Sunday, February 24, 2019
Start/End: Hancock Overlook
Mileage: 9.4
Elevation gain/loss: 2510′
GaiaGPS track
I was up early again, around 5am, before my alarm went off. I was packed up and in my car by around 5:30am, and at the trailhead by 6am. It was already snowing, and continued to snow for the entire time I was out hiking, dropping ~2-3 inches in 4.75 hours, though I was able to keep my snowshoes strapped to my pack. On my way towards Hancock, I passed by two people who were coming out with a sled, having stayed the night by the trail. I didn’t see anyone else until I was almost back to my car. The snow wasn’t bad until I reached the summit of Hancock; the wind was driving the snow into my face, making visibility challenging. Per the norm, the last half mile to the summit of Hancock was ungodly steep; I’ve never hiked it without snow on the ground, though I have wondered if it’s any easier without snow, or if the snow makes the descents that much easier for the painless sliding. The wind had blown large piles of snow across the trail at the summit, making for difficult travel. In a few locations, I needed my GPS to figure out which direction the trail was supposed to go, since I couldn’t see any blazes or tracks. I finally summited South Hancock and then began the incredibly steep descend towards the loop split. Once there, it was smooth sailing back to the car, save for one hard fall I took when I twisted my ankle 300 yards shy of the road. Once back to the car, I took off my wet layers and started the slow drive back home through the snow.
Transcending Mountains 