Sunday, July 14
Summits: Wildcat A-D, Carter Dome; South, Middle, North Carter; Moriah
Start: Wildcat ski area
Finish: Carter Moriah TH
Miles: 17.88
Elevation gain/loss: 7077/8107′
I started from Wildcat ski area at 5:30am and enjoyed the cooler and less humid weather. After the wildcats, I dropped down to Carter Notch and went by the hut for water. I was very surprised to find a bunch of people I knew at the hut! It was an LGBTQ+ hut takeover, and I knew 3 of the hikers on sight. I sat and chatted for half an hour before heading on my way up Carter Dome.
As I got close to the summit, I saw two trail runners in front of me. I passed them when they paused on the summit and then they passed me a few moments later, running down the trail. I kept up a quick hiking pace, and within 20 minutes, I’d caught back up to them and passed them as the trail became more technical.
From there, I carefully pushed my pace when it was safe to do so, trying to keep ahead of them for as long as I could. I did stop twice to filter water and have a quick snack, since eating while hiking wasn’t possible on that terrain. I was shocked that the trail runners didn’t pass me over the rest of the hike. Thankfully, most of the rock slabs had dried out and were fairly easy to descend in my favorite technical shoes, but they were not runnable by any means.
I arrived at the full trailhead parking lot around 2:45pm and the first people I asked for a ride said yes. As it turns out, they were the trail runners I was paralleling the entire day. After a stop at the gas station for drinks, they kindly dropped me off at my car! Then it was time to change and drive home, wrapping up another full weekend.
