redliner
New member
Trails: Sawyer Pond & Hancock Notch
Trail Conditions: The Sawyer Pond Trail, aside from the first Kanc side crossing (you will get wet feet), is in great shape. The Hancock Notch Trail is a different story. It has something for everybody, though not at the same time. I traversed it from east to west. The east (Sawyer Pond Trail) side started out as a nice old logging road. This ended at the first Sawyer River crossing. Wow! I can't imagine the amount of water that must have been running through there to cause the amount of erosion in that area. Once I got over the devastation I started looking for where the trail was on the other side. This started a theme that was repeated several times over the course of the hike. When you come to a section where you're not sure where the trail is, look for pink surveyors tape. Once I spotted the tape an easy rock hop and a scramble up the embankment had me back on my way.
From this point the trail is a series of boulder hopping, mud avoidance, streams masquerading as the trail and heavy brush over the footpath. About a mile or so from the Cedar Brook Trail junction, with almost comical abruptness, the trail then turns into a well brushed, easily traveled, path. A lot of work was required for this last mile and I appreciate the efforts of those who made it so.
Special Equipment Required: I'll second what Beth said in her post, poles are very useful on a hike like this due to all the water and mud areas you'll encounter.
Comments: Met Beth Zimmer, her husband Steve and their dog Trooper heading the opposite direction on the Hancock Notch Trail ( http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?53939-Hancock-Notch-7-26-14&p=414040#post414040 ). Both of us were kinda surprised to see each other on the trail. At little later I came across a father and his young (10-12 or so) daughter. She didn't look happy.
Trail Conditions: The Sawyer Pond Trail, aside from the first Kanc side crossing (you will get wet feet), is in great shape. The Hancock Notch Trail is a different story. It has something for everybody, though not at the same time. I traversed it from east to west. The east (Sawyer Pond Trail) side started out as a nice old logging road. This ended at the first Sawyer River crossing. Wow! I can't imagine the amount of water that must have been running through there to cause the amount of erosion in that area. Once I got over the devastation I started looking for where the trail was on the other side. This started a theme that was repeated several times over the course of the hike. When you come to a section where you're not sure where the trail is, look for pink surveyors tape. Once I spotted the tape an easy rock hop and a scramble up the embankment had me back on my way.
From this point the trail is a series of boulder hopping, mud avoidance, streams masquerading as the trail and heavy brush over the footpath. About a mile or so from the Cedar Brook Trail junction, with almost comical abruptness, the trail then turns into a well brushed, easily traveled, path. A lot of work was required for this last mile and I appreciate the efforts of those who made it so.
Special Equipment Required: I'll second what Beth said in her post, poles are very useful on a hike like this due to all the water and mud areas you'll encounter.
Comments: Met Beth Zimmer, her husband Steve and their dog Trooper heading the opposite direction on the Hancock Notch Trail ( http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?53939-Hancock-Notch-7-26-14&p=414040#post414040 ). Both of us were kinda surprised to see each other on the trail. At little later I came across a father and his young (10-12 or so) daughter. She didn't look happy.
