North Moat and Big Attitash Mtn., March 14th, 2009

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forestgnome

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Moat Mtn. Trail from Dianna's Bath to North Moat summit. Santa was spotted at Dianna's Bath.

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Maybe he was migrating for the season and stopped for a dip? Did not see any reindeer.



Trail is hard packed. Micro spikes over Sorrels worked perfectly, as a group just ahead of me broke the crust. Here's a view from the higher ledgy areas of Kearsarge North and Mt. Cranmore...

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view from summit over Little Attitash and Iron Mtn...

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a view over Big Attitash toward mt. Carrigain, with Mt. Lafayette in the distance...

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Big Attitash...



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The wind was light and steady from the southwest ( any wind other than northwest cathches my attention) From the summit I donned snowshoes and dropped right off the peak and followed the land through spruce, not too thick if you take your time to find open lanes.




nice!!!

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It's spruce all the way down to the saddle. I found the head of Deer Brook, which runs down to the Swift River, and you can see Mt. Chocorua through the saddle. Beautiful hardwoods here. Sunny and windless! The conditions were perfect. The snow fully supported and the top was slightly mushy, keeping things quiet.

I wound my way up the southern slopes and bumped into the Attitash Trail and followed it to the summit. There is a register there for the AMC 3k' Club; I said hello. A snowshoe track lead to the register from Little Attitash (ski area) direction.

I used the Attitash Trail intermitently for the exit. At one point a barred owl gave me a thrill. I happened to stop for a moment. I heard a loud "hoo...hoo...hoo-hoo" right over my head. We made eye contact. Glad I'm not a small critter. It was like a bobcat with wings. I slowly drew my camera as it looked away and flew off. Beautiful creature.

happy trails :)
 
AMC & 3ks

>>There is a register there for the AMC 3k' Club;<<

For the sake of clarity, Big Attitash is a NH200 peak topping out at 2936 ft.

Again, for the sake of clarity, there is no such thing as the "AMC 3k club".

People doing the the 3k list and other serious bushwhacking lists need no direction from the AMC. These lists evolved without the "assistance" AMC and have done just fine.

Anyhow, it is a sweet little bushwhack from N Moat to Big Attitash.
 
Oh man! Excellent trip and excellent report about the trip! Wonderful photos, as always!
It’s so refreshing to see TRs such as this!
 
Good TR

I've thought it would be a nice bushwhack to go from North Moat over to Big Attitash. Old topos at UNH Maps website indicates historically there used to be a lot more trails in that area, but never one connecting those two points. Seems logical to connect the two if only to enable loop hike like you've done. Thanks for sharing. I hope I can make my way through there some time.
 
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>>There is a register there for the AMC 3k' Club;<<

For the sake of clarity, Big Attitash is a NH200 peak topping out at 2936 ft.

Again, for the sake of clarity, there is no such thing as the "AMC 3k club".

People doing the the 3k list and other serious bushwhacking lists need no direction from the AMC. These lists evolved without the "assistance" AMC and have done just fine.

Anyhow, it is a sweet little bushwhack from N Moat to Big Attitash.

I guess it was NH200 Club. I could easily mistake it; Thanks for the correction for readers. I pay no attention to lists. I do say "hello" if I find a register. This was only my second time doing so. I said hello at the top of The Fool Killer one day when I wanted to be on the other side of the mountain and over the top seemed to be my best option, and I saw the register at the top.

If memory serves, you visited Big Attitash Mtn. on the 9th?

Agreed; a nice little area to explore. It's probably easier in deep, firm snow than on bare ground from North Moat down to the saddle.

happy trails :)
 
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