Hancock Trail Relocations

[DayTrip]

I seem to recall this past Spring or Summer discussion of a relocation of parts of the Hancock Notch Trail and/or Cedar Brook Trail. I've seen some vague references to this in trip reports but no clear description of the changes. Does anyone recall this or have a link to the bulletin discussing? My interest pertains to doing Hancock and South Hancock in winter. I'm wondering if the rerouted sections will make the section of the route dealing with all the water crossings in that middle section easier, both in terms of the crossings and the navigation.

If anyone has been in the area recently or has details of the project it would be appreciated. This will probably be one of my first official winter trips of the year. Thanks.

 

[Driver8]

I was out there in June, and it appears the trail maintainers were re-routing the Cedar Brook Trail so as to keep it on the east side of the brook and avoid all the crossings up to the Hancock Loop Trail junction. This would be a major improvement, in my opinion, from what I saw, not just because of all of the crossings, but also b/c the trail in the crossings region is pretty awfully beaten up, much of it. It would not surprise me if this re-routing has been accomplished by now, but I don't know.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

There is, for sure, one reroute, skipping two crossings, on Cedar Brook. My GPS track from 9/28 clearly shows that I stayed on the east side of the river while the official trail crossed it twice.

Tim

 

[Raymond]

I climbed the Hancocks in May and October this year, and there wasn’t any rerouting going on that I was aware of, although the ‘‘White Mountain Guide’’ says that the first two crossings have been bypassed. But that must have been done some years ago to have made it into the latest edition of the book.

The herd path that bypasses the third and fourth crossings isn’t as easy to follow, and there’s one small stream that needs to be jumped, but the path does go all the way through from one part of the trail to another part of the trail. I couldn’t figure it out on my way in in May, and went back to cross the stream and stay on the real trail, but followed the bypass during my hike back to the road. So when I returned to the area in October, I knew the path went through and was able to stay on it this time.

 

[DayTrip]

I have only done that set of trails once doing my 48 4k and it was on 12/15/12. There was 3-6" of snow throughout much of the river crossing area so I never really saw the true footbed (or footprints for that matter - apparently I was the first one out that day.) I did at least 5 crossings on Cedar Brook if I remember right (and a section of swamp with log bridges) and then 2 early on in the Hancock Loop Trail. I was under the impression the rerouting I had read about was a 2013 or 2014 project in conjunction with some other work in the area to eliminate some of these crossings and make for a more direct route to Hancock Loop. Tried finding the details online but haven't had any luck. Was it maybe one of the bullet points in the Greeley Pond work detail?? I'll have to keep digging.

Oh well. I guess I'll find out in a few weeks!

 

[Driver8]

Were I you, DayTrip, I'd check the trip reports at NETC and here to see if the relo has happened. I'd think we'd've heard more here about it having been completed if that were so. Who knows, though.

 

[Mike P.]

In the winter, there typically is a pretty easy bushwhack that develops as the late fall, early winter hikers don't trust the still forming ice or want a 32 degree bath.

I'd say it's a little harder than the Fisherman's bushwhack for Owl's Head, (at times, a fair footpath to follow, keep your eyes open for when the trail crosses back)

 

[J&J]

The new relo has been flagged but no work was done because an endangered sedge was discovered so they have put off any trail work for now. Maybe a relo of the relo in 2015?

 

[DayTrip]

There are only 1-2 trip reports a month in that area (most useless) on NETC in that area and nobody really addresses. One recent report mentioned an orange taped surveyors bushwhack but it is not clear if that pertains to a trail relocation or some other project. It would appear nothing has really happened I guess.

 

[Driver8]

There are only 1-2 trip reports a month in that area (most useless) on NETC in that area and nobody really addresses. One recent report mentioned an orange taped surveyors bushwhack but it is not clear if that pertains to a trail relocation or some other project. It would appear nothing has really happened I guess.

That doubtless is the relo - the trail maintainers had orange tape all over the Cedar Brook/Hancock Loop corridor when I went through, and they appear to have started work on the upper reaches of the loop and were working their way down toward the hairpin trailhead. I, attempting to stay left of the brook in the central multi-crossing section, followed the tape flags, not knowing what they were. Gave up as it became a PITA to continue the route, made my way left to the brook, crossed it at a fairly gentle, shallow section, then bushwhacked the 150' or so NW to the trail, which I followed from there.

Anyhow, I'm highly confident, in retrospect, that I was following the relo route flagging for 100 yards or so before determining it veered too far east and was a time and effort loser, not a saver, for me. Interesting that they've run into an endangered species issue. We'll see what comes of the relo.