Mount Hancock 4420’ and South Hancock 4319’

Hancock Notch Trail/Cedar Brook Trail/Hancock Loop Trail

9.8 Miles 2650’ Elevation gain

Kevin, Judy, Wicket, Unadogger, Pemi & Gem

It was a dark and stormy night... Actually, it was a damp and overcast day, but it was a beautiful day, nonetheless, for our path through the woods was ablaze with the flames of Autumn.

The overcast skies, and the damp, misty day really made the colors pop. Brilliant reds, oranges and yellows burned brightly against the dark conifer background.

The trail was wet and muddy, full of slippery roots and ankle turning rocks, but nobody cared, least of all the three dogs. Wicket is in Seventh Heaven when she gets to hike with other great trail dogs.

The trailhead is at a turnout on the Kancamagus Highway near the hairpin turn. As we head out we have to wait for a break in the traffic which is already getting heavy on the Thursday before Colombus Day weekend. We cross successfully with the dogs on leash.

When we are well enough down the trail to release them, they dash ahead with exuberance much more like that of the hare being chased than that of the dog in pursuit.

Conversation and trying to keep up with the dogs makes the first part of the hike along the Hancock Notch Trail to the junction with the Cedar Brook Trail go by quickly.

I remembered how on my first trip there I had led us into Hancock Notch rather than turning at the junction. An older gentleman we met at the trailhead made the same mistake this day.

When we reached the Hancock Loop Judy mentioned that she thought we would have caught the older fellow by now, and that he must be really moving. I replied with, "No, he's probably out in Hancock Notch."

Later, as we descended South Hancock, we met him coming up. He had indeed ventured a good way into Hancock Notch before realizing his mistake.

Rather than successfully guessing what had happened to him, I would rather have been able to have set him on the right course before his mistake, but we never caught him.

While speaking briefly in the parking lot before the hike with him he had confided that he had not hiked the Hancocks before. Should I have told him then to be sure not to miss the trail change at Cedar Brook?

He didn't ask me any questions, and I have learned to not offer any unsolicited information/opinions, but should I have? It seems to be a very real question among us as hikers: "Should we speak up and share info with people we think would be helpful?"

The rule seems to be: "Not unless you're asked." Is this rule absolute? It is a reasonable question to ponder, and it is hard to imagine one rule covering a multitude of possible scenarios in the mountains.

On the other hand, often information is gladly accepted, and just as often the fact you are trying to give someone information or advice means to them that you have sized them up as a hiker, and have decided that you find them somehow inadequate.

So, what do you do? It's tough to know. I guess this is what I came away with from this hike. Stuff to ponder while I was making my way to the next trail change, and then on to the junction where you decide if you want to do the loop clockwise or counterclockwise.

In a quick conversation with this gentleman, I might have mentioned that I felt the easier way around the loop was clockwise, rather than the counterclockwise route to South Hancock he chose. Was it any of my business?

Thoughts like this went through my head as we hiked along. Recollections of other trips to the Hancocks popped into my head as well, like the time I thought I had lost Emma near the Cedar Brook/Hancock Notch trail junction.

She went ahead of us, then veered off into the the understory and disappeared. I didn't think much of it at the time, but as seconds turned into minutes and she had not returned we began a frantic search for her.

I followed herd paths all around the area, then ran back as far as the last water-crossing, nothing. I began to feel panic- why wasn't she coming back? It was so unlike her to disappear for that long...

After several minutes of me nearly losing my mind she returned. Just as she had disappeared, she reappeared. I'll never know where she was, but she was back.

Apparently she read in me my near panic and huge relief when she returned because she stayed close the rest of the hike.

There was also the time we had made the hike in winter and the snow was so deep that South Hancock had good views.

On the same hike we had come to a water crossing and spied a marten drinking water on the other side. He quickly retreated to a perch in a pine tree well over our heads, from which he peered curiously at us as we passed by below.

We had definitely had some memorable trips to the Hancocks, and it was fun to be there and doing it again.

It is amazing to watch the change in demeanor with Wicket when she gets to hike with other dogs. She goes from all serious business to a smiling goof-ball while she bounces up and down the trail with the others.

Today we had the pleasure of having our friend Unadogger and her Aussie Pemi and her King Charles Cavalier Gem along with us again.

Pemi has hiked her 48 and many more, while Gem, like Wicket, is working on her first round.
North Hancock was #46 for Gem and # 32 for Wicket, while South Hancock was #47 for Gem (one to go!) and #33 for Wicket.

After some more brook crossings and what appears to be a permanent re-route eliminating two more, we reached the junction where the Hancock Notch Loop Trail breaks off from the Cedar Brook Trail. So far, so good.

From there it was not long at all before we came to the junction where the loop trail breaks off in two directions and becomes "The Loop". Again on this trip, we chose the trail towards North Hancock first.

We have only once hiked the loop in a counter-clockwise direction reaching South Hancock first. I did not particularly like that direction as there is a bit of scrambling to reach South Hancock, and the rest of the way to North Hancock felt like it was all up hill.

In actuality, it is 150' less elevation hiking South first if I am reading the guidebook correctly.

I feel the footing is better in a clockwise direction, using the smoother trail to ascend North Hancock first, and the rougher, steeper trail to descend South Hancock, but it is really just a matter of opinion.

We had a brief glimpse of the Arrow Slide from the trail before we began to ascend. All but the first 100' of it was buried deep in the clouds, and what we could see looked extremely wet.

While I might be convinced on a clear, dry day to ascend the slide, it wasn't about to happen on this day.

After a quick drink and snack we started up into the dense cloud. The dampness was getting into everything I had on, and I was hoping against hope that we would rise above the clouds and be able to stand in the sunshine, looking down over the clouded valleys, but it wasn't to be.

We sat in the damp fog and ate lunch on the summit of North Hancock, staring out into the fog which allowed us to look about 100' in each direction at the soaking wet trees which surrounded us.

The sun almost peeked through at us a couple of times, but was quickly swallowed again by the gray void.

We moved on again somewhat recharged, and made pretty quick time getting across the ridge to South Hancock and being most appreciative of the bog bridges that were placed some years back across some of the muddier stretches of trail.

On South Hancock we had Second Lunch, but this time we ate quickly, donned our packs and were off again as the wind was beginning to pick up, and we were getting pelted occasionally with some large raindrops.

Thankfully, the rain never materialized as we scrambled down off of South Hancock back to the loop junction. It was here that we finally met the man we thought we had been following on his way up.

A brief discussion confirmed my guess, as he spoke of having continued too far on the Hancock Notch Trail. Again, should I have offered advice at the trailhead and possibly saved him the extra mileage?

The rest of the hike out was uneventful for the humans, though the dogs continued to romp as though they had just arrived at the trailhead.

We leashed the dogs again when we got near the Kanc. The trip back across the highway required waiting for lines of cars in both directions-glad we were getting out of there before the weekend traffic really started going!