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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Surprise, Mt. Moriah, North Carter, Middle Carter, South Carter, Carter Dome (attempt), NH
Trails
Trails: Carter-Moriah Trail, Carter Dome Trail, Nineteen Mile Brook Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Monday, February 25, 2013
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Lot at Carter-Moriah Tailhead was plowed with plenty of room on the left. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes, Light Traction 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Some of the crossings at the end of Carter Dome Trail are a bit deceptive 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Several blowdowns along Carter-Moriah from Moriah to Zeta Pass. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: No dogs (or humans). 
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: Found one black-rubber Yak-Trac about .5m from the end of 19 Mile Brook and hung it on the trailhead sign at the parking lot. 
 
Comments
Comments: Continuing the winter-night project. Tim Cross accompanying.Drove up from Boston on Saturday the 23rd.Stashed our gear at the start of C.M.T. and drove up to Pinkham and parked there. Our hope was to do the entire traverse and come down the ski trails. Hitched back to Gorham and got on the trail at 6:00PM in light snow and temps around 30.

C.M.T. was nicely packed out, but with the 2-night packs we were huffing and puffing. Snowed all the way up, but with a moon riding above were able to go without lights till we got up high in the dense pines. Summitted Moriah around 9:30. Blowing from the NE at 20mph with temps in the mid teens. Then down the cone to the Stony Brook Trail junction. I was holding my breath, hoping there was something packed out continuing to N. Carter, but alas, no. We broke trail for 2.9m to the base of N. Carter's cone and it took us almost 4 1/2hours of killer work with the big packs. Also had constant trail-finding issues, as most blazes were buried. Remembering how bitchy the .5m to N. Carter summit is, we opted to camp and do it fresh the next night. Had hoped to camp somewhere around S. Carter, so it looked like the Wildcats were going to be out of the picture. Set up and crashed. Then alternately napped, brewed up and ate till 4:00PM.It snowed moderately the whole day.

Packed out and on the trail at dusk. The .5m to the N. Carter summit was probably the most strenuous effort hiking I can remember. Negotiating continously steep ledges that were drifted in 3+ft with the big packs was extreme effort. It took us 2 1/2 hours to summit and we were physically shattered. We stumbled down to the N. Carter Trailhead, praying something was packed out to Middle. It was, but under 12+ inches of fresh, with many higher drifts on the east-facing side. We had regained our composure somewhat and on we went.

The 2.7m to Zeta was slow, with alot of route-finding on the exposed sections of the ridge. Reached Carter Dome Trail at 10:30PM and agreed we were not up to the elevation gain to Carter Dome and the drop to the Notch on the other side, so we bailed down Carter Dome on a good track with a few inches of fresh. Still snowing lightly with the moon trying to peek through. Switched to bare boots 2/3rds of the way down 19 Mile Brook as the track was so hard, with minimal new snow. No postholing, I promise.

Reached Rte. 16 at 12:30AM (this morning), stashed our packs and started walking up to Pinkham. Sure that some cars would come through and realize our predicament, we were confident of hitching a ride, but only two cars went by going south and neither was biting. I ended up booking the walk on fumes and got to Pinkham at 2:00AM. Picked up Tim walking and then our gear and made the drive back to Boston with atrocious road conditions, getting to the city at 8:00AM. Now just under halfway done the list...wondering at 53 if I have enough years and miles left in this body to finish it out. A hike like this is pretty humbling and I'll not be so cavalier about trail conditions with a big pack again. Still great to be up high in the winter at night, which was always the main idea in the first place.  
Name
Name: Stuart Grey 
E-Mail
E-Mail: stuartgreydc@verizon.net 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2013-02-25 
Link
Link: https:// 
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