BIGEarl
Well-known member
June 6, 2009: Wildcats – Carters – Moriah Traverse
Trails: Lost Pond Trail, Wildcat Ridge Trail, Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Carter-Moriah Trail (CMT), Carter Dome Trail, Stony Brook Trail
Summits: Wildcat “D” Peak, Wildcat “A” Peak, Carter Dome, S. Carter Mountain, Middle Carter Mountain, Mount Moriah
Hikers: Sue (Trail Trotter) and me.
We had another early start as usual. This time we started by spotting a car at the trailhead for Stony Brook Trail, which was our planned ending location. Then we drove to the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center – PNVC our starting location. Within a few minutes we were heading across Route 16 to the Lost Pond Trail and one of my favorite hikes. The weather conditions couldn’t have been better with a mild temperature, light breeze, and generally clear sky. As it turns out the trail conditions probably couldn’t have been better for most of the hike. Where is everybody? In the course of the day we came upon only a dozen other hikers.
Trail Conditions for the day:
Except for Stony Brook, all trails were completely clear of blowdowns – there were none. The mud pits are generally dry and easy to walk across – a number had moose tracks that only left a ~half-inch indentation. There is no standing water, anywhere. The difficult exit from North Carter is generally dry and easy to work through. The ledges on Moriah are dry and offer great traction.
Then upper half of Stony Brook was also in great shape. There are four large blowdowns on the lower part of the trail that need attention.
The Hike:
We enjoyed a quick one-mile warm-up on the Lost Pond Trail and made the turn onto Wildcat Ridge Trail (WRT) and the first big climb for the day. The WRT (aka Brian’s Trail) was a terrific surprise. The winter tree damage has been cleared and our climb to Wildcat “E” Peak was uneventful. The WRT is a treat. I’ve hiked Wildcat Ridge a number of times, always from PNVC on the WRT. Along the way we enjoyed great views across the notch to the ravines and Presidentials but that changed with elevation. Generally on-plan we cleared Wildcat E and headed across the top of the Wildcat Ski Area for our first Four Thousand Footer for the day, Wildcat D. We had a long hike planned which was sure to be a long day before we were finished. We got our summit pictures and set off for Wildcat A.
Our first really big surprise for the day was hiking Wildcat Ridge. It was actually quite pleasant. The usual mud pits and areas of standing water weren’t there. We already knew the trail was probably clear but we didn’t expect dry too. The scrambles off Wildcat D down into Wildcat Col were easy to get through. The overall trail conditions even made the Wildcat PUDs less of a headache. We hit Wildcat A, got more summit pictures plus a few of Carter Notch and set off for the next test.
From Wildcat A we climbed down into Carter Notch losing over 1000 feet in elevation. Then we climbed CMT to the summit of Carter Dome gaining over 1500 feet in elevation. Clearing Carter Notch always feels good.
In past hikes we have stopped at the spring on Carter Dome to top off our water supplies for the hike north. The approach is to carry only enough water to reach this location saving pack weight over Wildcat Ridge and through Carter Notch. Then, fill up for the day also enjoying some nice cold water while there. We reached 4300 feet and turned left to the spring. After a brief stop where Sue and I loaded up for the day we were gone. A little over 500 feet in elevation and we were standing at the summit of Carter Dome snapping summit pictures and taking in the views. I quickly phoned home with a status report and we set off for our next 4K target – South Carter.
We have both enjoyed the views from Mount Hight multiple times and decided the side-trip wasn’t necessary. We followed the Carter Dome Trail straight to Zeta Pass and were soon sitting on the “park bench” having a quick break in the action.
After tending to a small cut on my arm we were heading north on CMT for South Carter. It’s a relatively short section including .8 miles and 550 feet in elevation. The BIG climbs for the day are done. We reached South Carter and finally stopped for a little fuel. Up to this point we were running on trail mix and peanut-butter crackers. A lunch break was past due. The break didn’t last long since we were only a short distance past the mid-point in the hike and already into early afternoon.
Next 4K target – Middle Carter Mountain. Along the way we came to a couple views to Middle Carter from the CMT. It looks like a really long way off at first. In reality the hike between South and Middle Carter Mountain is only 1.3 miles and 450 feet. In roughly an hour we were getting our summit pictures on 4K #5 for the day and preparing to head north to 4K #6 – Mount Moriah.
Going from Middle Carter Mountain to Mount Moriah involves some work. First, we needed to hike over North Carter and then exit to the north. The exit is a very interesting section including a great amount of scrambles. We slowly and carefully made our way off North Carter and were soon cruising around Imp Mountain, past the Imp Campsite, and on to the junction with Stony Brook Trail. We were coming back to this location after visiting the summit of Moriah for our exit.
At the CMT – Stony Brook trails junction I checked our progress and found we were running roughly an hour over the planned time. Not bad considering the length of the hike. We also did a quick sanity check on our plan to visit the summit of Mount Moriah. It was still early, we had plenty of daylight left, and it was only 1.4 miles and 950 feet. Off we went to 4K #6 of 6 for the hike.
The climb includes a great amount of flat ledge that can be tricky when wet. We found completely dry conditions. The climb was an easy walk to the summit. We made our way up the ledges and wooded sections to the false summit and then set off for the actual summit. This area is usually loaded with difficult mud pits. As we had experiences in similar areas the mud was relative dry and solid – easy to pass. Quickly we were at the final scramble to the summit of Moriah. We made the turn, climbed the ledge, and stepped onto the summit area for our final 4K peak for the hike.
By now the sun is very low and we would soon need headlights. We set off on our exit hike back to the Stony Brook junction. There, we would stop to pull out the headlights for the final 3.6 miles. Hiking Stony Brook with headlights is easy. The trail has generally good footing and the mod pits along the way are easy to pass. We cleared the upper stream crossing with no problems and soon found our first blowdown for the hike. Along the way we would come to a total of four large blowdowns on Stony Brook. That was the total for the day – quite a surprise. After the lower crossing we found our way up the bank and started the final section to the trailhead. I’ve hiked this in the dark a number of times and one thing never changes – this trail seems a lot longer in the dark, especially at the end of a long day. We had both and I couldn’t wait to see the final bridge to the trailhead. All we could do is shut-up and hike, which was exactly what we did. Soon we crossed the small bridge a short distance from the main bridge and knew we were nearly out. Then the main bridge over Stony Brook and we were out.
Very nice! That was a great hike and a great day to go with it. I also happened to have some great hiking company to enjoy the day with. Thanks Sue, hiking with you is always a pleasure. Maybe we should try one without headlights.
Pictures will follow.
Trails: Lost Pond Trail, Wildcat Ridge Trail, Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Carter-Moriah Trail (CMT), Carter Dome Trail, Stony Brook Trail
Summits: Wildcat “D” Peak, Wildcat “A” Peak, Carter Dome, S. Carter Mountain, Middle Carter Mountain, Mount Moriah
Hikers: Sue (Trail Trotter) and me.
We had another early start as usual. This time we started by spotting a car at the trailhead for Stony Brook Trail, which was our planned ending location. Then we drove to the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center – PNVC our starting location. Within a few minutes we were heading across Route 16 to the Lost Pond Trail and one of my favorite hikes. The weather conditions couldn’t have been better with a mild temperature, light breeze, and generally clear sky. As it turns out the trail conditions probably couldn’t have been better for most of the hike. Where is everybody? In the course of the day we came upon only a dozen other hikers.
Trail Conditions for the day:
Except for Stony Brook, all trails were completely clear of blowdowns – there were none. The mud pits are generally dry and easy to walk across – a number had moose tracks that only left a ~half-inch indentation. There is no standing water, anywhere. The difficult exit from North Carter is generally dry and easy to work through. The ledges on Moriah are dry and offer great traction.
Then upper half of Stony Brook was also in great shape. There are four large blowdowns on the lower part of the trail that need attention.
The Hike:
We enjoyed a quick one-mile warm-up on the Lost Pond Trail and made the turn onto Wildcat Ridge Trail (WRT) and the first big climb for the day. The WRT (aka Brian’s Trail) was a terrific surprise. The winter tree damage has been cleared and our climb to Wildcat “E” Peak was uneventful. The WRT is a treat. I’ve hiked Wildcat Ridge a number of times, always from PNVC on the WRT. Along the way we enjoyed great views across the notch to the ravines and Presidentials but that changed with elevation. Generally on-plan we cleared Wildcat E and headed across the top of the Wildcat Ski Area for our first Four Thousand Footer for the day, Wildcat D. We had a long hike planned which was sure to be a long day before we were finished. We got our summit pictures and set off for Wildcat A.
Our first really big surprise for the day was hiking Wildcat Ridge. It was actually quite pleasant. The usual mud pits and areas of standing water weren’t there. We already knew the trail was probably clear but we didn’t expect dry too. The scrambles off Wildcat D down into Wildcat Col were easy to get through. The overall trail conditions even made the Wildcat PUDs less of a headache. We hit Wildcat A, got more summit pictures plus a few of Carter Notch and set off for the next test.
From Wildcat A we climbed down into Carter Notch losing over 1000 feet in elevation. Then we climbed CMT to the summit of Carter Dome gaining over 1500 feet in elevation. Clearing Carter Notch always feels good.
In past hikes we have stopped at the spring on Carter Dome to top off our water supplies for the hike north. The approach is to carry only enough water to reach this location saving pack weight over Wildcat Ridge and through Carter Notch. Then, fill up for the day also enjoying some nice cold water while there. We reached 4300 feet and turned left to the spring. After a brief stop where Sue and I loaded up for the day we were gone. A little over 500 feet in elevation and we were standing at the summit of Carter Dome snapping summit pictures and taking in the views. I quickly phoned home with a status report and we set off for our next 4K target – South Carter.
We have both enjoyed the views from Mount Hight multiple times and decided the side-trip wasn’t necessary. We followed the Carter Dome Trail straight to Zeta Pass and were soon sitting on the “park bench” having a quick break in the action.
After tending to a small cut on my arm we were heading north on CMT for South Carter. It’s a relatively short section including .8 miles and 550 feet in elevation. The BIG climbs for the day are done. We reached South Carter and finally stopped for a little fuel. Up to this point we were running on trail mix and peanut-butter crackers. A lunch break was past due. The break didn’t last long since we were only a short distance past the mid-point in the hike and already into early afternoon.
Next 4K target – Middle Carter Mountain. Along the way we came to a couple views to Middle Carter from the CMT. It looks like a really long way off at first. In reality the hike between South and Middle Carter Mountain is only 1.3 miles and 450 feet. In roughly an hour we were getting our summit pictures on 4K #5 for the day and preparing to head north to 4K #6 – Mount Moriah.
Going from Middle Carter Mountain to Mount Moriah involves some work. First, we needed to hike over North Carter and then exit to the north. The exit is a very interesting section including a great amount of scrambles. We slowly and carefully made our way off North Carter and were soon cruising around Imp Mountain, past the Imp Campsite, and on to the junction with Stony Brook Trail. We were coming back to this location after visiting the summit of Moriah for our exit.
At the CMT – Stony Brook trails junction I checked our progress and found we were running roughly an hour over the planned time. Not bad considering the length of the hike. We also did a quick sanity check on our plan to visit the summit of Mount Moriah. It was still early, we had plenty of daylight left, and it was only 1.4 miles and 950 feet. Off we went to 4K #6 of 6 for the hike.
The climb includes a great amount of flat ledge that can be tricky when wet. We found completely dry conditions. The climb was an easy walk to the summit. We made our way up the ledges and wooded sections to the false summit and then set off for the actual summit. This area is usually loaded with difficult mud pits. As we had experiences in similar areas the mud was relative dry and solid – easy to pass. Quickly we were at the final scramble to the summit of Moriah. We made the turn, climbed the ledge, and stepped onto the summit area for our final 4K peak for the hike.
By now the sun is very low and we would soon need headlights. We set off on our exit hike back to the Stony Brook junction. There, we would stop to pull out the headlights for the final 3.6 miles. Hiking Stony Brook with headlights is easy. The trail has generally good footing and the mod pits along the way are easy to pass. We cleared the upper stream crossing with no problems and soon found our first blowdown for the hike. Along the way we would come to a total of four large blowdowns on Stony Brook. That was the total for the day – quite a surprise. After the lower crossing we found our way up the bank and started the final section to the trailhead. I’ve hiked this in the dark a number of times and one thing never changes – this trail seems a lot longer in the dark, especially at the end of a long day. We had both and I couldn’t wait to see the final bridge to the trailhead. All we could do is shut-up and hike, which was exactly what we did. Soon we crossed the small bridge a short distance from the main bridge and knew we were nearly out. Then the main bridge over Stony Brook and we were out.
Very nice! That was a great hike and a great day to go with it. I also happened to have some great hiking company to enjoy the day with. Thanks Sue, hiking with you is always a pleasure. Maybe we should try one without headlights.
Pictures will follow.
