North and South Hancock, August 2, 2012, White Mountain National Forest

North Hancock, from South Hancock

The Kancamagus Motor Lodge, in Lincoln, New Hampshire, proved to be the perfect base of operations for a summer 2012 visit to the Whites in search of a few more peaks for the 4,000 footer list. Affordable rates, walking distance to town, indoor pool, and ping pong provide plenty of options for filling post-hike rest and recovery time.

The only problem... no in-room coffee machines. My brother and I are up before 5 AM and at the trailheads before 6 AM, sometimes even earlier. The lack of a coffee maker make such a production all the more difficult.

The location of the Kancamagus Lodge, on the so-called "Kanc" Highway, meant that we'd tackle peaks in the nearby Pemigewasset Wilderness. We started the weekend off with a 9.8 loop trail up the Hancocks. Despite being the weekend, we did well avoiding other hikers by getting an early start.

The trails were in good shape, with only a few blowdowns, and we made very fast time on the trails. Perfect for allowing for some afternoon rest before hitting the Bond range the next day.

Chalk off two more 4,000 footers... numbers 7 and 8.

Peaks: North and South Hancock
Elevation: 4,420 feet and 4,319 feet (Gain: 2,700)
Distance: 9.8 miles
Route: Hancock Notch Trail, Cedar Brook Trail, Hancock Loop Trail
Conditions: Clouds and Sun, 70 degrees F

Cooper Kiln Pond, July 3, 2012, Adirondack Park

Cooper Kiln Pond, looking north to the Wilmington Range

Still feeling the effects of the rocky climb up to Hurricane Mountain the day before, we opted for a more leisurely outing for our final day of this trip to the ADKs. Located in the Stephenson and Wilmington Ranges in the northern part of the park and far removed from Heart Lake and other more popular spots, Cooper Kiln had promise for a full day of wilderness solitude. Although we encountered a trail repair crew just past the trail head, the trail indeed rewarded us with just that.

You can approach Cooper Kiln Pond from either the east or the west. We chose the latter, and easily found the trail head along the highway out of the Town of Wilmington just past Lake Stephens and the Whiteface Mountain road turn off. Other than a trail crew working on the first section, we had the trail and the pond all to ourselves. Covering only moderate distance and elevation gain, the pleasant track leads gradually uphill through deep forests until emerging a beautiful, boulder-strewn mountain pond with a classic Adirondack lean-to on its southern shore. We spent a long time at this pleasant spot, using the lean-to to set up our picnic lunch and the big flat boulder on the pond shore as a place for a siesta in the sun.

Destination: Cooper Kiln Pond
Elevation: 3,000 feet (Gain: 638 feet)
Distance: 5.4 miles round trip, out and back
Conditions: Party cloudy, 75 degrees F

Hurricane Mountain, July 2, 2012, Adirondack Park

Hurricane Mountain has long been noted as having some of the most remarkable 360 degree vistas in the Adirondacks High Peaks region. So when K and I decided to spend Fourth of July weekend 2012 in a cottage rental near Ausable Forks, just north of the High Peaks, we made sure to dedicate one day to going up the Hurricane.

There are several approach routes up Hurricane. We took the longest of them, the North Trail, located in the vicinity of Keene, with access to the trail head at the end of O'Toole Lane. Hike day was a warm and mostly sunny Tuesday morning. We always try to stay off of the trails on weekends, especially in the Adirondacks. An early start made sure that we met only a few people on the way up ... Sadly, it was a different story on the way down.

This hike was a litttle tougher than expected. After an easy amble to a lean-to campsite, the trail takes you up steep wash outs with plenty of knee-knocking boulder scrambles. But the summit, as advertised, is pretty spectacular.

Hurricane is not quite a 4000 footer... but it sure felt like one.

Peak: Hurricane Mountain
Route: The North Trail
Peak Elevation: 3694 feet, Gain: 1600 feet 
Distance: 6 miles round trip
Conditions: Party-cloudy, 70 degrees F