Saturday, November 26, 2022
Start: Glen Ellis Falls TH
End: Carter-Moriah TH
Miles: 17.2
Elevation Gain/Loss: 8484′
Peaks: Wildcat A, B, C, D, E; Carter Dome; South Carter; Middle Carter; Lethe; North Carter; Moriah; Surprise.
I took my time this morning, getting coffee and breakfast in Gorham before heading to the Moriah trailhead at 7:30am to meet up with a friend who was willing to help shuttle me around to Wildcat. Unfortuantely, after pulling into the Glen Ellis Falls TH, I realized I’d left my trekking poles back in my car. My friend kindly drove the 30-minute extra round trip to let me grab my poles. I was very glad of them during my long day.
I climbed the Wildcats using Wildcat Ridge Trail/AT and there were some sections with substantial ice, though it was manageable. I met another 3 hikers at the summit of Wildcat – they’d clearly ascended the ski trails. We kept pace with each other for a while, and I eventually dropped behind when I took the side trail to the Carter hut to fill up my water bottles. Then it was back out, climbing up Carter Dome. As usual, the climb took longer than it felt like it should, but I got there eventually. At the summit, there were two people feeding greyjays and acclimitizing them to handling by humans. This made me grumpy, particularly because they were standing in the direct center of the packed trail.
I made good time over South and Middle Carter, and then went past the turn-off for Imp trail. The next 2.5 miles were untouched, and I paid for that. Snow had drifted on some steep open slabs, creating knee-deep snow sections that hide sheet ice underneath. I had to be creative a few times, figuring out how to navigate the steep icy drops. I was very glad to intersect with Stony Brook trail, where plenty of footprints had packed down the snow leading to Moriah. I summited Moriah by headlamp and then quickly descended towards my car, with Moriah always taking a bit longer than I expect. I was delighted to find my car still there, full of snacks and dry clothes.
Transcending Mountains 