| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Surprise, Mt. Moriah, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Carter-Moriah Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, May 6, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked in the small area beneath the utility lines across from the bridge that crosses the Peabody River. Lot nearly full at 8:45 AM.
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|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Some trees across the trail. One hemlock across the trail perhaps 0.1 miles from trailhead. Branches removed to facilitate passage.
Three evergreens leaning high over trail near the harvested forest. These may be a problem with a snowpack. No problem with bare ground.
A couple of blowdowns near Quimby's Pillow (large erratic boulder to the side of the trail 3.6 miles from trailhead).
Trail nicely blazed with cairns on ledges. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Fine for dogs. This trail has little to no water during the dry season. Plenty of water now. |
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 | Bugs: |
Black flies below the snow line. The NW winds picked up in the afternoon resulting in less bugs. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Had the transition season blues today. Fortunately, the great views more than compensated for the surface conditions.
On ascent, I was able to bare boot past most of the ledges. I used microspikes to a point about 0.2 miles above Quimby's Pillow. Thereafter I used snowshoes to lessen the chance of postholing.
On descent, used the snowshoes down to Quimby's Pillow. Continued down in microspikes to the point where there was almost no snow in the trail. In the PM, the ledges had dried out considerably with the NW winds and mild temperatures. No snow or ice on the ledges. I used the beat up microspikes today since I knew there would be snow-bare ground-snow-bare ground surfaces and I didn't want to be taking the traction off and on. I was surprised how well the snowshoes handled the uneven surfaces.
The snow is mushy in many spots. There is running water beneath the snow in places. There is a narrow-compacted snow track that can support hikers however it is easy to slip off if not attentive. Some of the postholes looked nasty as they extended down to water, rocks, or buried downed trees. Only one other hiker had snowshoes today. You have to weigh the cost of carrying the snowshoes versus the added protection from postholing.
Great views from many spots along the Carter-Moriah Trail from Bangor Street. The summit rock had a small area devoid of snow.
The Carter-Moriah trail heading south of Mt Moriah was unused when I arrived. While on the summit a hiker came up in boots from the Stony Brook approach. He regretted ditching the snowshoes before he reached a lengthy stretch of deep snow. Lots of hikers on the Carter-Moriah Trail from Bangor Street.
No wildflowers in bloom but I saw trillium and hobblebush starting to leaf out. |
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 | Name: |
WAUMBEK |
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 | E-Mail: |
waumbek@roadrunner.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-05-06 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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