slowandsteady
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- Aug 10, 2005
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Thank you to all VFTTs who provided input for our hike.
Itinerary: Wild River to Moriah Brook to Carter Moriah to Moriah summit to Kenduskeag to Shelburne Moriah Summit to Shelburne Trail to Wild River Road.
Date Saturday September 24. The evening before one of the local television weather forecasters predicted that Saturday would be in the top ten days of 2005 – he proved to be right.
Up at 4:30AM for the drive to the trailhead. Saw two moose in the pond off Wild River Road just after junction with 113. We started at the Wild River Campground at 6:30 just as the sun was rising. There was one place at the beginning of the Moriah Brook Trail where it overlaps with the Highwater Trail where the WMG said to turn sharp right (and there were double blazes on the tree) but the trail looked like it had been blocked off. At any rate there was a little momentary confusion about turning right or staying on the Highwater; we stayed on the Highwater and after about five minutes MBT diverged right.
Moriah Brook Trail is dazzling; especially in the dappled early morning light with some colorful fallen leaves floating on the water. We were so enthralled by the scenery it seemed effortless to make the 2000 foot climb to the col between Moriah and North Carter. Askus23 had posted a link to photos from his hikes and we recognized the gorges immediately. We stopped at every opportunity to take photos (with film so it may take a while to upload photos). Moriah Brook Trail has a short muddy section above the final brook crossing but the south ledges of Moriah are literally overhead and a great distraction, so watch your footing. You can look back and see the trail and the flat, boggy area from the south ledges. A very short distance from the col on Carter Moriah we were out on exposed ledges with fantastic views, making the elevation gain almost effortless. I don’t think I remember a 4000-footer this easy to climb.
Looking from the south ledges over at the presi ridge we saw first Madison and Adams then Jefferson then Clay and Washington and finally as far as Monroe, as we climbed higher and higher. Also there were great views to Kilkenny and Cabot, the Bulge and the Horn to the Northwest and the Carters, Carter Dome and Height to the south.
We got to a knob where we could see Shelburne Moriah in front of us with its ups and downs and hoped they would not be too tiring. Saw no one until Moriah summit. Took a long, leisurely break on Moriah summit savoring the VFTT (last time we saw mainly fog). In 45 minutes we saw seven people on/near the summit and one well behaved dog. Everyone was delighted by the weather.
Kenduskeag is well maintained, with, as my son declared, “the mother load” of bog bridges. These kept all the ups and downs from becoming PUDs. Met two hikers also going over Shelburne Moriah but everyone else was headed over Moriah or to the Carters. Shelburne Moriah lived up to its reputation as a “gem” and the views were really awesome in all directions. Looking back at Moriah we could see the fall foliage just beginning to glow. We had been warned that the SM ridge is very exposed (WMG) but we never needed to don windgear or even hats – just fleece quarter zip overshirts.
Kenduskeag brings you to several cols – all very quiet and magical places. Saw no one after Shelburne Moriah summit. Shelburne trail had a bunch of downed tress but nothing too difficult to get around. Woke up a very fat toad asleep in the middle of the trail and scared one snake off a rock in the trail (and for once a snake didn’t scare me).
The descent on Shelburne is moderate and we were glad to have gone in this direction. Got to Highwater Trail just before the Wild River (it is signed very clearly now – earlier reports indicated otherwise) and two out of three of us wanted to cross the river so that is what we did. Water levels were low enough to make it a rock hop although yours truly managed to get both boots wet; I was the only one, though. (Had brought Tevas but was too lazy to change). I can't imagine that Gris and Sherpa Kroto forded this in May.
The road walk back to the trailhead was quick (0.7 miles), making for a total of about 15.5 miles. This trip took us 10 hours but we could have easily done this in about 8 ½. It was a day to linger on the peaks. So, ten hours, eleven other people, two moose. Put this hike on your “need solitude” list.
Itinerary: Wild River to Moriah Brook to Carter Moriah to Moriah summit to Kenduskeag to Shelburne Moriah Summit to Shelburne Trail to Wild River Road.
Date Saturday September 24. The evening before one of the local television weather forecasters predicted that Saturday would be in the top ten days of 2005 – he proved to be right.
Up at 4:30AM for the drive to the trailhead. Saw two moose in the pond off Wild River Road just after junction with 113. We started at the Wild River Campground at 6:30 just as the sun was rising. There was one place at the beginning of the Moriah Brook Trail where it overlaps with the Highwater Trail where the WMG said to turn sharp right (and there were double blazes on the tree) but the trail looked like it had been blocked off. At any rate there was a little momentary confusion about turning right or staying on the Highwater; we stayed on the Highwater and after about five minutes MBT diverged right.
Moriah Brook Trail is dazzling; especially in the dappled early morning light with some colorful fallen leaves floating on the water. We were so enthralled by the scenery it seemed effortless to make the 2000 foot climb to the col between Moriah and North Carter. Askus23 had posted a link to photos from his hikes and we recognized the gorges immediately. We stopped at every opportunity to take photos (with film so it may take a while to upload photos). Moriah Brook Trail has a short muddy section above the final brook crossing but the south ledges of Moriah are literally overhead and a great distraction, so watch your footing. You can look back and see the trail and the flat, boggy area from the south ledges. A very short distance from the col on Carter Moriah we were out on exposed ledges with fantastic views, making the elevation gain almost effortless. I don’t think I remember a 4000-footer this easy to climb.
Looking from the south ledges over at the presi ridge we saw first Madison and Adams then Jefferson then Clay and Washington and finally as far as Monroe, as we climbed higher and higher. Also there were great views to Kilkenny and Cabot, the Bulge and the Horn to the Northwest and the Carters, Carter Dome and Height to the south.
We got to a knob where we could see Shelburne Moriah in front of us with its ups and downs and hoped they would not be too tiring. Saw no one until Moriah summit. Took a long, leisurely break on Moriah summit savoring the VFTT (last time we saw mainly fog). In 45 minutes we saw seven people on/near the summit and one well behaved dog. Everyone was delighted by the weather.
Kenduskeag is well maintained, with, as my son declared, “the mother load” of bog bridges. These kept all the ups and downs from becoming PUDs. Met two hikers also going over Shelburne Moriah but everyone else was headed over Moriah or to the Carters. Shelburne Moriah lived up to its reputation as a “gem” and the views were really awesome in all directions. Looking back at Moriah we could see the fall foliage just beginning to glow. We had been warned that the SM ridge is very exposed (WMG) but we never needed to don windgear or even hats – just fleece quarter zip overshirts.
Kenduskeag brings you to several cols – all very quiet and magical places. Saw no one after Shelburne Moriah summit. Shelburne trail had a bunch of downed tress but nothing too difficult to get around. Woke up a very fat toad asleep in the middle of the trail and scared one snake off a rock in the trail (and for once a snake didn’t scare me).
The descent on Shelburne is moderate and we were glad to have gone in this direction. Got to Highwater Trail just before the Wild River (it is signed very clearly now – earlier reports indicated otherwise) and two out of three of us wanted to cross the river so that is what we did. Water levels were low enough to make it a rock hop although yours truly managed to get both boots wet; I was the only one, though. (Had brought Tevas but was too lazy to change). I can't imagine that Gris and Sherpa Kroto forded this in May.
The road walk back to the trailhead was quick (0.7 miles), making for a total of about 15.5 miles. This trip took us 10 hours but we could have easily done this in about 8 ½. It was a day to linger on the peaks. So, ten hours, eleven other people, two moose. Put this hike on your “need solitude” list.
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