Hancock, South Hancock; solid butt-sliding

This trip was 8 years ago, but I did find a 4 sentance jounal entry and emails back and forth planning the trip to help build the story in my memory of this one.

A group of us pulled into the trailhead off the Kancamagus, after the hairpin turn in late January. We started the hike early and planned to camp the night near the base. I don’t know exactly where we camped, but according to the photo location data, I think it was about 2 miles in, before the trail started to ascend.

According to the trip reports, the previous days had rain and sleet and hikers dealt with postholing galore. Lucky for us, the cold was back, so we prepared for ice by bringing spikes rather than snowshoes.

A note I wrote about the most challenging part of this loop:

I was prepared and ready for the brutal .7 mile, 1000 foot climb.

Also,

Most fun I’ve had sledding, literally, ever.

Since then, I may knock it down to the three sleds of my life.

I wore a thin wool shirt on the way up until clouds and wind came and I had to fully suit-up.

Apparently some bushwhackers take the avalanched lanslide as a route up. When there’s no snow, the white “v” here is exposed rock.

On this hike, I was practicing a new skill: identifying trees from their bark. Winter is the time to do this because you were freed from the crutches of getting hints from leaves. To help me learn, I was building visual catalog of different species. Here are a few additions. I unfortunetly I lost that catalog to the digital winds.

Weariness hit me an hour from the car. It was possibly delayed by that pint at the summit.