Date of Hikes: 12/7/13 & 12/8/13
Mount Tecumseh Trail: 5.0 miles (2,200 feet elevation gained)
Hancock Notch / Cedar Brook / Hancock Loop Trail: 9.8 miles (2,700 elevation gain)
Trip Report:
- Friday night I was out exploring Scorpian Bowl Ravine and Angry Orchard Ridge with Gina and Greg and didn't get home until late. I do not drink much and when I woke up I decided to hit the gym for strength training to clear the cob webs before heading up to Waterville Valley for the perfect hangover hike, Mount Tecumseh!
- Mount Tecumseh is probably the easiest of all the 4,000 footers and I made it almost to the ridge before putting on my microspikes. Ice covered a large amount of the trail and when hiking solo I am over cautious so I put the light traction on which helped out tremendously.
- There were about twelve other hikers and three dogs spread out throughout the mountain. I ran into Jeff and Karine, they are very strong and fast hikers who dabble in trail running from time to time, having both done MMD and sub 10 hour Pemi Loops. It was Jeff's 575th peak on his grid list, he would finish the following day on top of Mount Moosilauke, Congrats, Jeff! The Grid is when you end up hiking all 48 - 4,000 footers in each month.
- Frequently I am asked if I'm pursuing the grid, as of right now, no. I do keep track, and am just over 60% without planning a hike based on if I've hiked a mountain in that particular month. When I get to 80% I'll go full charge ahead. Of course, the downside to this is I'll be hiking mountains like Cabot, Middle & South Carter a lot!
- It was a nice cold hike and I felt refreshed as I made it back to the car. The parking lot was jamming as skiers and boarders who were up taking runs on the few trails that were open.
- On Sunday I joined Bob & Geri, along with their friend Amy for a steep, and just as icy hike up the Hancock's. The water crossings on the Cedar Brook Trail were fun but tricky. My trail-runners took a dip but they have a built in gaiter system which kept me dry.
- We past a big A.M.C. group on our way up North Hancock. Everyone had traction on except for Bob and I, we were able to navigate the trails bare-booting. I would recommend light traction of some sort, however. Both Bob and I have been on these trails numerous times, in all types of conditions so we knew we'd be ok...or we're just idiots, probably a little of both!
- On the hike out we took the Cedar Brook Crossings #1 & #2 bypass, fist time I've done this, it was really easy to follow and quite enjoyable hike through the woods.
- I've done the Hancock's in December a few times now. It's not a real exciting hike but does have special meaning to me, it was my first ever 'official' winter hike in December of 2009, and today South Hancock was the 600th time I summited an official New Hampshire 4,000 footer!
Mount Tecumseh Trail: 5.0 miles (2,200 feet elevation gained)
Hancock Notch / Cedar Brook / Hancock Loop Trail: 9.8 miles (2,700 elevation gain)
Trip Report:
- Friday night I was out exploring Scorpian Bowl Ravine and Angry Orchard Ridge with Gina and Greg and didn't get home until late. I do not drink much and when I woke up I decided to hit the gym for strength training to clear the cob webs before heading up to Waterville Valley for the perfect hangover hike, Mount Tecumseh!
- Mount Tecumseh is probably the easiest of all the 4,000 footers and I made it almost to the ridge before putting on my microspikes. Ice covered a large amount of the trail and when hiking solo I am over cautious so I put the light traction on which helped out tremendously.
- There were about twelve other hikers and three dogs spread out throughout the mountain. I ran into Jeff and Karine, they are very strong and fast hikers who dabble in trail running from time to time, having both done MMD and sub 10 hour Pemi Loops. It was Jeff's 575th peak on his grid list, he would finish the following day on top of Mount Moosilauke, Congrats, Jeff! The Grid is when you end up hiking all 48 - 4,000 footers in each month.
- Frequently I am asked if I'm pursuing the grid, as of right now, no. I do keep track, and am just over 60% without planning a hike based on if I've hiked a mountain in that particular month. When I get to 80% I'll go full charge ahead. Of course, the downside to this is I'll be hiking mountains like Cabot, Middle & South Carter a lot!
- It was a nice cold hike and I felt refreshed as I made it back to the car. The parking lot was jamming as skiers and boarders who were up taking runs on the few trails that were open.
- On Sunday I joined Bob & Geri, along with their friend Amy for a steep, and just as icy hike up the Hancock's. The water crossings on the Cedar Brook Trail were fun but tricky. My trail-runners took a dip but they have a built in gaiter system which kept me dry.
- We past a big A.M.C. group on our way up North Hancock. Everyone had traction on except for Bob and I, we were able to navigate the trails bare-booting. I would recommend light traction of some sort, however. Both Bob and I have been on these trails numerous times, in all types of conditions so we knew we'd be ok...or we're just idiots, probably a little of both!
- On the hike out we took the Cedar Brook Crossings #1 & #2 bypass, fist time I've done this, it was really easy to follow and quite enjoyable hike through the woods.
- I've done the Hancock's in December a few times now. It's not a real exciting hike but does have special meaning to me, it was my first ever 'official' winter hike in December of 2009, and today South Hancock was the 600th time I summited an official New Hampshire 4,000 footer!
Mount Tecumseh Trailhead
Mount Tecumseh Trail
Tripyramids from the ski slope outlook
Mount Tecumseh Trail
Ice rink!
Frozen ground near the summit
Mount Tecumseh Summit
Amy making her way across an icy brook crossing
Cedar Brook Crossing #1
Iced bog bridges on the Cedar Brook Trail
Cedar Brook crossing #2
Cedar Brook Crossing #3
Hancock Loop Trail Crossing
Hancock Loop Trail
South Hancock
Osceola's
North Tripyramid Slide
South Hancock, you can see the ice from the Hancock Loop Trail reflecting in this picture
Osceola Slide
Osceola's
Looking off toward the Sandwich Wilderness
Arrow Slide
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