Question on Chocorua - Carter Ledge Trail

Today (Memorial Day 2007), I went up the Liberty Trail to Chocurua Summit and then over middle sister and down Carter Ledge Trail. However after the ledges, the trail came to a scree slope and then ended. I was with a group of four and we search all around this scree slope (which the blazes and obvious trail led us too), but then we never found out where the trail continued. We descended the entire scree slop and then looked at the bottom and to the left and right, but could not find a trail. I would bet we were close to the Nickerson Trail. We decided to play it safe and go back up over the sisters and down Piper (probably an extra 1000-1500 ft gain, but it was a nice day so we did not mind).
I want to get back up there and try going up the Nickerson/Carter Ledge trail to find out where we got confused, but does anyone know where the trail goes passed the scree slope?
I am also posting this in case others try to go down that trail.

The same thing happened to me on a hike two years ago. Rather than retrace my steps, I bushwhacked pretty much in a perpendicular line from the bottom of that scree until I hit the Piper Trail, which appeared as a little ridge. That was mostly open woods, but with one little drop.

The year before, I had taken the Piper-Nickerson-Carter combo up, as you contemplate. My vague recollection is that the Nickerson enters the scree slide part-way up on the left (looking uphill), running W-E.

carter ledge

If I hear you right,and you crossed over the top of Carter Ledge and descended into the woods, the trail soon bore right and hit a steep spot.
The trail takes a sharp left there, on top of the steep spot. I don't remember any vagueness in the trail at that spot, but I havn't been there since last spring, and maybe there has been a slide.

It works of the other way

I had little problem following the Crter Ldge trail in the up direction,after dropping onto it from the Noickerson ledge trail. I hiked it on urday.

el

I remember this slide and it was pretty cool and even thought about going down and back up just for the fun of it, but I had little trouble staying on the trail or picking up the trail. Wasn't an issue at all and don't remember having to seek it out whatsoever. So it may have just been one of those moments.

shamples said:

I remember this slide and it was pretty cool and even thought about going down and back up just for the fun of it, but I had little trouble staying on the trail or picking up the trail. Wasn't an issue at all and don't remember having to seek it out whatsoever. So it may have just been one of those moments.

Click to expand...

It was fun going down the slide (it made me wish I was out west). When facing the trail, the trail continues upwards on the upper right of the slide. Where does the trail continue after the slide? Does it traverse the slide on the left? Or does it go down the entire slide and then off to the right or left? or Does it go down part of the slide?
In other words since some of you came to the slide, Did you actually climb up the slide or did you traverse the slide? It was unclear from the previous posts.
I am just wondering for a frame of reference and it would be nice for anyone else coming down the carter ledge trail to know how to get back on the trail. If 4 experienced hikers cannot find the trail, then I imagine there are others out there who will get confused as well.

Thanks for all your help!

I've only gone up those trails a couple times, never down. Don't even remember a scree slope. But I did find Carter Ledge (and Middle Sister) a little challenging to follow in places.