Jazzbo
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2005
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Due to a late start, I only started hiking at 11:00 AM. I figured this wouldn’t be a problem if I maintained a brisk pace. I made good time covering the 2.3 miles to junction of Moat Mt Trail with Attitash Trail. Lucy Brook and tributaries appeared to be running a bit high, but easily crossed. It was easy to see how river crossings could be problematic. However the river beds are fairly regular and not full of big boulders and holes that make crossing by wading so hazardous. Nothing like trying to cross the Dry River or Rocky Branch.
From Lucy Brook it’s 1.9 miles and 2000’ feet elevation gain to summit of North Moat. It was fairly steep all the way. Last half of the climb features steep slabs that don’t get much sun being the north side. There was running water from recent rains. I was glad it wasn’t frozen water. The viewing ledges started becoming more frequent always makes climbing easier for me. I had no idea the summit would be so incredibly awesome!!! This is definitely one of the finest vistas in the White Mountains. Being sunny day and peak foliage I had done something right this day! The 360 degree vista had me spinning around trying to take it all in.
Researching other’s reports on North Moat I came across two times when Forest Gnome says the same thing IHO so I know I’m in good company when I say this.
I love low altitude vistas as much as high altitude vistas. It’s kind of like the difference between riding in small plane vs flying in jet plane at 30K feet. The small plane view is better for landscape detail whereas the view from a Presi everything's just a speck. High altitude is nicest when you’ve got high altitude neighbors that add 3rd dimension and sense of space.
I was planning to descend via the Red Ridge to close my lollipop loop. I spotted a very attractive looking long bare rocky ridge that appeared to descend from the cone of Middle Moat. I sure wanted to walk down that bare ridge. Was this Red Ridge? The map showed Red Ridge Trail descending from an un-named bump next to Middle Moat. Closer examination indicated it ledge did indeed descend from the un-named bump and was only one of those terrain illusions.
I spent at least 45 minutes hanging out. I left around 2:45 with some 6 miles to go. The south facing trails were nice and dry with better footing than route up the north side. I reached the junction with the Red Ridge Trail where there was a nice collection of boulders with interesting fractures.
Red Ridge just goes along prolonging your viewing pleasure. Here's Red Ridge with Cathedral and Whitehorse Ledges beyond.
Just remember to look down occasionally to see where you’re stepping and kedp an eye out for blazes. Of course this exposed ridge wouldn’t be much fun if you’re caught in a thunderstorm. This was a lot like descending Bald Face Loop in Evans Notch. Blazes were plentiful, but most were becoming faded. It might be a challenge finding your way off that ridge if ledges were covered in snow as there's not a single cairn.
There's one section of trail just before reaching the table land down below where the trail passes by a ravine that's steep and gravelly that could be tricky in winter if it was icy. I crossed a brook at the ravine and made the final descent to the table land above Whitehorse and Cathedral Ledges. I traversed at double time the 2.2 miles of flats and 2 miles along Lucy Brook I just made it back to Diana’s Bath by 6:15 in twilight.
Complete pics are here.
From Lucy Brook it’s 1.9 miles and 2000’ feet elevation gain to summit of North Moat. It was fairly steep all the way. Last half of the climb features steep slabs that don’t get much sun being the north side. There was running water from recent rains. I was glad it wasn’t frozen water. The viewing ledges started becoming more frequent always makes climbing easier for me. I had no idea the summit would be so incredibly awesome!!! This is definitely one of the finest vistas in the White Mountains. Being sunny day and peak foliage I had done something right this day! The 360 degree vista had me spinning around trying to take it all in.
Researching other’s reports on North Moat I came across two times when Forest Gnome says the same thing IHO so I know I’m in good company when I say this.
I love low altitude vistas as much as high altitude vistas. It’s kind of like the difference between riding in small plane vs flying in jet plane at 30K feet. The small plane view is better for landscape detail whereas the view from a Presi everything's just a speck. High altitude is nicest when you’ve got high altitude neighbors that add 3rd dimension and sense of space.
I was planning to descend via the Red Ridge to close my lollipop loop. I spotted a very attractive looking long bare rocky ridge that appeared to descend from the cone of Middle Moat. I sure wanted to walk down that bare ridge. Was this Red Ridge? The map showed Red Ridge Trail descending from an un-named bump next to Middle Moat. Closer examination indicated it ledge did indeed descend from the un-named bump and was only one of those terrain illusions.
I spent at least 45 minutes hanging out. I left around 2:45 with some 6 miles to go. The south facing trails were nice and dry with better footing than route up the north side. I reached the junction with the Red Ridge Trail where there was a nice collection of boulders with interesting fractures.
Red Ridge just goes along prolonging your viewing pleasure. Here's Red Ridge with Cathedral and Whitehorse Ledges beyond.
Just remember to look down occasionally to see where you’re stepping and kedp an eye out for blazes. Of course this exposed ridge wouldn’t be much fun if you’re caught in a thunderstorm. This was a lot like descending Bald Face Loop in Evans Notch. Blazes were plentiful, but most were becoming faded. It might be a challenge finding your way off that ridge if ledges were covered in snow as there's not a single cairn.
There's one section of trail just before reaching the table land down below where the trail passes by a ravine that's steep and gravelly that could be tricky in winter if it was icy. I crossed a brook at the ravine and made the final descent to the table land above Whitehorse and Cathedral Ledges. I traversed at double time the 2.2 miles of flats and 2 miles along Lucy Brook I just made it back to Diana’s Bath by 6:15 in twilight.
Complete pics are here.
