West Tecumseh and Northwest Hancock

While we're on the topic of whether the high points of certain peaks are actually traversed by trails, another mountain that comes to mind is West Tecumseh. Considering it used to be listed as one of the NEHH, did a sign ever mark the spot on the Mount Tecumseh Trail?

Also, for Northwest Hancock, was that ever a popular enough trail to merit a herd path over from North Hancock? If not, is simply bushwhacking over from the latter peak the customary route, or is there some thick stuff between the two that should be avoided?

I've never visited northwest Hancock but I have climbed a slide on the west side of Hancock that meets the ridge between those two peaks. It was pretty thick at the top of the slide but got better as I moved towards Hancock so I imagine that could be used for northwest Hancock too if you wanted to make it interesting.
IIRC, that slide can be seen from parts of the Franconia ridge trail. It is reached by leaving the Cedar Brook trail (to the right) at a stream crossing approx 5/8 mile beyond the height of land if you are traveling north from the Hancock loop trail, there's a little campsite there that used to have really green grass growing on it in the summer. You have to bushwack in about 1/4 mile to the base of the slide. It's of the loose rock/gravel variety, not solid rock.

Chas.

Its called Arrow Slide, and it is quit impressive to say the least. I climbed it during winter and did not find the herd path that leads to the summit. Had to go through some very thick stuff. On the same note, south west Twin is a really neat mountain, quite a distance from the summit of Twin. -Mattl

Mattl said:

Its called Arrow Slide, and it is quit impressive to say the least. I climbed it during winter and did not find the herd path that leads to the summit. Had to go through some very thick stuff. On the same note, south west Twin is a really neat mountain, quite a distance from the summit of Twin. -Mattl

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I thought the Arrow slide was the one that is closer to the Hancock Loop trail (?) more on the south side of the mountain. I'm talking about a slide that is reached by continuing past the loop trail on Cedar brook, over the height of land and a ways beyond that.

You must have done crystle brook slides? Maybe? on the north side. -Mattl

Mattl said:

You must have done crystle brook slides? Maybe? on the north side. -Mattl

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No, he is correct and is referring to the slide off the Cedar Brook Trail, sometimes called 'West Slide' I think.

We went up the Arrow and BW'd over to NW Hancock and then down the Cedar Brook Slide. It wasn't bad at all.

http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=8380

-Dr. Wu

Yes, that's the one I was referring to, thanks. I read that trip report you linked to and remembered the part at the bottom where he says;
"At the bottom of the slide a stream emerged from the rock"
I remember seeing that and thinking it was pretty neat. It was fairly gushing out of an otherwise dry pile of rocks when I visited. I may try to go back that way in summer to try your approach; up the Arrow - visit Northwest Hancock - and down the West slide.

Chas.

Your right, I just checked it out some aerial images, never seen it before. -Mattl

The Cedar Brook slide was the traditional route when NW Hancock was a NE100, there used to be cairns which of course were not needed.

arm said:

went up NW Hancock sunday ... any idea what the summit sign means ?

looks like it has letters etched in it: NOWSL HNK

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Looks like Gibberish for North West Hancock (NOWSTHNK)

Nate said:

While we're on the topic of whether the high points of certain peaks are actually traversed by trails, another mountain that comes to mind is West Tecumseh. Considering it used to be listed as one of the NEHH, did a sign ever mark the spot on the Mount Tecumseh Trail?

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The summit is slightly off the trail, and there still is a faint herd path that leads to it.

I often hike Tecumseh from the Tripoli Road end (much pleasanter, IMHO, than the traditional route from the ski area) and used to think that I had gone over the summit of West Tecumseh until (duh ...) I reread Gene's notes. It then was obvious where the true summit was, the (very) short herd path was an extra bonus.

From Gene's notes:

... is on the knob nearest big Tecumseh, a few yards from the Mt. Tecumseh Trail, on a well beaten side path.

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The sidepath is still visible, I would no longer describe it as "well beaten".

The description in the WMG is not quite accurate, as it says:

It ascends to the summit of the west ridge at 3.2 miles ...

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This seems to me to imply that the trail actually goes over the summit.

If this is the short herd path Chomp & I stopped by last Spring, it's easier to find descending toward Tripoli Road then ascending as it is near a small turn. If I recall correctly there is a bit of blowdown there offering a bit of a view also.

It's definitely not that impressive... A small bump about 20 or so feet off the trail.

Mohamed Ellozy said:

The description in the WMG is not quite accurate, as it ... seems to me to imply that the trail actually goes over the summit.

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The WMG and other guidebooks are written for ordinary hikers not purist peakbaggers. Leaving aside substantial errors such as Owls Head and Davis, the WMG generally says that the trail goes to a summit or gives a distance to the summit even if it is slightly off-trail: Willey and South Carter are 2 that come to mind where there is an obvious higher point a few steps into the scrub.

When 'whacking over to Northwest Hancock, do people ever make a bee line from the closest point on the Cedar Brook Trail, or is the vegatation thick enough that using the Cedar Brook Slide is a better route?

Well, the slide is easy and fun. Then once you top out, you can slab along the ridge until you get to the summit area. As I recall, it was a little less thick. Although the the ridge itself wasn't really all that bad.

-Dr. Wu