Trailhead is at the hairpin turn on the Kanc not far from Lincoln, NH.
Started out early with a friend who hadn't been hiking yet this year. Great hike to get your feet wet, a little bit of everything, just wish the views had been better. From the trailhead on the Kanc it takes almost 4 miles of forest walking before you start to see any real elevation. Almost 8 rockhops across the same brook, lucky we had such a dry week before we attempted this, would have needed scuba gear in a few spots. Had to double back closer to the river because of a campsite, made what was one clear trail into several trails, most leading nowhere. Hardly any blazes to follow, had the compass but left the map in the car. We hiked the south peak first, bearing right off the main trail when the loop started. The trail up had good grades, steep in spots but nothing we couldn't manage. The col between the two peaks was very muddy, the wizard staff was 1/2 way covered in goop in a few of the deep bogs. The outlook on Mt Hancock is just ok, clear view south towards Osceola & the Tripyramids. Both peaks were wooded right to the top, above average traffic and not alot of space at the summit was aggravating, limited views made things frustrating after a long climb. My hiking buddy for the day (Jesse) did manage to sneak 2 beers & an ice pack along for the hike, and a cold beer on a mountain top is the best cure for worries, a tradition I may continue from now on.
Hiking the peaks themselves wasn't all that bad, but the trail does need alot of work in spots. Going down the second peak the trail was loose like a hooker in Vegas, not as much fun though. Every step down was like surfing on potsoil, glad we didn't have to ascend that route. I did mention this before, but the first three miles of this hike leapfrog across a river. When its too high to cross you can manage crossing it only once, effectively splitting the trail in two following the river for a good mile. Only thing is, if the river is low, its hard to tell which trail to follow. If I go back out there to camp (plenty of good sites about 2 miles in) I'm bringing a spraycan for blazes.
Almost witnessed a car accident. Made it back to the trailhead and the second we put our bags down we heard what sounded like 2 gunshots, then trees cracking. Shortly after all you could hear was a muffled scream, someone trying to make noise but unable to breath. A few hikers ran down to see what had happened but we were spent that late in the day, knew we'd see the layout when we left anyways. No wreckage to speak of, several motorcycles stopped near the edge of the road with a white sheet drapped over someone on the ground. Looked like someone may have misjudged their speed on that turn and flew over the guardrail into the forest. Ambulances & Fire rescue past us on the way out, trucks were still responding almost a 1/2 hour later while at a drivethru line in Lincoln.
Had we taken an extra break or stayed a little longer at one of the overlooks, this would have happened literally at our feet. The accident took place where the trail meets the road, and we're lucky we weren't part of the carnage. Can't find anything on the web concerning the crash, I'll update this if I ever do.
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