Hancocks & Kayaking the Pemi River…

Halfway through our brutal two night Semi Pemi Loop, D. Mak and I decided we needed a much deserved break from backpacking and do a day hike and car camp for a change.  We headed up Friday 9/17/12 with no reservations and few options, grabbed a site at good old Campton Campground, a place we were familiar with from last years Franconia Ridge trip.  After setting up camp, we headed back toward town and grabbed a bite and a few beers at Woodpecker’s Pub while we waited out a rain storm and for Pete Boy and Gus Longtrail to get in town.  Shooting pool and listening to a blues band while crushing $2 Tuckerman Pale Ales definitely beats the rain!

The next day ended up being much nicer than forecasted and we headed up to the Kanc and Hancock trailhead and started the trudge.  This was quite an enjoyable hike with nice stream crossings bursting with different kinds of birds;  a Cedar Waxwing flew right over our heads.

Two Night “Semi” Pemi Loop…

July 20th – 22nd, 2012

Day One:  8.2 miles & 1419 feet of vert

With an exceptional weather window, a stoked D Mak and I bounced out of work early on Friday and blasted off to Lincoln to bust out a two day Half Pemi Loop variation.  Starting off on the Pemi East Side Trail at exactly 4:20 pm, we cruised through an empty Franconia Brook Campsite and crossed the East Branch Pemi River which was the lowest I’ve seen it thus far.  Since we had done a Bonds/Twins Loop on our last trip, we decided to do this variation of a Pemi Loop instead over 2 nights to accomplish a few things, namely visiting 13 Falls Tentsite again, bag Galehead & Liberty which I was missing for my NH48, hit a few small sections of AT I needed for my NH section, and to backpack all of them for my 48 4000 footer Backpack list which I recently decided is my new goal. When I sat down and looked at the map, I realized that doing this trip would put my backpacked peaks within a few of my total peaks.

We set a fast pace up the Franconia Brook Trail with the sun beaming through the trees and mosquitoes nipping at our heals, arriving at 13 Falls Campsite 8.1 flat miles later as the sun began dropping behind the ridge to the West.  Setting up my new Hennessy Ultralite Backpacker Asym Zip Hammock for the first time proved to be a bit of a pain since I suck at knots.  We had a late dinner in the dark, went and hiked the falls, sipped some Knob Creek, and watched some shooting stars before turning in.

Day Two:  14.1 miles – 6206 ft vert gained – 4495 ft vert lost

The next morning we got a late start after scoping out all the falls.  They were sadly about a quarter of the volume of water as my last trip there 7/4/2011.

13 Falls Water Comparison Year Over Year

Twins, Bonds, Zealand, Hale Overnight Loop…

I got my buddies D. Mak and “Gus Longtrail” to join me on a backpacking trip this past weekend.  We cruised up to Hancock Campground Friday after work and organized our packs over some IPAs and a fire in surprising cold 35 degree temps.  The low forecasted for Lincoln was high 40s but Hancock is ridiculously cold from its low altitude and proximity to the river.

Mt. Flume via Osseo Trail + Franconia Falls…

This September, I decided to hike Mt.Flume (4328 ft.) as my first 4000 footer due to the trailhead being 100 yards down the road from Hancock Campground on the Kancamangus Highway where I stayed.  I didn’t actually do any research on this peak as I had planned on doing Mt. Lafayette, but it was closer and smaller and a better peak to start with.

The trail starts at the Lincoln Woods Visitor Center, a two minute drive from Hancock. A suspension Bridge crossing the East Branch Pemigewasset Rivier and runs 1.4 miles on the Linclon Woods Trail, a nice flat and wide trail running parallel to the river.  Lots of people were out enjoying the sunny early fall weather and light foliage, many riding bikes.  The trail turns left at a brook and heads up the Osseo Trail.  The actual peak is out of your site the entire time but you can view Potash Knob (2684 ft.) and Whaleback Mountain (3586 ft.) most of the way up this time of year.  This was a bit intimidating for a first time climber as Mt. Flume is 1k feet higher and Whaleback which loomed menacingly tall.