BIGEarl
Well-known member
August 7, 2008: Wildcats, Carters, Moriah Traverse
Trails: Lost Pond Trail, Wildcat Ridge Trail, Carter-Moriah Trail, Kenduskeag Trail, Rattle River Trail
Summits: Wildcat D, Wildcat A, Carter Dome, S. Carter, M. Carter, Moriah
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue), and me
This is one of the hikes Sue & I have planned for this summer. It’s a long hike and requires an early start. We had a target start time of 5:00am and expected to end around 9:00pm. We ended up starting and finishing a little later than planned. The plan was to leave a vehicle at the trailhead lot for the Rattle River Trail, our ending location, and then start hiking from the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center (PNVC). I headed north from Nashua at 2:00am and if I had not seen Sue by the time I reached the Canterbury Rest Area I would stop and wait for her. I got on Route 3 at Exit 7 in Nashua at 2:00am. By the time I reached the town line, only a couple miles, Sue was behind me. Talk about good timing! We made it to the Rattle River trailhead at 4:45am, left Sue’s car and headed for PNVC to start the hike. Everything was socked in with clouds and fog, the forecast called for a 30% to 50% probability of rain all day and a chance of thunder showers in the afternoon. When we prepared to leave PNVC it was lightly raining so we pulled out our rain gear and pack covers. As the saying goes, “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. This turned out to be a lemonade hike.
We set off at 5:15am on the Lost Pond Trail. This short trail passes around the east side of Lost Pond to connect with the Wildcat Ridge Trail (WRT) and avoids a very difficult stream crossing. We made it to the WRT, turned left and headed for the ridge. The WRT is a steep climb to the ridge. With all of the recent rain we had slippery footing to be concerned with on the climb, which slowed us down throughout the hike. Also, it was clear we would be dealing with a great deal of standing water, flooded trail sections where the trail has become a flowing stream, and mud throughout the hike. We made it to the first outlook and could only see fog and clouds. This condition was pretty much with us for the day. Ground-level visibility wasn’t bad with generally 200 to 300 feet, at times more. We continued on and soon reached the ridge. At the top of the ski area we met a group of six hikers working on a north to south hike of the Appalachian Trail (AT). In the course of the day we met roughly fifty other hikers and most were thru-hikers working on hiking the AT in one direction or the other.
We headed for Wildcat D, got a couple viewless pictures and headed across the ridge to Wildcat A. This trail needs and attack of brush hogs to open it up a little. Except for a couple small areas of relief the trail is very tight all of the way across the ridge and we were constantly pushing our way through the encroaching brush. It’s a tough hike even on a good day, and pushing through wet brush had us soaked by the time we reached Wildcat A. We made it across the ridge and headed down to Carter Notch and the Carter-Moriah Trail, which would lead us over Carter Dome, across south and middle Carter, and on to Moriah.
We continued our hike with the next planned stop being a spring below the summit of Carter Dome to load up with water for the day. At 4300 feet there is a spur path that leads a short distance down and away from the trail. Last year on a similar hike I stopped here for my water supply. By taking care of the water supply here it saves hauling the extra weight across Wildcat Ridge and on the climb to Carter Dome. Sue and I topped-off our water containers. I made and drank a quart of Gatorade plus made two additional quarts for the hike north. With this out of the way we headed for the Carter Dome summit. Still no views. A quick break, got a few pictures, met three north-bound AT hikers, and set off for Zeta Pass and then S & M Carter.
At Zeta Pass the rain had stopped. In fact, the clouds had started to break a little so we dumped the rain gear – at least for a while (it was getting warm). More area pictures and we set off for S. Carter. I knew this would be a messy experience – mainly mud. Fortunately, the tough places along the Carter-Moriah trail are generally covered with bridges to protect the vegetation. There were some small areas that required care while passing but overall it wasn’t as bad as I expected. At S. Carter we stopped for a quick lunch before continuing up the ridge. In the section between S. Carter and M. Carter there are a number of mud bogs without bridges that are a real test. There was plenty of evidence where hikers simply plowed across. We tried hard to stay clean and were generally successful all day. Another quick break at M. Carter and we were off to N. Carter. I knew how much Sue enjoys scrambles and she has never hiked north of N. Carter. The exit from this summit was sure to make her smile. We passed the summit area of N. Carter and were soon on the steep scrambles. The rain had started again and the wet rocks and ledges presented an interesting test. I don’t recall seeing Sue smile. The series of scrambles leading down from N. Carter required our full concentration and care to avoid injury. To this point we were hiking on-plan for the day. This was where we started to lose a significant amount of time due to the dangerous hiking conditions. We made it through this section without any problems but the tests were not finished.
Between N. Carter and Moriah there are a number of sections with stone slabs that were green and wet, in other words – slippery. We quickly learned a slow and careful approach was needed for these conditions as well. We also learned to expect the same for our climb of Moriah, a trail section loaded with similar terrain conditions. We passed the spur to the Imp Shelter, and then the junction with the Stoney Brook Trail, and were off on our final summit for the day. Here on Moriah we saw the first sign of recent moose activity for the day. There were two or three sets of tracks, very fresh tracks, following the trail. We never saw the animals and don’t know if we may have been moving them along. The wet slabs of Moriah required caution and we were able to complete the climb without problems. After clearing the false summit we headed for the actual summit and our final scramble of the day. After N. Carter, this last scramble was nothing. We shot up this small climb, walked around the summit area, turned and stepped onto the summit.
Next was our walk back to the trailhead lot to retrieve Sue’s car. It’s only 5.7 miles but it was the longest 5.7 miles I’ve ever hiked. Darkness was setting in and in less than a mile we pulled out our headlights. I had hoped to be past the steep section of the Rattle River Trail before needing the headlights but it didn’t work out that way. Slowly, we picked our way through the mud pits and slippery rocks. First, we made it to the Kenduskeag & Rattle River trails junction, made the turn and headed down. This was very slow going. I knew that the trail moderated after the initial elevation loss but we needed to hike through a loss of ~1800 feet in a relatively short distance. We carefully made our way down and found better trail conditions. From here we had roughly three miles to the trailhead. Along the way we made three significant stream crossings and passed the Rattle River Shelter – a very popular place. There were a few people in the shelter and a number of tents were setup in the surrounding area. We continued our mud pit dodging and finally reached the trailhead lot, a little later than planned.
We were beat. Both of us also expected to be soaked from the day’s forecasted weather and our next stop was PNVC to clean up and change into some dry clothes. Soon, we were packed, saying our goodbyes, and heading for home.
I’m sure we were both looking forward to this hike. I’m also sure we are both happy to have it behind us. This is a long, tough hike that will definitely leave a lasting impression.
We had a great day making lemonade. Thanks, Sue.
Next?
Pictures to follow.
I've posted some pictures from the day.
BIGEarl's Pictures
Straight to the Slideshow
Trails: Lost Pond Trail, Wildcat Ridge Trail, Carter-Moriah Trail, Kenduskeag Trail, Rattle River Trail
Summits: Wildcat D, Wildcat A, Carter Dome, S. Carter, M. Carter, Moriah
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue), and me
This is one of the hikes Sue & I have planned for this summer. It’s a long hike and requires an early start. We had a target start time of 5:00am and expected to end around 9:00pm. We ended up starting and finishing a little later than planned. The plan was to leave a vehicle at the trailhead lot for the Rattle River Trail, our ending location, and then start hiking from the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center (PNVC). I headed north from Nashua at 2:00am and if I had not seen Sue by the time I reached the Canterbury Rest Area I would stop and wait for her. I got on Route 3 at Exit 7 in Nashua at 2:00am. By the time I reached the town line, only a couple miles, Sue was behind me. Talk about good timing! We made it to the Rattle River trailhead at 4:45am, left Sue’s car and headed for PNVC to start the hike. Everything was socked in with clouds and fog, the forecast called for a 30% to 50% probability of rain all day and a chance of thunder showers in the afternoon. When we prepared to leave PNVC it was lightly raining so we pulled out our rain gear and pack covers. As the saying goes, “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. This turned out to be a lemonade hike.
We set off at 5:15am on the Lost Pond Trail. This short trail passes around the east side of Lost Pond to connect with the Wildcat Ridge Trail (WRT) and avoids a very difficult stream crossing. We made it to the WRT, turned left and headed for the ridge. The WRT is a steep climb to the ridge. With all of the recent rain we had slippery footing to be concerned with on the climb, which slowed us down throughout the hike. Also, it was clear we would be dealing with a great deal of standing water, flooded trail sections where the trail has become a flowing stream, and mud throughout the hike. We made it to the first outlook and could only see fog and clouds. This condition was pretty much with us for the day. Ground-level visibility wasn’t bad with generally 200 to 300 feet, at times more. We continued on and soon reached the ridge. At the top of the ski area we met a group of six hikers working on a north to south hike of the Appalachian Trail (AT). In the course of the day we met roughly fifty other hikers and most were thru-hikers working on hiking the AT in one direction or the other.
We headed for Wildcat D, got a couple viewless pictures and headed across the ridge to Wildcat A. This trail needs and attack of brush hogs to open it up a little. Except for a couple small areas of relief the trail is very tight all of the way across the ridge and we were constantly pushing our way through the encroaching brush. It’s a tough hike even on a good day, and pushing through wet brush had us soaked by the time we reached Wildcat A. We made it across the ridge and headed down to Carter Notch and the Carter-Moriah Trail, which would lead us over Carter Dome, across south and middle Carter, and on to Moriah.
We continued our hike with the next planned stop being a spring below the summit of Carter Dome to load up with water for the day. At 4300 feet there is a spur path that leads a short distance down and away from the trail. Last year on a similar hike I stopped here for my water supply. By taking care of the water supply here it saves hauling the extra weight across Wildcat Ridge and on the climb to Carter Dome. Sue and I topped-off our water containers. I made and drank a quart of Gatorade plus made two additional quarts for the hike north. With this out of the way we headed for the Carter Dome summit. Still no views. A quick break, got a few pictures, met three north-bound AT hikers, and set off for Zeta Pass and then S & M Carter.
At Zeta Pass the rain had stopped. In fact, the clouds had started to break a little so we dumped the rain gear – at least for a while (it was getting warm). More area pictures and we set off for S. Carter. I knew this would be a messy experience – mainly mud. Fortunately, the tough places along the Carter-Moriah trail are generally covered with bridges to protect the vegetation. There were some small areas that required care while passing but overall it wasn’t as bad as I expected. At S. Carter we stopped for a quick lunch before continuing up the ridge. In the section between S. Carter and M. Carter there are a number of mud bogs without bridges that are a real test. There was plenty of evidence where hikers simply plowed across. We tried hard to stay clean and were generally successful all day. Another quick break at M. Carter and we were off to N. Carter. I knew how much Sue enjoys scrambles and she has never hiked north of N. Carter. The exit from this summit was sure to make her smile. We passed the summit area of N. Carter and were soon on the steep scrambles. The rain had started again and the wet rocks and ledges presented an interesting test. I don’t recall seeing Sue smile. The series of scrambles leading down from N. Carter required our full concentration and care to avoid injury. To this point we were hiking on-plan for the day. This was where we started to lose a significant amount of time due to the dangerous hiking conditions. We made it through this section without any problems but the tests were not finished.
Between N. Carter and Moriah there are a number of sections with stone slabs that were green and wet, in other words – slippery. We quickly learned a slow and careful approach was needed for these conditions as well. We also learned to expect the same for our climb of Moriah, a trail section loaded with similar terrain conditions. We passed the spur to the Imp Shelter, and then the junction with the Stoney Brook Trail, and were off on our final summit for the day. Here on Moriah we saw the first sign of recent moose activity for the day. There were two or three sets of tracks, very fresh tracks, following the trail. We never saw the animals and don’t know if we may have been moving them along. The wet slabs of Moriah required caution and we were able to complete the climb without problems. After clearing the false summit we headed for the actual summit and our final scramble of the day. After N. Carter, this last scramble was nothing. We shot up this small climb, walked around the summit area, turned and stepped onto the summit.
Next was our walk back to the trailhead lot to retrieve Sue’s car. It’s only 5.7 miles but it was the longest 5.7 miles I’ve ever hiked. Darkness was setting in and in less than a mile we pulled out our headlights. I had hoped to be past the steep section of the Rattle River Trail before needing the headlights but it didn’t work out that way. Slowly, we picked our way through the mud pits and slippery rocks. First, we made it to the Kenduskeag & Rattle River trails junction, made the turn and headed down. This was very slow going. I knew that the trail moderated after the initial elevation loss but we needed to hike through a loss of ~1800 feet in a relatively short distance. We carefully made our way down and found better trail conditions. From here we had roughly three miles to the trailhead. Along the way we made three significant stream crossings and passed the Rattle River Shelter – a very popular place. There were a few people in the shelter and a number of tents were setup in the surrounding area. We continued our mud pit dodging and finally reached the trailhead lot, a little later than planned.
We were beat. Both of us also expected to be soaked from the day’s forecasted weather and our next stop was PNVC to clean up and change into some dry clothes. Soon, we were packed, saying our goodbyes, and heading for home.
I’m sure we were both looking forward to this hike. I’m also sure we are both happy to have it behind us. This is a long, tough hike that will definitely leave a lasting impression.
We had a great day making lemonade. Thanks, Sue.
Next?
Pictures to follow.
I've posted some pictures from the day.
BIGEarl's Pictures
Straight to the Slideshow
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