RoySwkr
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I'm told the 3940-ft peak S of S Hancock http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=19&n=4882132&e=301008&size=s&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25 was called Juno Peak by Guy Waterman but I don't know why. He presumably climbed it in winter and I doubt it has been climbed very often since for reasons that will become obvious. I'm not aware that it is on any lists although it might be on the Trailwrights 100 Highest if they ever publish such a list. The PeakMaster and I did not find any expansive views but you can peer through the trees at Huntington, S Hancock, and Carrigain. Although I have seen thicker woods elsewhere, the overall amount of bad going makes this one of the tougher bushwhacks in NH. It would be good practice for anyone who aspires to climb Barren Mtn in Baxter Park.
The first surprise was on arrival at the Hancock Overlook trailhead to find that over half the cars had paper tags showing they had paid the parking fee. I would have thought that most hikers here would be peakbaggers with an annual pass. More significant, the Forest Service does not require a fee here and there is no "US Fee Area" sign although there is still a fee tube and billboard with regulations. I don't know if all these people are generous or timid. We didn't get a ticket for parking without one.
It was the first day in a long while cool enough to wear a hat all day which was very beneficial to my scalp, but not cool enough for gloves and my hands show it. We left the Hancock Notch Trail slightly before the notch and bushwhacked uphill in evergreens, sometimes thicker than others, gliding past a minor knoll to the foot of the main ascent. We could see major cliffs to the R so we angled slightly L, but there were still minor cliffs to go up or around. It was less steep higher up but there were still moss-covered holes among rocks to fall into. Looking for the easiest terrain, we circled to the side of the peak facing S Hancock, we thought we must be nearly at the summit then but it was still quite aways back up through some thicker stuff to the top.
We were both tired from trying weeks at work and got a late start and took some long rests, so it took over 7 hours to get up. The summit area is fairly distinct although there is no obvious highest point. I looked for a register and didn't see one, but anyone who sees Ranger Fosdick should tell him there almost certainly is one and he should be sure to go up and remove it so it won't defile this little-used area.
The PeakMaster had earlier said how quiet it was, not a bird or plane or moose, only to have a bird start chirping. Later we heard a plane which if was a search plane had no hope of seeing us in that stuff, and then on the way down there was a crashing off to one side and a lot of snorting. The PeakMaster got out his moose call and blew a couple times, but I think it was heading our way anyway. It was a bull moose, and a big one, and the woods were open enough to see it only about 30-40 feet away. Maybe it was looking for the kinky hiker who backs up against a tree instead of hiding behind it when a horny moose is approaching, but after staring at us for awhile it ran away to snort elsewhere.
Going down, we decided to head straight W for the Cedar Brook Trail, but once again easier terrain got us moving L and we finally came out on the Hancock Notch Trail somewhat below where we left it. There were fewer cliffs on this route and I just jumped down a 6-footer that would have been a problem to get up. Once it got dark, the bushwhacking got tougher as it was more difficult to pick a good route or to see how far down the next step was. Finally we hit a brook with little water in it that we followed back to the trail, passing one area where it looked like somebody had channellized it long ago. The trail was easy even with lights and we were back at the car maybe 11 hours after starting. Someone who hiked faster and took shorter rests could of course do it in much less time.
This peak is not in a Wilderness area so the Forest Service won't mind if I invite anybody and everybody to climb it, not that I expect much traffic after the preceding description. But there are gazillions of similar bumps out there that even Guy Waterman and I haven't climbed in case you want one all your own, which is why I find it amusing when people talk about needing to preserve the primitive character of Owls Head.
The first surprise was on arrival at the Hancock Overlook trailhead to find that over half the cars had paper tags showing they had paid the parking fee. I would have thought that most hikers here would be peakbaggers with an annual pass. More significant, the Forest Service does not require a fee here and there is no "US Fee Area" sign although there is still a fee tube and billboard with regulations. I don't know if all these people are generous or timid. We didn't get a ticket for parking without one.
It was the first day in a long while cool enough to wear a hat all day which was very beneficial to my scalp, but not cool enough for gloves and my hands show it. We left the Hancock Notch Trail slightly before the notch and bushwhacked uphill in evergreens, sometimes thicker than others, gliding past a minor knoll to the foot of the main ascent. We could see major cliffs to the R so we angled slightly L, but there were still minor cliffs to go up or around. It was less steep higher up but there were still moss-covered holes among rocks to fall into. Looking for the easiest terrain, we circled to the side of the peak facing S Hancock, we thought we must be nearly at the summit then but it was still quite aways back up through some thicker stuff to the top.
We were both tired from trying weeks at work and got a late start and took some long rests, so it took over 7 hours to get up. The summit area is fairly distinct although there is no obvious highest point. I looked for a register and didn't see one, but anyone who sees Ranger Fosdick should tell him there almost certainly is one and he should be sure to go up and remove it so it won't defile this little-used area.
The PeakMaster had earlier said how quiet it was, not a bird or plane or moose, only to have a bird start chirping. Later we heard a plane which if was a search plane had no hope of seeing us in that stuff, and then on the way down there was a crashing off to one side and a lot of snorting. The PeakMaster got out his moose call and blew a couple times, but I think it was heading our way anyway. It was a bull moose, and a big one, and the woods were open enough to see it only about 30-40 feet away. Maybe it was looking for the kinky hiker who backs up against a tree instead of hiding behind it when a horny moose is approaching, but after staring at us for awhile it ran away to snort elsewhere.
Going down, we decided to head straight W for the Cedar Brook Trail, but once again easier terrain got us moving L and we finally came out on the Hancock Notch Trail somewhat below where we left it. There were fewer cliffs on this route and I just jumped down a 6-footer that would have been a problem to get up. Once it got dark, the bushwhacking got tougher as it was more difficult to pick a good route or to see how far down the next step was. Finally we hit a brook with little water in it that we followed back to the trail, passing one area where it looked like somebody had channellized it long ago. The trail was easy even with lights and we were back at the car maybe 11 hours after starting. Someone who hiked faster and took shorter rests could of course do it in much less time.
This peak is not in a Wilderness area so the Forest Service won't mind if I invite anybody and everybody to climb it, not that I expect much traffic after the preceding description. But there are gazillions of similar bumps out there that even Guy Waterman and I haven't climbed in case you want one all your own, which is why I find it amusing when people talk about needing to preserve the primitive character of Owls Head.
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