1HappyHiker
Well-known member
It’s mid October in the Whites, and so it should be no surprise that it’s getting colder. The patchy ice that I experienced on the upper portions of the Carter-Moriah trail was a strong hint that it’s getting colder. But my official confirmation came when I bit into my cliff bar. Ouch! It was almost like chomping down on a stone. The soft ‘n chewy days of summer are over!
From the Gorham trailhead, my previous journeys on the Carter-Moriah Trail had only taken me as far as the Mt. Surprise viewpoint. So, I was excited about hiking a new (new for me!) segment of trail beyond Mt. Surprise. I was definitely NOT disappointed with what I found! I love scrambles over bare rock slabs, and this “new” segment of trail provided this type of fun. Some of the scrambles sort of reminded me of a mini version of those found on the Caps Ridge Trail.
As I was approaching the summit of Moriah, I could hear what sounded like a party going on. It turned out to be a group of 6 city folks who were relishing every moment of their time in the Whites. They were belting out songs and just having a great time! Although a little more solitude might have been nice, it really didn’t bother me. The only thing is, with that many people (plus gear) on Moriah’s tiny pinhead of a summit, seating arrangements was a bit of challenge.
I have visited Moriah previously via the Stony Brook Trail. So, I already knew what to expect in terms of summit views. And although it’s probably a matter of personal taste, I don’t feel that Moriah’s summit provides a “knock your socks off” view that you get from other spots in the Whites. But, views were not really my focal point. My main purpose for this particular trek was to experience the segment of the Carter-Moriah Trail that I’d never done before.
But, speaking of views, some of the ledges along the Carter-Moriah Trail provide awesome vistas of the northern Presidentials.
Also from these same ledges, looking northward over Gorham, there are interesting views toward Percy Peaks on the horizon, plus many other features in the Nash Stream region.
And as often happens, there are things you experience along the trail that are just as interesting as the scenic panoramas. One such example is the cute little “hut” that I saw which was formed by an overturned tree. If it weren’t missing a front door, it might make a cozy winter residence for some critter. Could this have been a Beariott Hotel?! (OK, that was pretty bad!)
Bottom Line to All This: Using the Carter-Moriah Trail from the Gorham trailhead as an approach Mt. Moriah was an overall a good experience. It was great to travel a segment of trail that was new to me. The ledge scrambles were a lot of fun, and the views from many of these ledges were excellent. But perhaps most important of all, biting down on my hard and very brittle Cliff Bar provided me with official confirmation that cold weather has arrived!
1HappyHiker
From the Gorham trailhead, my previous journeys on the Carter-Moriah Trail had only taken me as far as the Mt. Surprise viewpoint. So, I was excited about hiking a new (new for me!) segment of trail beyond Mt. Surprise. I was definitely NOT disappointed with what I found! I love scrambles over bare rock slabs, and this “new” segment of trail provided this type of fun. Some of the scrambles sort of reminded me of a mini version of those found on the Caps Ridge Trail.
As I was approaching the summit of Moriah, I could hear what sounded like a party going on. It turned out to be a group of 6 city folks who were relishing every moment of their time in the Whites. They were belting out songs and just having a great time! Although a little more solitude might have been nice, it really didn’t bother me. The only thing is, with that many people (plus gear) on Moriah’s tiny pinhead of a summit, seating arrangements was a bit of challenge.
I have visited Moriah previously via the Stony Brook Trail. So, I already knew what to expect in terms of summit views. And although it’s probably a matter of personal taste, I don’t feel that Moriah’s summit provides a “knock your socks off” view that you get from other spots in the Whites. But, views were not really my focal point. My main purpose for this particular trek was to experience the segment of the Carter-Moriah Trail that I’d never done before.
But, speaking of views, some of the ledges along the Carter-Moriah Trail provide awesome vistas of the northern Presidentials.
Also from these same ledges, looking northward over Gorham, there are interesting views toward Percy Peaks on the horizon, plus many other features in the Nash Stream region.
And as often happens, there are things you experience along the trail that are just as interesting as the scenic panoramas. One such example is the cute little “hut” that I saw which was formed by an overturned tree. If it weren’t missing a front door, it might make a cozy winter residence for some critter. Could this have been a Beariott Hotel?! (OK, that was pretty bad!)
Bottom Line to All This: Using the Carter-Moriah Trail from the Gorham trailhead as an approach Mt. Moriah was an overall a good experience. It was great to travel a segment of trail that was new to me. The ledge scrambles were a lot of fun, and the views from many of these ledges were excellent. But perhaps most important of all, biting down on my hard and very brittle Cliff Bar provided me with official confirmation that cold weather has arrived!
1HappyHiker
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