Distance: 9.2 miles
Hikers: Vance and Quinn
4000 footer completion count: Hancock #28 (4,420 feet), South Hancock #29 (4,319 feet)
We haven't had the opportunity to hit the trail since April and we were both really excited to get into the woods! Our hike today followed the Hancock Notch trail > Cedar Brook trail > Hancock Loop trail > Cedar Brook trail > Hancock Notch trail
It was a glorious day as we made our way out of the Hancock Overlook parking lot on Route 112.
Most of the hike was comprised of a very gradual incline. It was easy going and we just motored along. A great trail running route for sure!
The last hike we completed was in deep snow. It was wonderful to see all the greens of summer. The forest had such a lovely earthy scent.
Beautiful birches abound!
The gentle incline disappeared as we made our way along toward the top of the north peak. There was a lot of loose stone and the footing was iffy in spots.
We enjoyed a tasty lunch and some excellent views at the outlook just below the summit.
Quinn really loves these little half log bridges. We were especially grateful they were there with all the recent rain.
We made our way over to South Hancock. There was another little outlook area where there were some nice views to be had.
The descent was steep and slippery in spots. We got some great views back on Hancock.
Quinn was ecstatic to stumble upon a bunch of Pink Lady Slippers. His "Gamma" tells him they're very rare!
Somehow the last 1.8 miles of the Hancock Notch trail seemed longer going out than going in. Nevertheless, we made it back to the car!
What an adventure! It was so nice to be back on the trail in summer. Winter hiking is great but we both appreciated carrying less gear. Keeping with tradition for this time of year, we took the opportunity to enjoy a very chilly dip in the Pemigewasset River. We have lots of great activities planned for the summer but we can't wait to get back on the trail toward 48 4000 footers - 19 to go!
Quinn's Take
After taking a break for a couple of months, my dad and I finally made a date for our next hike. We hiked North and South Hancock mountains. It was a 2 hour drive up to the mountains on a sunny day.
As we started the hike we found a boulder that was cool and I had my picture taken on top of it. The beginning of the trail was really easy as it flattened out in some parts. However, the last mile to the top was very steep. At the top I had my usual celebration sour patch kid candy:) The view at the top of a huge gorge in the distance was stunning! We had some lunch and did some stretching before heading to South Hancock.
The trail was really muddy with huge puddles that we had to avoid. There were some boardwalks over swamp areas that were fun to cross. We got to the top and I decided that I liked the view from North Hancock better than South Hancock.
As we made our way down, we came across a bunch of Lady Slipper flowers. We took a picture for Gamma because she loves those flowers!
The trail was really muddy with huge puddles that we had to avoid. There were some boardwalks over swamp areas that were fun to cross. We got to the top and I decided that I liked the view from North Hancock better than South Hancock.
As we made our way down, we came across a bunch of Lady Slipper flowers. We took a picture for Gamma because she loves those flowers!
It was fun to be back hiking with my dad!
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