Hiking the Hancocks: how far we'll go for One Great View

The Hancock loop is a route saved for dreary days by some White Mountain peak baggers. I understand why. The summit of South Hancock is entirely tree covered. The traverse between the two peaks has few look outs. The climb & descent are steep but short, so better than more exposed trails on a wet day. But hikers who never go up the Hancock's on a clear day are missing out. North Hancock peak has one of the best views in White Mountains.

at the Juncture on the Hancock Loop

My two little mountain goats were eager to hike last Saturday. After all it was a weekend, the weather was fair, and they have a list of peaks to climb. We packed up Friday night, got a (somewhat) early start at 8 in the morning, and arrived at the trail head to claim the last paved parking spot. Since we live easy driving distance to most of the trail heads I can pick & choose our peaks. The forecast called for 40 mph winds with 60+ mph gusts above treeline, no place for less than 70 lb youngsters to be on a long hike. I decided the Hancock Loop would keep us in the trees and out of the wind.

heading up along Cedar Creek

The trail into the Hancock loop makes the hike seem deceptively easy. The first 3 miles is an almost straight path along Cedar Creek. It is the remnant of the logging railway that moved timber to Lincoln 100 years ago. The kids charged up the trail at a swift 3.5 mph pace for the first few miles. But this route does get harder, first it is the tangles of roots across the trail, then the path gets rocky, and finally on the Hancock loop proper it gets steep. Indeed either direction on the Hancock loop the trail becomes very steep very suddenly, climbing 1200 feet in less than a mile. We chose the shorter way to the ridge by going up to South Hancock. The top is entirely tree covered. But we did find something interesting on the traverse to North Hancock. I've never seen a tree so entirely hollowed out and still standing.

the hollowed out tree on the Hancock traverse

The traverse itself was an easy walk by White Mountain standards. The wind was strong enough even in the trees that we put on layers & hats. We reached the North Hancock summit quicker than I expected. We took the short walk down to the look out for the big pay off. The view from those granite boulders is as nice as it gets below tree line. The panorama of Chocorua to the east, then the Tripryamids, Sandwich Dome peaking over the top, and Oseo & Flume to the west is delightful. But the best part of the view is the Osceola Ridge in the center. The slides and gullies of this ridge make for a dramatic sight. The beautiful ridge line is a hidden gem, not apparent from many places. The Osceola's are visable at the trail head parking, but I find a view is always better when you've worked for it. We lingered eating our lunch, enjoying both the sights and the sunshine.

a view of the Osceola Ridge

The way down from North Hancock was just as steep as the way up. Much new stone made the path slide prone but also saves it from erosion. When we got back to the upper part of Cedar Creek my son took a "cairn building" break. After that my two little mountain goats ran ahead to enjoy some pre-teen gossip without parental eaves dropping. Our quick hike out to the Hancock's was certainly worthwhile. Would I go again just for the one great view of the Osceola's? Absolutely 

cairn building practice