop to think about them. We just knew where to go and walked right across.

We arrived back at the parking area right around 330 and still had about a half of an hour before sunset and maybe an hour of daylight left. We talked a little while but did not linger long before starting our respective drives home.

Hiking with Pam and Katie was very enjoyable and I had a feeling that we all hit it off well together. It seemed like the start of a nice friendship and I was already looking forward to hiking with them again.

[ White Mountain Hikes | Grand Canyon Home ]

Copyright © Bob Ribokas, 1994-2011, all rights reserved. This publication and its text and photos may not be copied for commercial use without the express written permission of Bob Ribokas.