Bushwhacking Kanc "Stragglers": W. Hitchcock(3064') and E. Huntington(3306'), 9/19

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mhrsebago

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Bushwhacking Kanc "Stragglers": W. Hitchcock(3064') and E. Huntington(3306'), 9/19

West Hitchcock was a relatively straightforward whack beginning at the Discovery trailhead and following the old logging road well up into the col with Hitchcock. With only a few dense patches, and several nice clear drainages (this one's for you, Onestep), the col was easily reached leaving only an open-woods stroll to the summit. I returned for this one because in my Freshman year of whacking, while attempting to do all 5 Hitchcocks, I discovered that 3 liters of H2O are not sufficient fluids on a hot, humid summer day while whacking in long pants and long sleeves (Boy, was I thirsty that day!).

East Huntington was quite a contrast! I returned for this peak because, again in my first year of whacking, I somehow ended up on Huntington proper when I thought I was climbing the East Peak (Yikes!! I've since had many other occasions prove that Mr. Compass is a better navigator than my inate sense of direction (or apparent lack thereof). This peak also reminded me that what appears to be the best route on the map may indeed be far from it in the field. Starting from Kanc Pass I followed an old road perhaps 0.2 mi. From then on, except for brief instances (and only to torture me by raising false hope), the forest was nasty - thick, sharp and blowndown. I tried all the usually tricks: ascending, descending and just plowing ahead.... thick, thick, thick. Understandably, not a popular destination; last signees were the Human Moose and Neighbor Dave in 2/05.To return I attempted to avoid some of the crap by descending the south ridge and going farther down into the valley. While minimally thinner there, the blowdown was worse! My recommendation: don't try this one from a southerly approach!!!
 
We did East Huntington in November 1992 from the Sawyer River trailhead, pretty much beelining to the top. It wasn't pretty, but it wasn't memorably thick, either. The last few hundred yards along the ridge were horrible, though. We happily celebrated the completion of the Huntingtons and Hitchcocks.

The time of year you go can make a big difference. West Hitchcock in early May, before the leaves were out, was an open stroll through fiddleheads and spring beauties. A few years later, repeating it later in the season, we were amazed at the prickly currants and hobblebush that ganged up on our progress.
 
audrey said:
The time of year you go can make a big difference.
The first time I went to East Huntington was in deep snow and the thicket just before the summit was just an open area. Last winter with ND & MJ it was a struggle to fit the snowshoes between, I was sorry not to have spotted a car at Lily Pond to go down a different way.
 

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